Meet the Queen of Going Out Tops and Sexy(ish) Dresses

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fashion People – "Meet the Queen of Going Out Tops and Sexy(ish) Dresses"

Episode Information:

• Title: Meet the Queen of Going Out Tops and Sexy(ish) Dresses
• Release Date: August 8, 2025
• Host: Lauren Sherman, Puck Correspondent
• Guest: Yael Aflalo, Serial Entrepreneur and Founder of Aflalo

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of Fashion People, host Lauren Sherman delves deep into the world of luxury fashion with Yael Aflalo, the serial entrepreneur and founder of the eponymous brand, Aflalo. The conversation unpacks the intricacies of launching and scaling a fashion brand in today’s competitive landscape, focusing on merchandising, distribution, and the challenges of maintaining quality without exorbitant pricing.

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Guest Background

Yael Aflalo brings a wealth of experience from her upbringing in the fashion industry. Having lived in both Los Angeles and New York, Yael has established three successful businesses, with Aflalo being her latest venture aimed at redefining luxury fashion. Her passion for clothes, sparked from a young age, has driven her entrepreneurial spirit and her desire to create wearable luxury.

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Launching Aflalo: Vision and Execution

Yeal’s primary objective with Aflalo was to create a luxury brand that marries wearability with beauty, offering pieces that make women feel confident without breaking the bank.

Yael Aflalo [17:44]: “I really wanted to create a luxury fashion brand that was wearable… something that was wearable and beautiful and made me feel good about myself and was, like, at a price that was more approachable.”

The initial six months have been a rollercoaster of excitement and challenges. Yael reflects on the early days with nostalgia, acknowledging the hard work required to build something from scratch.

Yael Aflalo [17:56]: “I think I’m addicted to the excitement of it.”

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Supply Chain and Manufacturing Insights

Yael emphasizes the importance of quality in luxury fashion, discussing her shift from prioritizing efficiency to focusing on high-end finishings and luxury sewing techniques. This transition has necessitated a rethinking of her approach to supply chain management.

Yael Aflalo [20:39]: “I need to retrain my brain a bit to be like, don’t worry about efficiency for now. Focus more on quality.”

Collaborating with Italian manufacturers has been pivotal in maintaining the brand’s high standards. Yael highlights the delicate balance between cost and quality, especially when dealing with bespoke materials and intricate designs.

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Understanding the Luxury Consumer

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the evolving mindset of luxury consumers. Yael observes that customers are increasingly purchasing based on desire rather than price sensitivity, which is a crucial insight for luxury brands navigating the current market.

Yael Aflalo [34:21]: “People are buying things because they want it or they don’t want it. I don’t think they care if there’s an extra a hundred dollars.”

Lauren Sherman adds her perspective on the luxury crisis, noting that major brands are targeting ultra-high-net-worth individuals who exhibit minimal price sensitivity.

Lauren Sherman [35:28]: “It’s just that ultra high net worth… if they want it, they buy it.”

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Marketing Strategies and Brand Voice

Marketing Aflalo has been a mix of organic growth and strategic paid campaigns. Initially relying on word-of-mouth, Yael later incorporated creator collaborations and recently launched paid marketing efforts to broaden her reach.

Yael Aflalo [38:26]: “We’re doing creator stuff and just actually launched paid marketing two days ago.”

A significant challenge Yael faces is crafting a brand voice that embodies luxury while retaining personality and relatability. Balancing sophisticated copy with an authentic, engaging tone remains a work in progress.

Yael Aflalo [40:19]: “Luxury is so not copy. It’s like so blah… I’m trying to imbue more personality and more brand into it.”

Lauren praises Yael’s efforts, encouraging her to continue infusing her unique voice into the brand’s narrative.

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Retail Expansion and Future Plans

Looking ahead, Yael is actively seeking retail locations to establish physical stores, recognizing the importance of brick-and-mortar presence in enhancing brand visibility and customer experience.

Yael Aflalo [42:46]: “Retail is definitely… I love retail. I love interiors.”

She envisions a five-year plan that includes a combination of e-commerce and wholesale channels, alongside expanding her team to support growth.

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The Role of AI in Merchandising

Addressing the rise of artificial intelligence in fashion, Yael shares her balanced view on leveraging technology without losing the human touch essential for creative decision-making.

Yael Aflalo [54:39]: “AI is going to change every single part of our lives, including merchandising. It will be a combination of AI and humans.”

She believes that while AI can optimize logistics and data analysis, the nuanced aspects of fashion—like predicting trends and understanding consumer emotions—still require human intuition.

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Challenges and Resilience

Yael candidly discusses the inherent challenges in direct-to-consumer models, such as inventory management and predicting demand without historical data. Her candidness offers valuable lessons for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs.

Yael Aflalo [49:25]: “We’re guessing all the time what to make and how much sales we’re going to do.”

Despite these hurdles, her resilience and strategic planning reflect her commitment to building a sustainable and impactful brand.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Lauren expressing admiration for Yael’s achievements and the potential of Aflalo in the luxury fashion sector. Their conversation encapsulates the dynamic interplay between creativity, business acumen, and adaptability required to thrive in the ever-evolving fashion industry.

Lauren Sherman [56:06]: “I'm endlessly impressed by you. And I might buy that shirt.”

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Notable Quotes

• Yael Aflalo [17:44]: “I really wanted to create a luxury fashion brand that was wearable… something that was wearable and beautiful and made me feel good about myself and was, like, at a price that was more approachable.”

• Yael Aflalo [20:39]: “I need to retrain my brain a bit to be like, don’t worry about efficiency for now. Focus more on quality.”

• Yael Aflalo [34:21]: “People are buying things because they want it or they don’t want it. I don’t think they care if there’s an extra a hundred dollars.”

• Yael Aflalo [38:26]: “We’re doing creator stuff and just actually launched paid marketing two days ago.”

• Yael Aflalo [40:19]: “Luxury is so not copy. It’s like so blah… I’m trying to imbue more personality and more brand into it.”

• Yael Aflalo [54:39]: “AI is going to change every single part of our lives, including merchandising. It will be a combination of AI and humans.”

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This episode of Fashion People offers invaluable insights into the complexities of building a luxury fashion brand from the ground up. Yael Aflalo’s experiences provide a roadmap for navigating the challenges of supply chain management, marketing, and consumer engagement in the modern fashion landscape.

Transcript

[Lauren Sherman]

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[Kristen Bell]

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[Lauren Sherman]

Foreign welcome to Fashion people. I'm Lauren Sherman, writer of Puck's Fashion and Beauty Memo line sheet and today with me on the show is Yaya Aflalo, serial entrepreneur and founder of Aflalo. We're talking about lots of sexy stuff today, including merchandising and distribution, but also about starting up another brand. Yel just knows what women want to wear and so much more. Before we get going, I wanted to remind you that if you like this podcast, you'll definitely love Puck where I send an email called Line Sheet. If you're a fashion person, you get that reference. It's an original look at what's really going on inside the fashion and beauty industries. Line Sheet is scoopy, analytical and above all, fun. Along with me, a subscription to Puck gains you access to an unmatched roster of experts reporting on powerful people and companies in entertainment, media, sports, politics, finance, the art world and much more. If you're interested listeners of Fashion People get a discount. Just go to Puck News Fashion people to join Puck or start a free trial. Happy Friday everyone. Hope you're having a great week. I feel like I'm practically on vacation because I'm in LA and no one else is. And while I'm working as hard as always, it is nice when everyone else is on holiday. So I'm trying to enjoy the quiet, quiet moment. This week on Line Sheet. Lots of great stuff. Interview with Rachel Strugatz, who's on the goop beat for us, and Amy o', Dell, whose best New York Times bestselling book Gwyneth is being read by everyone I know. So please check it out. On Thursday I wrote about Frederic Arnault and the new CEO of Laura Piana and also obviously an heir to the Arnault empire and the challenges he faces there and the opportunities. It's an amazing brand and there's a lot to do moving forward. It's going to be interesting to see him develop as an executive. He is only 29 years old, so more to come from that corner of the Arnault universe for sure. And then on Friday, Sarah Shapiro caught us up the week that was in retail and had some really interesting insights about the Ralph Lauren earnings in particular. Wow. Ralph Lauren is really the brand of the year. Congrats to Patrice leve. Congrats to Mr. Lauren. Congrats to all the comps people who work there who, you know, I love and I'm, I am very happy for them. And also congrats to Michael Ryder and his whole team and all the other designers and everyone who's been building up Ralph Lauren for the past five years and allowing it to fulfill its full potential. Only person that I'm kind of bummed didn't get to see it happen for herself is Valerie Herman, who was an integral part of this strategy and she left a few years ago and moved back to France, but she is amazing also. I hope you're all having a glass of champagne, even though the shares were down for one reason or another, but Sarah gets into that. Let's get going with Yael. Huge Fan Love having all these sort of new brand builders on. We had Isabel Wilkinson a couple weeks ago, and now Yael and going to have Georgiana from Hunza G on in a couple weeks. So I hope you enjoy this little mini summer series that we're doing. Yael is so impressive, and I'm a big fan of her personally. Also, just an FYI, did not let her send me the blouse. I wasn't gonna, like, go into a thing about how I don't take free gifts, but I obviously didn't. That's it.

[Yael Aflalo]

Let's get going.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yael Aflalo. Welcome to Fashion People.

[Yael Aflalo]

Thank you.

[Lauren Sherman]

How are you doing?

[Yael Aflalo]

I'm very happy today.

[Lauren Sherman]

I love your background. Is this your office? I.

[Yael Aflalo]

We actually had just gotten a new place in la, and this is actually Gary's office. We moved in, like, five days ago.

[Lauren Sherman]

Oh, cool. Amazing. Well, looks are his looks great. What'd you have for breakfast this morning? Did you have breakfast? It's still pretty early here.

[Yael Aflalo]

No, I did. I had a protein smoothie. Yeah, I make a. I make a protein smoothie with lots of different healthy ingredients.

[Lauren Sherman]

How long have you been prioritizing protein in your life?

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, my God. My daughter. Somebody asked my daughter. Somebody asked my daughter. Tell me about your mom. And they're like, she eats way too much protein. She's. She's too obsessed with protein. I guess probably since I started noticing aging in my body, like, where I'm like, oh, I can't do any of the things that I want to do.

[Lauren Sherman]

So I am just. I am confused by how much protein I actually need. Suddenly my husband is into it. He's like, did you know we need to eat a gram of protein for every pound? And I was like, I think I'm not gonna eat that much protein. I don't know how I would eat that much. But it is a funny thing of. It's just become the obsession of the Internet, especially if you're aged, like, 35 to 50. Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

Well, yeah, because it's supposedly, as women, if we don't eat enough protein, we will wither and die. According to the Internet.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yes. Have you started strength training a lot more, too?

[Yael Aflalo]

Yes. I'm like. I'm basically like the. I'm an Instagram meme.

[Lauren Sherman]

Same.

[Yael Aflalo]

I'm 48 years old, and I'm fully a longevity meme.

[Lauren Sherman]

I went to a doctor on the west side of la. So that says that's the first part of it that was like one of these. She tests how old you are.

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, God.

[Lauren Sherman]

And she was like, you're five years older in your body than. So I'm 42. So she was like, you're actually 47 and if you don't do all these things immediately, you're fucked. And so I was like, fine.

[Yael Aflalo]

So I'm basically up on all this stuff. So what marker did she test?

[Lauren Sherman]

I'll send you the results. The thing is, I went to a GP and she was like, you look, you're great. You're so healthy. You've done all this stuff to improve your health over the last 10 years. She was like, you're amazing. So it was one of those things where she also sold me a bunch of her longevity supplements. But I'll send it to you and you can tell me if it's worth anything. But I do wake up in the morning like stiff, which is annoying.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, that's like, that's like the beginning of it.

[Lauren Sherman]

So you, you're here in la, you grew up here too, right?

[Yael Aflalo]

We're actually mostly in New York, but for the summertime we came to la.

[Lauren Sherman]

Nice. It's better here in the summer. Yeah, it's like much trier.

[Yael Aflalo]

It was very sticky.

[Lauren Sherman]

But did you, how, how long did you live here before moving to New York full time?

[Yael Aflalo]

Because I lived in LA till I was 30 and then I was in New York 30 to 36 and then LA for a little bit and then I've been back in New York for about six years.

[Lauren Sherman]

Oh, nice. And what do you, what is the value of being in New York? Do you feel like versus being in LA for your job especially? You just launched this business about a year ago.

[Yael Aflalo]

Well, I mean, the talent pool in New York for fashion, especially if you're trying to go after, you know, a certain designer look, I mean. Yeah, I don't think you can compare the level of talent.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. Do you feel like the thing that I. I've never worked for a Los Angeles based company, so. And I've lived here for five years, but. So I don't really know. This is just outside observation, but, but I do feel like people often say to me, you seem like you're from New York.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, they always said that to me when I lived in la. Always. Let me tell you why. It's because you have. I can't see perfectly right now, but I think you don't have highlights. And I think to have like a single color hair color is very, it's.

[Lauren Sherman]

Like, oh, oh no, it's not an LA me. Oh, no, I got them.

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, you do you have. Did you get them when you moved here?

[Lauren Sherman]

I just got them this. So I didn't color my hair basically since high school, using manic panic or whatever. And then I. When I turned 40, I started going pretty gray. And it just. The gray with the black. My hair's almost black. It's really. It looks too harsh. And so I tried to do, like, balayage and it didn't cover it. So she finally. I have this great person. I went to David Mallett to get a blowout in Paris last week, and. And David Mallett, the man came up to me and was like, your color is amazing. And I said, oh, my colorist is in Larchmont.

[Yael Aflalo]

She just.

[Lauren Sherman]

She has this little studio. Her name's Stacy Tabarez. And he was like, why are. And he kind of. He was like, why are you acting like it's nothing? Because she's in a little studio in la. It's still her color. The color's amazing. And I told Stacy, so shout out to Stacey, Stacy. But I do. I'll show you afterwards. I'll, like, take my hair down. It's pretty. I've. It's pretty intense. But, yes, I. I fear being cheesy. Highlight mom from la.

[Yael Aflalo]

Listen, there are highlights in New York for sure, but it's just, I think to have a single color, like a single color process in la. I don't even think they do those here.

[Lauren Sherman]

I. I tried and it looked. They didn't know how to do it. I don't know how to do.

[Yael Aflalo]

They're like, what is it? Your hair is brown. It's all one color.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. He, like, dyed my hair, like, black, red. And I was like, I look like a witch. Can you. Can you not? And so I went back to. I tried Stacey first. She did a good job. And I was like, I'm just gonna try someone who could do this single process. And then I went back to her. She's. She's magical. She's so good. But. But, yeah, that's a very. That's a funny distinction. Do you also think. Do you think there's just something. I don't want to say, work ethic, because I don't think that's fair. But do you just think there's a different way of operating?

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, I'm very direct. I'm pretty sure you are, too. I say what's on my mind. I think that's just the way of communicating is very different in New York than in la. Right. People are. He was like, oh, yeah. Like, that would Be great. Like, you don't really.

[Lauren Sherman]

You don't actually.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, I think it's just a different, different operating system.

[Lauren Sherman]

I love to say that everyone in LA is hopeful, everyone in New York is ambitious and everyone in Paris is discouraged. It's not possible. It's so. No, it's so good with, with the flower.

[Yael Aflalo]

I will say this about la. One thing is like, I love, like, back to the longevity, wellness stuff. Like, nobody does it better than la. It is just.

[Lauren Sherman]

It's true.

[Yael Aflalo]

It's amazing. A facial here is something to behold.

[Lauren Sherman]

Well, you need to. That's actually a good thing for you to do. Like your list of. Of places. I bet T magazine would eat that up for your PR team.

[Yael Aflalo]

I've gotten into it lately as a. More. You know, when I was like 30, I never did facials.

[Lauren Sherman]

But now I'm like, yeah, well, you look amazing. Too bad this is not going to be on video. But you look really good. So let's talk a bit about your background. Your parents were in the fashion business. Like, you kind of grew up in it. And you've had. This is your third company, or maybe it's more that. I don't even know about another one.

[Yael Aflalo]

But now three real ones.

[Lauren Sherman]

I definitely, like, dabbled.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, I had my company in middle school, but we're not going to that one.

[Lauren Sherman]

So, A, why were you so drawn to this business? And B, like, you started three different companies and they've, they've all been successful. This one is new, but right off the bat, like, it's really picked up. What, what drew you to fashion as like, someone who was around it growing up? And then B, like, what makes you keep wanting to start new businesses? What. What is the drive that is propelling them?

[Yael Aflalo]

I just, I. I guess I just love clothes. I always have. I used to, like, dress my little sister. She would hate it. I'm like, this is what you're wearing for third grade. You know, first day. Really over the top. Yeah, I just love clothes. I don't know even when I'm even on my days off, I'm shopping. I, I, like, I'm always, you know, checking out, clocking what everybody's wearing. I'm just, it's what I, it's where my mind goes and why do I keep starting businesses? You know, I just. So I just started a follow and I started. And I'm like, it's so much work. And I'm like, why did I do this to myself? Like, I can't. Like, did I lose my mind? Like, you know, why would I do this? And then I think I, like, did some thinking about it. It's like, there's something about fashion that really punctuates life. Where it's like every other job. It's just you kind of go to work and, you know, you have your meetings, and maybe it's doing well or it isn't, but it's like small dips. Whereas in fashion, it's like you have to build this whole momentum around the launch, and you're so excited and nervous, and what is everybody gonna think? And then you launch, and are they gonna like it? Are you gonna get orders? Are people gonna buy it? Okay. No, they didn't. Okay. And I think that the. The ups and downs really make life exciting for me. And without it, I'm sort of. I'm bored.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. I understand that. There's always something new. There's always something to look forward to. There's not. There's always a next thing. There's. For you. It's. There is. You have to deliver a collection. Yes. And so you have to keep moving on. And that is. I understand that, and I'm sure that the ups and downs. I mean, starting a new business, that's a whole other thing. But just once the business is established, the ups and downs also reflect what's happening in the bigger culture and all of that stuff too. So it must be interesting to see. Oh, suddenly people are into this lace blouse I made. What does that say about what's happening in the. In the world? Because it does usually connect somehow.

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, it's totally connected. Yeah. It's very exciting. I would say the excitement is what really keeps me engaged.

[Lauren Sherman]

So tell me about Aflalo in particular, and what your big idea. We did a piece when you launched last. It was last fall, right?

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah.

[Lauren Sherman]

And. Which was super fun, and everybody should check it out on line sheet. But what did you want to create and. And how has it gone in the first six months? Like, what have you discovered about this new customer that you were. You were designing for?

[Yael Aflalo]

Well, I really wanted to create a luxury fashion brand that was wearable. I know you're not supposed to say wearable and luxury together, but. Bucket. I wanted to start something that was wearable and beautiful and made me feel good about myself and. And was, like, at a price that was, like, more approachable. I think we talked about it before. Like, luxury just keeps moving the goalpost. Like, who can be like. It's like, who can be wealthy enough to afford it? And so it's like I was recently talking to somebody and they were like, oh, I just heard about this new brand. It's like a streetwear brand where, you know, the jackets are 35,000 and you're like, kind of like, isn't that amazing? You're like, yeah, it's amazing. I can't wait. Yeah. Something that was, you know, beautiful, but still like something that I feel about my friends and even like co workers could enjoy. And then the first six months I just, I guess I, you know, I, I would look back on like the early days at Ruff and it's like the salad days. Oh, I miss those early days. Like, oh my God, it's so great. Like it was so great. It was 10 and we were all just like in it together and then. And I think I just like total rose colored lenses. Because now that I'm back in the early stages, I'm like, no, it is not. It's so hard, you know, So I think I definitely recolored it. It's very challenging in the beginning. I think it's a lot of work. There's like, it's just like, it's like a vacuum. It's like chaos and emptiness and you have to like build something out of nothing and so just doing that. But again, I think I'm, I'm addicted to the excitement of it.

[Lauren Sherman]

Supply chain wise. You are probably one of the fashion entrepreneurs who understands manufacturing and supply chain and is like on the ground floor with that stuff more than anyone else that I talk to on a regular basis. Well, you've built these businesses and so much of what they are about is how the stuff gets made and pricing them in a way that is, you know, with the customer in mind, but that doesn't sacrifice the quality and all of that with all, all three of your businesses. Looking back, what has been. Because this is, you know, you're making a lot of stuff in Italy. What has been the biggest surprise for you or challenge on supply, supply chain? I mean, I guess there's some tariff stuff. Obviously I don't, we don't have to go, go into the hell. But, but what has been different for you this time around and what have you learned about like how stuff gets made?

[Yael Aflalo]

I'm definitely learning a lot about luxury finishings and luxury sewing and how to do things in that way. Um, and I think I'm trying. You know, usually in supply chain you're just really, really focused on efficiency and you know, you do focus on quality, but efficiency is just so much more important. And I think now with luxury, it's like, I need to retrain my brain a bit to be like, don't worry about that for right now. Focus more on quality. It might take, you know, it's okay that this is, you know, way, way more expensive. And, um, and to not be afraid of, you know, in my previous businesses, you had to be very thoughtful about price points, you know, And I think with here, it's like, oh, okay, you know what I mean? 9,000 it is. People have more flexibility and appreciation.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

And I think you were talking about this before, about, like, what have I learned? Like, this customer's different than, like, a contemporary customer. She doesn't need basics as much. I think she probably has a lot of. I mean, she definitely wants, like, beautiful quality basics, but I think she, you know, she has a black leather jacket. She's looking for something, like, very special and unique. And so I think it's more. She wants more fashion, I think.

[Kristen Bell]

Hi, I'm Kristen Bell, and if you know my husband Dax, then you also know he loves shopping for a car. Selling a car, not so much.

[Yael Aflalo]

We're really doing this, huh?

[Kristen Bell]

Thankfully, Carvana makes it easy. Answer a few questions, put in your VIN or license, and done. We sold ours in minutes this morning, and they'll come pick it up and pay us this afternoon.

[Yael Aflalo]

Goodbye, truckee.

[Kristen Bell]

Of course, we kept the favorite.

[Yael Aflalo]

Hello, other truckee.

[Kristen Bell]

Sell your car with Carvana today. Terms and conditions apply.

[Lauren Sherman]

The thing that I think you're really, really good at is identifying a silhouette or an idea that a is going to make a woman feel, like, good and sexy and attractive. But that's also feels like right for the moment, trend wise, but isn't too trendy. Like, you have that thing of getting stuff just right.

[Yael Aflalo]

Thank you.

[Lauren Sherman]

How does your mind work? I don't know if you're able to describe it. I can. Tell me, tell me.

[Yael Aflalo]

So basically I was like, I was actually thinking about this recently. I feel like. I feel like my brain's kind of like an AI model a little bit, where it's like, I can train on something. So I'll like, train, like, I'll be like, you know, these are the key players that I need to look at. And then I'm kind of. So I think a lot of times when people are looking at fashion, like, I think that they are very expansive, like, looking at so many different things. I try not to do that. I keep it pretty tight, like, of what I'm training my model on. Yeah, I keep it really tight and I'm looking at it like that. And then, you know, I'm not super skinny. I'm not, you know, overweight by any means, but I'm not, like, the typical skinny fashion girl. So I think I understand how things look on bodies.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

You know, whereas, like. And then I also have spent time, like, in fittings and at work and with my friends talking to women about what they like about their bodies and what they don't like about their bodies. And so I've really done the research. Like, you know, I don't have a problem with the upper arm, but it's, like, such a thing for women.

[Lauren Sherman]

It's become. I'm shocked. Entering my 40s, I was like, I didn't know. I never understood it, like, why it bothered people. And now I'm like, oh, my God. It is a huge issue for a lot of women.

[Yael Aflalo]

It's like a big thing, you know, and, like, as I'm getting older, it's like the back of the bra, that thing.

[Lauren Sherman]

Oh, my God, that area.

[Yael Aflalo]

So that's. I think it's kind of related to that area. And so just being really thoughtful about that. I'm trying to think, like, comfort. I also have seen the fashion cycles a bunch of times now. So it's like the genie pant. Like, I wanted to do the genie pant, and some of the younger girls in my office were, like, horrified. And I was like, no, no, no. It's definitely. It's genie pant time. Like, I can. I can see the. What comes next. Like, it was. Yeah, pants were super wide. Now they have to go skinny. So you've seen the. I've seen it enough times.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. Do you. With the more fancier materials that you're working with now, have you found that? Because I. I found, like, I've never worn any spanx or skims or anything like that. Like, I wear skims bras, but not any, like, shape, body shape stuff.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah.

[Lauren Sherman]

Because I'm like, I don't think it works. And B, I don't want more fabric. I'd rather just wear something looser. But I will say I bought some more, like, bodycon dresses in recent years and have been amazed at, like, oh, they give me this new shape. And I also feel good. And I don't feel like I need to hide anything because. Have you found that, like, working with having, like, access to more expensive materials, has that helped you in terms of, like, creating silhouettes and styles that you think, like, do make women feel really good?

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, because I think, like, you know, you can take Just we have this basic button down and it's like, honestly, it fits well. It's. But it's the fabric, so I really don't have to do much. We have simple, like, trousers. It's just the fabric. They're just so lovely, you know?

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

And so I think it just gives you the license to make things. They just probably would be like, nothing.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

Otherwise. And then on the skin, tight. The bodycon stuff. Yes. Like, there's beautiful, like, full fashion. Knit sweaters, dresses. We made some that is just like, you know, just right in and, like, no lumps.

[Lauren Sherman]

It's really amazing.

[Yael Aflalo]

And heavy and like, that's something you could never do, you know?

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

I bought Leger, but, like, two times as thick.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. I bought something that was in that kind of fabric from a high street brand recently. And I was like, oh, this doesn't work as well as my Alaia dress.

[Yael Aflalo]

No.

[Lauren Sherman]

What have people been drawn to? I mean, when I look through, through, I. I personally, like, there's so many things I love, the button down. I love. There's stuff that, like, is my style. But that lace top that you did, the. Is it the Fiorenza? Yes. I love this top so much. Like, it's totally not my style. I've almost bought it like, 15 times because it's one stop. No, no, no, I don't. I don't do. I don't take free.

[Yael Aflalo]

You don't?

[Lauren Sherman]

No, I love it.

[Yael Aflalo]

There are some women that won't take it. They're like, if I like it, I'll buy it.

[Lauren Sherman]

And I'm like, I would rather buy it. I do it. I'll do a discount. Alyssa Zachary and I have been through this for a long time. She's constantly like, would you like a free pair? I'm like, no, but you can give me a discount.

[Yael Aflalo]

No, I'm not going to say who, but like, a certain unnamed, super, like, super powerful woman. We were like, we should gift her. And they were like, oh, no, she doesn't accept gifts. And I'm like, amazing. And then, like, maybe a month later, she placed an order, like, awesome.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. I was like, that's good. Well, that's what she should.

[Yael Aflalo]

I think that's ultimate power. Right? Like, I don't need your gift.

[Lauren Sherman]

Totally. And also, they should support. If you have the money, support a brand. Like, I understand if you're a market editor at Vogue, like, yeah, you should take free. That's like half of your income. But, yeah, I try to power move.

[Yael Aflalo]

I like it.

[Lauren Sherman]

Thank you. Yes. It's it's definitely a power move for people who. Who are not journalists, especially. But the point being that, like, I just think you. That blouse, like, I wouldn't buy that from anyone else. But the way that you have constructed it, the style, there's something that you've given it, like, a little bit. I think a lot of your stuff has a little bit of an edge, but I am. Oh, it's. And it's sold out in. At least in the pink. But what have you found? Like, what have been. What have the. Been the things that you've bought the deepest that have sold the best.

[Yael Aflalo]

So we're very responsive. So we're making, I think, right for summer, we made 60% of everything ourselves, which is why everything's sold out, because we need to increase capacity. But people want the fun things, I think, especially for summer. I was like, I feel summer is the neglected stepchild of fashion.

[Lauren Sherman]

Like.

[Yael Aflalo]

Like, I think we talked about this. Like, who even does summer collections?

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

I sometimes look at people's summer collections.

[Lauren Sherman]

They look like.

[Yael Aflalo]

Like summer in the Arctic. I'm not going to say the brains. Like, why do you have a wool coat for summer?

[Lauren Sherman]

I don't know. Sometimes I'm, like, watching a Runway show or I'm at Fashion Week, and I'm like, what? I very often am, like, I can't remember what season it is because it's also hot. And then it's. And I'm like, is it winter or spring? I don't remember.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yes. Very confusing. Okay, so what do I like to do? I would say, like, I'm actually. I don't even think of myself mostly as a designer. I think of myself. I'm kind of a merchant. Like, you're saying, like, I'm good at knowing what is what and when.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

And then I'm really, like, my other strong suit is fittings. So I'm really good at, like, going into a fitting and turning it into something that is, like, that is something that women are going to want to wear. That's. They're going to feel good in that and not to make it boring. Like, that lace top is wild, but I think it's wild. But it's also something that. Is that something you feel like. Like, you just said, I can wear that.

[Lauren Sherman]

Totally. And the thing is, like, Leandra wears it. No bra. If I bought that top, I would wear it.

[Yael Aflalo]

It looks so good on him.

[Lauren Sherman]

She. Oh, Jaleel. Yeah, exactly. Jaleel wears it. I'm. If I'm wearing it, I'm Wearing like a little thing underneath and not showing it, but like it's. It is a thing of like you do just really nail it. Have you found that people are coming to you for like wardrobe for clothes for, for like day to day? Or is it more like I need a going out top or I need a dress for a wedding or that type of thing? Or is it a mix of both?

[Yael Aflalo]

So for winter. So like our first season, we kind of had a lot of really great basics and people were buying those. Not basics, you know, like I guess if a double rested cashmere coat is a basic but like a black cashmere, you know, coat. And then for summer, it's just been much more wild and much more fun. And I would say the wilder more fashion the piece, the better it's sold. So I would say our best piece is the genie pant. The Lalana pant. We're doing really well with the jeans.

[Lauren Sherman]

The jeans look great.

[Yael Aflalo]

They're great. But yeah, so it would be like those kinds of. More like genie pants and printed and colorful. That's kind of what. But I also think that's what's happening with fashion. Like right now. It's like I'm not going to wear like a basic white summer dress. I want. No. If you look at what's happening, people are individual and bright and fun. Just got a new puppy or kitten. Congrats.

[Lauren Sherman]

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[Yael Aflalo]

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[Lauren Sherman]

The coverage is customizable, sign up is.

[Yael Aflalo]

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[Lauren Sherman]

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[Yael Aflalo]

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[Lauren Sherman]

On pricing. So the pricing is more. We were talking about like, how crazy the pricing's gotten. And someone, a reader messaged me and was like, do you know how much this one vest was from Dior? I really love it. And I did. I did see part of the line sheet, and it was. I think it was 12,000 Euro. And I said to her, I was like, it's 12,000 Euro. It's just. It's a. I mean, I'm sure it's. I'm sure it's priced like they know what they're doing. They. They know how to price whatever. I'm not judging it. I don't. I think if there's demand, then you price whatever you want. But the point being, like, you. You do have stuff that's. You do have $9,000 code or whatever. But. But like, that, in the grand scheme of things at this point, is not that much money.

[Yael Aflalo]

No, it's not.

[Lauren Sherman]

How have you found the customers? Is there any price sensitivity? And, like, have you, as you do your pricing, season upon season, are you changing it at all? Is it basically the exact same formula from when you started? How are you thinking about pricing in this, like, very particular market where there is so much, so expensive stuff?

[Yael Aflalo]

I think, like, when we first launched, I priced it a little lower than I want to be going forward, but I did it because I was like, I thought there would be some resistance, and I wanted people to try it. And I think the quality is so good for the price. So I'm like, I got to get it in their hands, let them look at it, and then they'll know. But honestly, like, there's no price resistance. Like, that's what I'm noticing. Like, people are buying things because they want it or they don't want it. I don't think they care if there's an extra a hundred dollars or, you know, 50. It hasn't really been the case. Maybe in denim, I don't know. We need more time to kind of tell. But from what I can tell, people buy things because they want it.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. Yeah. I think what has been so interesting about this luxury crisis, essentially, is that I don't think I understand why the big brands really went after that ultra high net worth. Because there isn't sensitivity. It's more of the customer just wants stuff that they like. So if you and I. I'm kind.

[Yael Aflalo]

Of talking about different. Like, I'm talking about the difference between, like, 800 and 900.

[Lauren Sherman]

True. Yes. Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

Versus, like 12,000 and 14,000.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

But I think. Yeah, I guess I also think, like, when the Women are. When you're buying a $12,000 vest, like, does it really matter if it's 15? No, probably not. Like, you're. Don't look at prices.

[Lauren Sherman]

And I think the bigger thing, like, do you think that the customer has gotten savvier and has developed more taste than they used to have, or at least care. Understands fashion more than they used to? Like, from when you started out and start. I guess you were.

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, yeah. I mean, I started out, like, my God, 27 years ago, so. Yes. But, yeah, it's totally different. People, like, you know, people all over the world have access to the same styles. So I'll give you an example. Like, 20 years ago, when I would go to Israel, the girls would be, like, in, like, the weirdest jeans you've ever seen in your life and, like, ugly flip flops and, like, a hideous T shirt. And I would be like, you know, okay. And then recently, in the past few years, if you go, they're like long, beautiful acrylic nails and hair and like, you know, and. And they have the whole. I mean, that's just like one country that I know that kind of. I saw it change, but I think, like, when you look at Aflalo, with our first business, with our first orders, like, it's all over the country. So, like, when I first started raf, it was just LA and New York. It wasn't like, random city and, you know, Florida or whatever. And now I would say it's all over the country.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. That's one of the great things about social media. Like, if you want to find some positives, it's that it really has. I mean, you could argue it's flattened culture, but it's also made it that you don't have to live in New York or LA to, like, live a interesting life with the. With the same types of things. Yes. Whereas, like, when I was growing up in Pittsburgh, there was no good. There were no cool restaurants.

[Yael Aflalo]

But now you can have creators from anywhere, you know, and they're just as stylish.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. What has been the way that you have marketed this? Has it mostly been word of mouth or. Or through, like, influencers and creators, that sort of thing? What. How have you kind of gotten the word out that. That you're doing this?

[Yael Aflalo]

Well, when we first started, I didn't do anything. I just was like, I just want to do it. Really nothing and take a minute and see how it goes. And then after a little bit of that, I was like, oh, no, I need to be successful. So I started really focusing on marketing. So we're doing. We're doing creator, so we do that kind of stuff. And then we just actually launched paid marketing, like two days ago.

[Lauren Sherman]

Oh, exciting. Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

Let's see. Lots of. For like all different kind of shaped ads. But I think the best thing for marketing for us at this point is just really great brand and content. Like, you just have to have great assets that you can put in different places and then I think also having it on the right people.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

So I think.

[Lauren Sherman]

I don't know.

[Yael Aflalo]

Is there anything else?

[Lauren Sherman]

Not that I'm aware of. I do think someday I need to do a story about all the people who do the paid marketing, the agencies, because there are like, I'll hear it every once in a while. Oh, this person is like, really, really good at it. This who is telling me they're working with someone who doesn't normally work with fashion. He's based out here. And they were like, he's so good. And he's like doing all this crazy stuff. And we were, whatever. It's really that though that crew of people who are like the paid marketing geniuses, I need to do something on someday. But I. But I think one thing that you're really good at is, and we've discussed this numerous times, I feel like over the years is it's the copy. And that is something you are really good at. Creating a voice on Aflalo. In the emails, you did the same thing at ref. Like, why?

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, that's so sweet. Because I've actually been really struggling with the aflalo. We're struggling with the Aflalo copy.

[Lauren Sherman]

I think I've noticed it. Like, it has a personality. Yeah. I mean, what are you. What, what do you feel like it's.

[Yael Aflalo]

Hard because, like, I feel like luxury is like. Well, first of all, I think it's hard because, I mean, honestly, like, my. The way that I naturally talk is like the ref voice and it can't be the ref voice. Right.

[Lauren Sherman]

So totally. Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

And so, like, I'll write copy or we'll write copy. And they'll be like, sounds like rap. And I'll be like, okay, yeah, I'm gonna try it again. So there's that and then there's the other part of, like, the other part of, like, luxury is so not copy. Right. It's like so blah. Like, we say nothing. Discover our. Discover how chic we are now.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

You know, like, and that's it. And so I really. And so when I've been trying to, like, imbue more personality and more Brand into it. Like I think everybody around me kind of is like doesn't sound luxury, you know. So I'm suing the line.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. I think you're so far from the outside you're doing a great job. But also I would say and this is a brand that is like not. I don't like it's not total in dialogue with what you're doing. But I think like Loewe really has. They have a lot of really good. Like they have. They did. They've done videos about like how to pronounce Loebbe like really funny and the copy is. Yes, I think that they. Yeah. And I think they have tried and it's not like it wouldn't be what you wanted to do but you might be like okay, this is. You might be. I think they do a very good job with it in making it feel like they live online which I think is what most. Most luxury brands. You're right. They like they don't have any sort of. You don't have any sort of sense of.

[Yael Aflalo]

There's no personality.

[Lauren Sherman]

Personality.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah, it's kind of like I always call it like you want to be me like that of the personality. Like I'm better than you and you want to be.

[Lauren Sherman]

I. Yeah. Well I mean if I feel like a meta version of that is very. A flallo. Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

I should try. I should figure that out. But that's like a hard line to tell. How do you be like cheeky. I'm better than you.

[Lauren Sherman]

You know like I feel like. Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

Not a sense of humor would be like why is this brand insulting me possible?

[Lauren Sherman]

I got to maybe just go for it.

[Yael Aflalo]

Since all customers strategy check.

[Lauren Sherman]

What is your plan for retail? Have you opened a store yet or.

[Yael Aflalo]

No, I'm looking for a store.

[Lauren Sherman]

We're working on it and that is going to be a big. I assume a big part of it at some point.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah. Because I feel like I kind of wrote out. I wrote, you know I built a five year plan for the business and retail is definitely. I love retail. I love interiors. I to me like one of the saddest parts of fashion and I'm sorry if you're a brick and mortar retailers that there's just not great shopping stores and like IRL shopping used to be like that's what you did on the weekends with your girlfriends. I feel like all these like youngsters are missing out on it. They don't do it right. I guess they just work out together. They do.

[Lauren Sherman]

I think they just work out. I don't know. They go. If you're like each other and, like, work out.

[Yael Aflalo]

I don't know.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, I think if you're 13 or whatever, you go to Addicted and you.

[Yael Aflalo]

Buy lips, you buy skin care.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yes. Yeah. In Sephora. But, yeah, I think they do go. They go. Addicted is like, how old is your daughter? Nine. Okay. So it might be coming. It's this, like, Addicted with a K. It's like they're all sort of 5, 7, 9. Rave. The new version of Contempo Casual. It's like the new version of those stores, but, like, riffing on Brandy Melville, like it's of that world and there's a line out the door. And it's Addicted with a K. It's E, D, I, K, T, D. They. And so. But yeah, I think people go to, like. I've heard of people having birthday parties at Sephora. Like, they go to Sephora and they just hang out like, it's a mall. I'm sure they steal shit like that. Feels like a place would be really easy to steal stuff. I wasn't young enough to, like. I remember going to the mall and my friends stealing shit from Claire's and places like that. I got accused of stealing from Claire's once. I did not do it. And I will forever be angry that they accused me of it.

[Yael Aflalo]

But I wasn't. I wasn't good at stealing. I couldn't do it. But, like, all my girlfriends were stealing at the mall.

[Lauren Sherman]

I remember people putting, like, friendship, those beaded rings under their tongue. No. And I remember me running into someone at the mall, and she was like, I just stole a bunch of stuff from Macy's. And I was like, I cannot steal anything. I need to get out of Pittsburgh. My whole, like, life was like, how do I leave Pittsburgh? That's another thing I was thinking about with the, like, Internet stuff. I wonder if there is that sort of, like, I need to get out of my town feeling anymore. Because none of the towns are like, that terrible.

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, I think there is.

[Lauren Sherman]

I don't know.

[Yael Aflalo]

I'm thinking of, like, a few gay men that I've, like, met lately and told me they couldn't wait to maybe for, like, you know, to find partners.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, I guess that's true. Yeah, that. Who was I. Oh, I was talking to someone about New York, though, who was like, it is impossible to meet someone in New York if you're in your 30s now.

[Yael Aflalo]

Really?

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, because, like, men are. Are like, they're interested for what it used to be like, you date someone for six dates and then they break up with you now it's like one.

[Yael Aflalo]

Day hard dating in New York? No, it's like that was.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, I barely did it. I met my husband at work, which is to me the ideal way to meet someone. Like it's like forced proximity. But Yeah. I don't know. Anyway, so you're so. You're so. Store is in the works. In the works, yeah. What else? So of that five year business plan, has it changed a lot since you started? Since you, you went live?

[Yael Aflalo]

It's pretty high level. I gotta have. Yeah, it's like I need like five stores. I like map them out. How much E Commerce, how much wholesale.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

How big the team is. I do this thing where I like, I really like. I watch that movie the Secret. Do you know that movie? It's like so old.

[Lauren Sherman]

Is it based on the book the Secret? Yes. Yes. Okay, so I've never watched it but I totally believe in manifesting. So.

[Yael Aflalo]

No, that's like, I'm like, I believe in full manifesting. Like my whole family is short. Very short.

[Lauren Sherman]

Like you're tall.

[Yael Aflalo]

I'm super tall. My mom is 5:2 and my dad is 5:8 and I'm 5:10 and a half. And I literally, it's because I and I and I'm kooky in the head that I believe that I manifested it by really wanting it. But so I do the same thing with like a business plan. I'm like, I don't have investors. It's not that I showed it to anybody, but it's for me I'm like, here is the plan. I did it with ref too. I remember this moment. Like I built it and at like the end of 10 years I went to go back and look at it and I like we had like, I had like. And I couldn't even. It was definitely a big moment to realize that it had all happened.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

But yeah, so I've done it again like to write down the list to get really specific about. But yeah, I love, I love writing like manifesting lists.

[Lauren Sherman]

I 100% think the reason you're 510 and a half is because you do. Well, here's the thing, what I will say is I'm sure you were destined to be tall no matter what, but I bet you're taller than you would have been. There was probably something you did with your nutrition. Obviously you're very into protein now, but just like taking care of yourself. I totally believe that that affects like childhood nutrition affects height.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yes. And also for Girls, I got my period crazy late, so I, like, got it at 16, which is like.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yes. I think looking back for me, I was supposed to be. I was tracking to be 6 foot, and I'm 5, 8. I'm one of the shortest people. And I always think it's because of nutrition and if I. Yeah. And the period thing's interesting because I.

[Yael Aflalo]

Think you can only grow 2 inches or something as a woman after you get it.

[Lauren Sherman]

Oh, interesting.

[Yael Aflalo]

That could be a me. I'm gonna call that a maybe fact.

[Lauren Sherman]

Well, I. I'm impressed. I'm impressed by everything you've manifested, so.

[Yael Aflalo]

Oh, you're so nice. I love manifesting, and I'll always have a vision board.

[Lauren Sherman]

I love it. What is on your vision board right now that you can reveal? No, I'm saying. Okay, so it's too. So looking back, what has been the hardest thing about this. This last. This latest run?

[Yael Aflalo]

Like, I think I make it harder on myself. Like, I. I create, like, complex business structures. So a follow is like a complex business structure. Right. We get products from multiple places, different timelines. Direct business is hard because, you know, not doing any wholesale, just direct. We have to kind of guess what to make.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

So we're guessing all the time what to make and how much sales we're going to do. And we do it with no. Like, we have no history. Like, we don't know what we did last year at the same time. So it's just. That kind of stuff's hard.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

Yeah. I think I. I think in the long run, the way that the business is structured is going to be very good. But in the short term, it's, you know, it's a big feat.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. I remember when we talked last fall, you saying that direct to consumer is really hard the first couple years, and then it's much better. And I think we see that in other businesses that have launched in the last decade where they maybe went too hard on wholesale to start and now are struggling or because it. Because most people don't have the sort of grit and obviously financing, but also, just, like, confidence to do mostly direct or completely direct in the first few years. So it makes sense to me that it would be that part of it would. You just have to have patience, I think I guess. Right.

[Yael Aflalo]

You're, like, guessing because you're kind of like, okay, this Jean's real cute. How many should we make? I don't know, like, 50, 100. I don't know, like, how many people are going to come and buy it. Yeah, you know, so it's sort of, it's, it's a lot of guesswork. And then like right now, if you go on our site, everything sold out. Because I just, we didn't anticipate that the summer collection would do as well. So it's like a double edged sword. You're happy that it did well, but also like, yes, I wish I had something to sell.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, well, as Mickey Drexler always says, if you're sold out, you didn't buy enough. Yeah, exactly. I can never. That's so true. It's so true. So final question on that and then I will let you go. But this has been so fun on merchandising and this predicting stuff. There's so much talk about AI right now. There's like using AI, there's new AI stuff in shopping, there's all this, I mean, our whole world, like it just comes up. I mean, I have to, we all look at it on our phone every single day. That AI bot is trying to get me to use it constantly. And, and I did try actually to have the AI do a workout plan for me and it didn't work. I ended up using an app. But it's. Someday it is going to work and we're going to use it. But the thing that has, as a reporter covering a lot of merchants and thinking about merchandising more than most reporters do, probably the thing that has always frustrated me is this idea that like the data will predict the future. That if you just look at data and you analyze data, you'll know what to buy for the future. And to me, the data that you have access to is probably not very different than the data that people had access to 40 years ago. It's just processed differently with different technology. What do you think about, like, do you think that there will be technology someday that will help you with planning more than any of the technology exists that exists now? Like when you're doing that gene, buying a hundred pair or fifty or two hundred pair, will there be something that can predict better? Because I just don't, I can't imagine. The data set doesn't really change. Right. So I'm just curious if you think that technology will help with that kind of stuff. As someone who's like, really? You built three businesses off, off of your instincts in many ways.

[Yael Aflalo]

So I don't love. So I think there's this thing, there's you can be data driven or you can be data informed. So I think with merchandising you want to be data informed. Meaning that you have to use data to help you make the decision. But at the end of the day, you also need somebody with taste that understands the business to say genie pants are not going to last for. They're not like a four year thing. Right. It's a two month thing. And I don't know that, that, that, that, you know, you need both. I do think that, you know, I do think AI is going to change every single part of our lives, including merchandising. I think that it's just better at certain things now than it is at other things. But eventually I think it will be good at everything. I saw this Wall Street Journal article recently where was recent just said that CEOs are finally admitting that AI is going to take away a lot of jobs. But I'm actually invested in a company called Syrup that does AI merchandising.

[Lauren Sherman]

Oh, interesting.

[Yael Aflalo]

But I think where it's actually really helpful is like it's not for a flow, it's so small. But like at a larger company it's helping to do like allocations across. Let's just say you have a hundred different stores.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah.

[Yael Aflalo]

It'll analyze what sizes sell best at that store. Like a bunch of different things. How many units to put at each of that store. Because for a person to figure out, okay, I got 2,000 pairs of jeans. How much do I need to put in every single store? That is something that is better like for an AI to do. But I don't think that it can tell you if brown is going to be a better color than burgundy in this skirt. Like it. That's, you know.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah. It feels like it just needs a human touch.

[Yael Aflalo]

It's both. I think it will be a combination of AI and humans.

[Lauren Sherman]

Thank you so much for this future. What is it called? Future Forecast Forecasting session.

[Yael Aflalo]

Futurist.

[Lauren Sherman]

This was so fun. I know we're taking a time with you. Me too. And you know, we did a podcast years ago. Do you remember this?

[Yael Aflalo]

Many, many, many years ago.

[Lauren Sherman]

Yeah, it was really fun. We didn even talk about that. That part of the business. But this was really fun. Thank you for taking the time. Come on again in another year we can do a check in and congrats on everything. I'm endlessly impressed by you. And I might buy that shirt.

[Yael Aflalo]

You might just get it in the mail.

[Lauren Sherman]

Fashion People is a presentation of Odyssey in partnership with Puck. This show was produced and edited by MUK Molly Nugent. Special thanks to our executive producers, Puck co founder John Kelly, executive editor Ben Landy and Director of Editorial Operations, Gabby Grossman. An additional thanks to the team at Odyssey, JD Crowley, Jenna Weiss Berman, and Bob Tabador. Buying a car in Carvana was so easy, I was able to finance it through them. I just. Whoa, wait. You mean finance? Yeah, finance. Got pre qualified for a Carvana auto loan, entered my terms and shot from thousands of great car options, all within my budget.

[Yael Aflalo]

That's cool.

[Lauren Sherman]

But financing through Carvana was so easy. Financed, done. And I get to pick up my car from their Carvana vending machine tomorrow. Financed, right? That's what they said. You can spend time trying to pronounce financing, or you can actually finance and buy your car today. On Carvana financing, subject to credit approval, additional terms and conditions may apply.