← Let's Get Dressed
Loading summary
Transcript179 lines
- [00:01]
A
Morning Zoe.
- [00:02]
B
Got donuts.
- [00:03]
A
Jeff Bridges why are you still living above our garage?
- [00:06]
B
Well I dig the mattress and I want to be in a T Mobile.
- [00:10]
A
Commercial like you teach me. So Dana oh no, I'm not really prepared. I couldn't possibly at t mobile get the new iPhone 17 Pro on them. It's designed to be the most powerful iPhone yet and has the ultimate pro camera system.
- [00:24]
B
Wow. Impressive. Let me try.
- [00:26]
A
T Mobile is the best place to.
- [00:28]
B
Get iPhone 17 Pro because they've got the best. Nice.
- [00:32]
A
Jeffrey, you heard them. T Mobile is the best place to.
- [00:35]
B
Get the new iPhone 17 Pro on.
- [00:37]
A
Us with eligible traded in any condition. So what are we having for lunch? Dude, my work here is done.
- [00:44]
B
The 24 month bill credit is on experience beyond for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 device connection charge credits ended balance due if you pay off earlier Cancel Finance agreement. IPhone 17 Pro 256 gigs 1099.99 A new line minimum 100/ a month plan with auto pay + taxes and fees required Best mobile network in the US based on analysis by Oaklove Speed Test Intelligence Data 1H 2025 Visit t mobile.com this message comes from Capital One with the SparkCash plus card from Capital One, you earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase and get big purchasing power so your business can spend more and earn more. Steven Branton and Bruno, the business owners of Sandcloud, reinvested their 2% cashback to help build the company's retail presence. Capital One what's in your wallet? Find out more@capitalone.com sparkcash termsupply.
- [01:34]
A
Hi everyone. Welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. What happens when a very successful fashion creator decides to go back to school? The Internet definitely takes notice. In today's episode, I got to sit down with Kate Bartlett, a longtime fashion creator and tastemaker who is currently enrolled in a luxury and retail MBA program at NYU Stern and has been taking us along for the ride with her. Kate shares her decision to go back to school in the midst of a very busy career, what it's like balancing content creation with case studies, and the process and thought behind betting on a new chapter for yourself. We also chat about the state of influencers, how the classroom is completely reshaping her vision for the future, and how she found her footing as a creative. For those of you who have ever thought about going back to school or getting an education in fashion and this episode is definitely for you and for Those of you who submitted questions for Kate on my Instagram last week, I also got a lot of those answered. So I'm hoping this episode is helpful for anybody who has ever looked into getting a higher education in fashion. Let's go get Dressed with Kate Bartlett. Welcome to let's Get Dressed.
- [02:46]
B
Hello.
- [02:47]
A
I'm so happy to have you here.
- [02:48]
B
Oh, my gosh. I'm so excited to be here. And can I just say, I. I'm a let's Get Dressed super fan, and I listen every week.
- [02:54]
A
Oh, my God.
- [02:55]
B
Thank you. I really do.
- [02:56]
A
That means a lot. It really does. I've wanted to have you on for a while, and, you know, I'm an admirer of yours, and I love everything you're doing, and you are so the let's Get Dressed girl. That is so kind. Thank you. I'm just so happy to have you here, and I feel like I've loved watching your career absolutely blossom. I actually found you for the first time. Do you actually. Do you know the viral video that turned me onto you for the first time?
- [03:17]
B
No, I don't. But tell me this. And I was thinking this morning about the first time that we met. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I want to say it was the Golden Heart Awards with Michael Kors.
- [03:27]
A
Was.
- [03:28]
B
That was so fun. I feel like I was a child back then.
- [03:31]
A
That event is so lovely, and I always meet such incredible people. We were seated next to each other, right? Yeah. Oh, my God. That was really funny. But the video that I first found you for, and it's funny because it's, like, kind of polar opposite of where we're at now, but it was your I'm going on a trip and I only pack things in a backpack video.
- [03:46]
B
That's so funny that. That's the one. That was the one. That was a while ago.
- [03:50]
A
You were, what, you must have been 20.
- [03:52]
B
Yeah. Probably 19 or 20.
- [03:53]
A
Yeah. You were, like, fit. And I was like, who is this cute, amazing woman who is really teaching incredible skills about living in New York and pinching pennies and doing it. Doing it your way? I loved it. It was very inspiring.
- [04:07]
B
Well, thank you.
- [04:08]
A
Yeah, of course. Well, I'm excited to have you on today. I feel like a lot of people know about your career, and a lot of people know about all the incredible things that you've doing, you're doing, and how you've gotten to where you are. But there's something that's been fascinating me since you joined and that is your NYU MBA program. I am an NYU alum. So when I saw you on the campus, I immediately got giddy. How has your experience been?
- [04:34]
B
My experience has been incredible so far. I'm really excited to talk about this because this isn't something I've really talked about in super great depth on a podcast before, but I'm loving it also.
- [04:46]
A
Like, where are you going on campus? Tell me. I need to know.
- [04:48]
B
You know, I feel like I'm still figuring it out a bit. I have my places. I go to lunch. Everybody goes to Pura Vida. Everybody goes to this bowl. Spring Cafe. I'm not sure if it was the same when you were there. Probably not.
- [04:59]
A
Pura Vita wasn't there. I think Spring Cafe was there. It has been a long time, guys. I am a decade out of college, but I went to Gallatin, so I was, like, in that little bubble all the time. I loved nyu.
- [05:12]
B
It's really been a dream so far. It was honestly my dream college to go to for undergrad, but I ended up at FIT just because I really wanted to start in fashion.
- [05:21]
A
Right.
- [05:22]
B
But it's been incredible. I really love it so much, and the people are so kind and so hardworking and amazing. So I've been loving it.
- [05:29]
A
I think there's often this conversation when people talk about going to college in New York. Oh, there's no campus. Like, you're not gonna have any. You're not gonna have a real college experience. I think what you just said resonates so deeply because the people there are so wonderful that you do have this community while you're there. It might not be, you know, the idea of the classic quad and the football teams, but NYU really is such a great school for two reasons. One, for, obviously, the people that you meet, but also, like, you're so in the bubble of usually what you want to work in that it's very hard to not get bit by the bug and, like, want to go out there and do all the things and work and, like, pursue your dreams. For sure.
- [06:07]
B
My program is really incredible because it's very small. It's only 25 students. Oh, wow. Yes. So it's a really focused MBA. It's specifically in luxury and retail.
- [06:16]
A
Okay.
- [06:17]
B
NYU is great because they have a lot of focused MBAs that are specifically one year, which is really hard to find. I mean, honestly, an MBA normally takes two years. So it was really great that this luxury fashion program was one year, because I don't think at this time in my life I was willing to commit two years of my life to going back to School especially, because I essentially have like a full time job. Yeah, but it's 25 students, very diverse. It's mostly women. There are, I think five men. But everybody wants to work in fashion. Everybody's so focused. And it's so different from undergrad in the sense that when I was at fit, I loved it and it was such a fun experience. And I always say, I mean, how many of us like really remember anything we learned in undergrad? Probably nothing. I kind of feel the same way. But FIT is so great about putting you in the right place at the right time and in the right rooms and immersing you and getting you to volunteer and get involved in the industry. So I will always ride for FIT being really the place where I started. And it just jump started my career so much. Even though I can't tell you necessarily what I learned in the classroom, but the difference in business school, I found people are so obsessed with actually obtaining this knowledge and actually learning. Like they're excited to do these projects, to do their homework, to, you know, volunteer to answer something in class. And it's such a different experience than undergrad.
- [07:37]
A
My husband said the same thing. He went to Columbia and got his master's there. And when he was there, he was like, you know, when you're an undergrad, you go to college and you're kind of like, you know, that's what you're pushed societally to do. Right. And a lot of the times in your early 20s, you have no idea what you want to do and you end up taking all these classes to fulfill requirements or, you know, you're trying things out to like just fulfill that experience. But if you go to graduate school, you're there because you really want to be there and you're actually learning things, you really want to learn and you're fully invested. And a lot of the friends he made there are people that he works with now. And I think if you're able to afford it and it's within your reach, I think it's such an incredible thing in sharing with my community that I was doing this episode. It was so wonderful to see how many people were interested in higher education and fashion and, you know, it's a small bubble. So talk to us a little bit about what that decision was and what informed you going back to school.
- [08:34]
B
So I had heard about this program. It's been around for maybe seven or eight years, I want to say. And I remember my mom telling me about it when I was in high school and I didn't know anything about business school? Nobody in my family has an mba. I didn't know anything about this, and I always kind of kept it in the back of my mind as something that would be cool. But transparently, NYU is very expensive. And at the time I chose FIT because it is a state university and I couldn't afford NYU at the time. So a few years down the road, I've been working and doing content for three years full time. And, you know, I love this, but I'm always looking to be better and looking to the future and what? Like, I've been doing this for 10 years now, and I love it. I still really do love it. But I think when you've been doing it for so long, you're always kind of looking for what's next or, you know, I didn't also have a full college experience because of COVID And I was talking to Mare, actually, and she was the one who runs Data but make it fashion. She's a mutual friend of ours, and she kind of put the idea in my head, you know, have I ever thought about going back to school? And I immediately thought about this program at nyu. She was one of the biggest reasons I made this decision. So very thankful.
- [09:42]
A
So when she said that to you, what was the next step?
- [09:47]
B
It honestly immediately clicked in my brain, and I was like, I really think this is a great move for me now. And I started studying for the GMAT that night, which the GMAT was a whole other battle. And I know you said you got some questions about this.
- [09:58]
A
I did. I got a lot of questions about people who were like, how. What was the best prep to apply for business school? Like, what got you there? There are a lot of people who are like, I really want to get into this. I had some people saying that they were on, like, their third or fourth round. What's your best tip?
- [10:14]
B
Well, for anybody who's not applying to business school, this is going to sound very boring, but for anybody that is, this is information that I wish I knew.
- [10:21]
A
I'm not applying to business school, and I'm curious.
- [10:22]
B
Okay, well, I didn't know anybody who was doing this. I didn't know anybody who had an mba. So I just had to do kind of my own research. And I also was on a bit of a limited timeline. I decided, I think, this time last year, so October last year, that I wanted to do this. It was immediately like, I know that this is the right move for me, but the last admission round was in February, so I had to start studying then and the GMAT people study at different lengths. I needed a lot of prep time because I hadn't done quantitative work. I hadn't done math like this in so long. So I needed to study a lot. So I used target test prep.
- [11:00]
A
What's that?
- [11:00]
B
Which sounds so brutal. It's basically like an online prep system to study for the test. But I really locked myself in my apartment and I just studied every single day. I would study on the airport, on the plane. It was so funny. I would have people, like, I would be studying on a plane with my whiteboard and doing my math problems in the airport. And, you know, girls who would follow me would come up and say hi, and they'd be like, what is this girl doing right now? Because I wasn't talking about how I was studying. But, yeah, it was definitely a brutal prep process I weirdly found. And everybody, when I tell them this, they are like, what is wrong with you for thinking this way? But I weirdly found it a little bit enjoyable in the sense that it was a very tangible goal. And I knew, okay, I have to study hard and I have to get this score in order to get in. And I feel like maybe you probably have felt the same way with social media, which is great and fun, but it's sometimes difficult to have tangible goals that you're working towards because there's so much that's out of our control. So I think it was the first time in a while that I've had something that I knew was very much in my control, so I kind of enjoyed it, in a sense.
- [12:04]
A
I want to dive into this a little bit, especially in terms of setting goals, because I feel that way frequently in this career. When people ask me, like, what are your goals? What are your aspirations? And I'm like, that literally changes month to month based on the state of the industry, new things that are popping up. If you ask me now and ask me in six months, it might be a little bit different. And I wonder for you how that informed your decision to go back to business school. Maybe someone could see you going to business school and saying, oh, she doesn't believe in influencers, or she doesn't believe in the longevity of it. She wants to pursue a different career. And I definitely don't think that you think that.
- [12:37]
B
No.
- [12:37]
A
But I'm curious what informed that decision for you as somebody who already has achieved so much success.
- [12:46]
B
Well, that's very kind. Thank you. I definitely don't want to stop doing what I'm doing on social media. I really love it, but maybe I'm wrong, but I predict that in the future the people working in hauseit brands or in platform, in hausit platforms, you know, in the fashion areas, I think there will be a bridge between people who have this, you know, professional experience and these degrees and people who also have firsthand experience with content. And I want to be the best suited for those positions when they arise one day, if they do.
- [13:15]
A
I think you're 100% right because one of the things, you know, when I sit down and I journal and I think about, which I don't do often, but when I think about long term things, something is like I would love to work in house at a brand, I'd love to work in marketing and partnerships because at the end of the day that's our job. Like that's what we do on a daily basis. And so you're 100% right that bringing on that skill set is going to dramatically change your odds of being able to do that down the line. And it's not to say that like what you're doing right now isn't as important, but it's just setting yourself up for the success of making it out of the wild west influencer industry. I'm curious. There's been a really big rise in focus on talent on social media who also have a full time job. I see articles frequently of people saying the coolest influencers these days are the ones that go to work and share their experience. Have you seen an uptick in your engagement because you are going and doing this thing every day and sharing it back? I wonder if there's validity in that statement.
- [14:19]
B
Definitely, definitely. I think I entered kind of a new era for myself. And you know, having done this for such a long period of time with social media, when people ask the hardest part of the job, it's that you have to reinvent yourself over and over and over again. You can't just do the same thing. If you want to do this for years and years, you have to kind of have new eras. And you know, this was very much a decision for me and something that I wanted to do. It's a big time commitment, it's a big financial commitment. But I also knew that it was something that my followers would be interested in. I know my demographic really, really well because I talk to my girls all the time in my DMs. I know what they're interested in. So many of my followers came from my days at FIT where I was studying. And so while this was something that I wanted to do for myself and for my future. I also knew that it would resonate with my audience and it definitely has.
- [15:06]
A
You have a like, what, 95% female audience?
- [15:09]
B
Yes, lots of women.
- [15:11]
A
That's incredible. You know exactly who you're speaking to. I also, it makes me very hopeful and excited because it means that there's a very big generation of women who care about fashion and want to know more about it. And I think you're giving such a good inside look into it. Talk to me a little bit about your day to day right now. How has it been balancing your career, which is incredibly robust? You're at fashion weeks. You work with incredible brands like Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton. How is it balancing that and going to school every day?
- [15:38]
B
I honestly, it's been intense. The summer period, because it is a one year mba, the summer period was very intense. It was nine to five in person, Monday through Friday, and then doing content on top of that was very difficult. But it's really taught me so much about my time management, about where my priorities are. And it's been difficult but fun. And I have liked having this added structure in my life. Doing content is really great. And you know, a lot of people say it's so great to just wake up every day and do do whatever you want and make your own schedule, which is true, but it's also very difficult.
- [16:11]
A
Yeah. Do you feel that way?
- [16:12]
B
I don't. For a while I did after college I was like, this is great, I can do whatever I want. But then you get to a point where having some structure in your life is really, really nice.
- [16:21]
A
Yeah. I do not feel that it's great. It is something that is a daily commitment and a daily practice for me to get up and structure my day myself and also stick to those things. I think one of the joys of working in a company around people is you have people to hold you accountable to things. And I think when you're on your.
- [16:40]
B
Own every day, it's lonely too.
- [16:42]
A
I do not think people realize how lonely being a content creator is. You work from home a lot of the times your team works remote. And I like to say that being an influencer is like being by yourself on an island. There's no one who you're running your content by. It's incredibly vulnerable. You're throwing pasta in the wall and see what sticks. Some pieces of content will surprise you and take off and do incredibly well. And some pieces of content that you love will completely flop. And the only person that's There to write your review at the end of the day is you.
- [17:14]
B
Yeah.
- [17:14]
A
So it can be incredibly lonely. I appreciate you saying that.
- [17:17]
B
I've always thought it's interesting how many creators I've met that are so introverted. And I consider myself to be an extroverted introvert. I'm, you know, I love to go out, I love to talk to people. I'm very comfortable doing that. But I'm also very good at being alone. And I think that has helped my career a lot, in a sense, because, like, I am totally fine to be by myself, to do my thing. But I will say it can be very lonely when that's the only thing you have going on. So I've really enjoyed the structure and the community of having somewhere to be.
- [17:44]
A
I also think when you let things marinate for too long, you overthink them. It's like when you have structure in your life, you only have X amount of hours in the day to get this thing done. You gotta do it and you gotta move on. Has it felt freeing almost to only have X amount of hours in the day to contribute to your content?
- [18:02]
B
Mm. I found I'm more. I have better ideas when I'm busy. I have more. I have much more to talk about now, so that's been really great. But I completely agree.
- [18:10]
A
I had a lot of people ask about your career, of course, and I've always wanted to know a little bit about it too. Your style is so defined, and I think it's, to me, what really shapes your content. I love being able to see a post and be like, that's okay.
- [18:25]
B
That's very sweet.
- [18:26]
A
What has helped you find your personal style? Especially, like, oh, my God, I. I think about this all the time because I got on Instagram when I was around, like, 19, and when I look back at my outfits from my early 20s, I'm like, I don't know her. I love her, but I really don't know her. So for you, having been on social even in your teens, what has helped you kind of get to this point now where you're in your early 20s and have such a defined sense of style?
- [18:53]
B
I truly think it has just been time and trial and error. I mean, I have had many eras online. I mean, I look back at things I was wearing when I was 19 and I'm like, what was I thinking? I don't know I was wearing that, but. And I'm sure I will look back at what I'm wearing today in five years and be like, what was I.
- [19:09]
A
Thinking, no, it's fantastic. Wait, also, speaking of. Walk us through. What are you wearing?
- [19:13]
B
Okay.
- [19:14]
A
What's this fantastic blazer?
- [19:15]
B
This is Ralph Lauren, love. And then J. Crew cashmere. I love J. Crew. I'm really obsessed with it.
- [19:21]
A
I think that's the exact sweater I was wearing on my Instagram, like, a few days ago. It's the crew neck one.
- [19:25]
B
Yeah.
- [19:26]
A
It's the perfect shade of red. We both co signed this sweater I love. I've been wearing it non stop. It's so cute.
- [19:32]
B
Their cashmere's really nice too, for a good price.
- [19:35]
A
Unbelievable. I mean, J. Crew's had such a renaissance in the last, I feel like, two years.
- [19:39]
B
Thank you, Olympia.
- [19:40]
A
Thank you, Olympia. We love you. She's been on this podcast before.
- [19:43]
B
I know.
- [19:44]
A
I listen, love her. I think that she's fantastic. I think she's completely reinvigorated the brand. And I, too, stand by their cashmere. That Sweater is, like, 150. I think it's perfect.
- [19:54]
B
Good.
- [19:55]
A
It's so good. Okay, tell us more about your personal style.
- [19:58]
B
I truly think it's just been time and trial and error. I mean, I remember even when I was 21, when we first met and we were going to these events, and I was looking at you and the other women that were there, and I was just admiring how polished you looked. And it just took time. It just truly took time. And figuring out what silhouettes worked on my body and what brands I like and what textures I like and what necklines I like, and just took time.
- [20:22]
A
It's funny. I'm 31 now, and I feel like I know now more than ever the colors, the shapes, the silhouettes, the pieces of clothing that look good on me. And I feel so confident when I can scroll through a website and be like, oh, I love that piece, but that would look terrible on me. And so I'm gonna swipe right by it. Whereas when I was younger, I'd be like, oh, I'm gonna buy that. And then I get it. And I'm like, why does this look so terrible on me? It really is true that time is your best friend when it comes to fashion. And whether you are taking, like, whether that happens over 10 years like it did for me, or whether you're someone who, like, takes. I always recommend, like, taking dedicated time in the week to just, like, try things on in your wardrobe. It's, like, so helpful to just like, give yourself that. What I like to call therapy.
- [21:04]
B
I completely agree with spending time in your closet. I will just. If I have Like a free Sunday afternoon. I'll try on a bunch of different outfits. I'll take a lot of photos of them. And I have a bank. I call it my cam, my outfit bank, and my camera roll, and I just put them all into there. And so when I'm packing for a trip or I'm just getting ready ready very quickly, I'll go to my outfit bank and I'll see all my outfits that I have.
- [21:24]
A
So you're taking a picture of every single one of your outfits that you ever wear.
- [21:29]
B
I'll spend an afternoon or an evening putting outfits together. Okay, taking a picture of that and some that I wear day to day. I'll just throw in this camera roll.
- [21:38]
A
That I have that is so smart and so efficient. I really need to do that because something that plagues me a lot is. I'm like, plagues is such a big word. But it really does plague me.
- [21:47]
B
I feel that.
- [21:48]
A
Because I'll sit here and be like, oh, my God, I wore such a cute outfit in July of last year. Why haven't I worn it since? It's like I just throw things together and then forget about them. And I really think that having an outfit bank is the greatest move ever.
- [22:01]
B
It's great for packing, too, because I'll look now, it's getting colder, and I'm like, I've been wearing my summer clothes for a while now, and I, like, forget about these pieces that I have and I'll scroll back to, you know, last fall and I'll see, oh, I love that coat. Or that sweater is so great. So it's very helpful for transitioning seasons too.
- [22:16]
A
Obviously, you've had just such an influential career as to where you're at now. But I'd love to hear your insights on the state of influencers as it is. Because, you know, again, I mentioned earlier that someone could look at your decision to go back to school as again, you know, maybe not a sign of faith in this industry and where it's going. What do you think of influencers when you think over the next 20, 30 years of life?
- [22:45]
B
I think we're here to stay, and I think it will evolve a lot. I was thinking the other day what I'm really interested in right now and what I'm very curious will happen. And I don't know if this is an area that I will personally be involved in, but right now with influencing, I'm fascinated by why live streaming is so big with men and with gaming personalities. But it hasn't hit the fashion and Beauty space.
- [23:07]
A
So there was a point in time, fresh out of like 2021, 2022 Covid era, where live streaming, I thought was about to hit it really big because people obviously were home. QVC has been such a big thing. There was even this app, and I'm forgetting what it's called, but there was an app that was dedicated all to live streaming and they would basically pair you up with brands who would pay you to host livestreams for them. Like you would go into Reformation's store, for example, and livestream you trying on things in the closet. And I agree. I wonder why it hasn't hit like, we have Instagram lives. Like, why is Instagram Live not a part of. Maybe because Instagram Live kind of got a weird rep. But I feel like, why is that not as big as it could be? Because I could see you doing such a great live there, trying things on.
- [23:55]
B
We'll see where it goes. But I'm fascinated why it's so big with male creators and not with female creators. So we'll see where that goes in a few years.
- [24:03]
A
But if a brand came to me and said, hey, would you do a livestream?
- [24:06]
B
You wouldn't feel comfortable.
- [24:08]
A
No, I'd say no.
- [24:09]
B
Yeah. And I don't think I would either. But I don't get it. I really don't get it.
- [24:14]
A
I don't get it either, because how is that different from a haul that we would do on reels? Maybe we just have the capacity to be a bit more curated with it. I'm not sure. What's your gut telling you?
- [24:25]
B
I don't know. But I think that's something that people have been saying, oh, this is going to be the next thing for years and years and it's never happened. And I'm like, I'm fascinated of when it's going to hit. I think it will at some point. I don't know when. But for in this general sense of creators, like you asked, I feel like things have changed so much ever since I started. And I always say it is so saturated and so difficult now. If I started posting the content that I post right now and I didn't already have an audience, I don't know if I. I don't think I would be able to grow to the platform that I have now. It's really, really gotten difficult.
- [24:57]
A
Growth is very challenging right now. I don't see it happening for a lot of people outside of TikTok. I think TikTok, you can see growth because the algorithm favors that. But it's really hard. I think that the creators that I look at now that I think will sustain are the ones that have this very defined lane. Do you think you necessarily have to have a lane?
- [25:19]
B
I think the thing about having a lane, as you say, or like kind of a niche or vibe about your content is that it helps the algorithm a lot. I think that's why we see it work because the algorithm picks up on this and people just love to look at something that's very cohesive. I think people fit outside of that. I mean, look at Alex Earle. She does everything. She doesn't necessarily have Elaine, but I think in terms of favoring the algorithm, when you have a specific style or a specific, you know, even way of putting your text on the screen or way of speaking to the camera, way of starting your videos, it really helps the algorithm recognize and I think that's why people do that.
- [25:50]
A
Do you follow Atia Walcott?
- [25:52]
B
No.
- [25:52]
A
Oh my God, yes.
- [25:54]
B
Okay.
- [25:55]
A
She is, I believe, a Chicago based creator. She's been on the show before and she has a very unique style. It's incredibly theatrical, very cinematic and her engagement is so great. And I think it's because she's found this lane, but I think she's seen a lot of success with it. Let's go back to school. Talk to me a little bit about what your day to day is like there and what classes look like for you. You sent me a message recently and you guys were talking about fashion podcasts and let's get dressed on the board.
- [26:21]
B
I was so happy to see that.
- [26:23]
A
No, I started crying. I was like, that's the craziest thing I've ever seen. But I more beyond feeling a sense of pride. I was like, wow, what a cool thing to be able to study fashion podcasts in school. So talk to me a little bit about your classes and what they look like.
- [26:37]
B
So my classes are a little bit all over the place. I got most of my more boring classes, my statistics, everything out of the way during the summer. So some of my days I can be on campus from 9am to 9pm and those are my really, really long days. But my classes that I'm really interested in right now are like retail strategy. I have an amazing retail strategy professor. He works for Meta and he does AI at Meta and he's just so knowledgeable and everything that comes out of his mouth, I just like the whole class is just latching onto things like that are really fascinating. I'm taking some AI classes that I'm not loving Some that are a lot more difficult. But the thing that I love so much about this program is how focused on fashion it is. And every single consulting project that we do, we work directly with the brand. So we just finished one on Ferragamo and, you know, we worked directly with the team at Ferragamo. We're going to Florence in January to, you know, see where everything's made. So it's a very cool and hands on experience. And I think there's not a lot of programs like this.
- [27:37]
A
Wow, someone signed me up. That's incredible. Talk to me a little bit about the AI. What are you not loving about it?
- [27:45]
B
It's so hard. It's so hard. I think I got myself into the wrong class. It's all math. It's all math. It's not for me.
- [27:52]
A
But so elaborate. What are you. What's the subject matter specifically?
- [27:56]
B
It is so complicated. It's so over my head.
- [27:58]
A
Is the AI, Is it more like AI strategy and like AI statistics?
- [28:03]
B
It's understanding exactly how, you know, these models are made.
- [28:06]
A
Wow.
- [28:07]
B
It's a lot. Yeah.
- [28:09]
A
That's crazy. I actually was curious if AI was being taught in your program. You know, obviously it's boomed in the last two years. If it becomes part of your schooling. Because I'm sure that a lot of fashion is relying on AI to an extent. Maybe it's, you know, building algorithms or, you know, figuring out plans to run a store. Has that been a big conversation in class?
- [28:30]
B
Definitely. I mean, it's something that we talk about all the time. And I was curious when I got there. I had never used chatgpt before I got to school. I mean, I feel like it recently kind of blew up, but some professors are against it. But I mean, they give it to us for free. They, for the most part, encourage us to use it. So it's really interesting.
- [28:48]
A
I think it's a disservice for you to not be learning about it because it is gonna, I think, define so much of the future, I think. Look, I am such a cynic when it comes to that stuff, but I've almost had to embrace it and like, learn about it and try it. Because I don't want to feel like I'm falling behind on what could, you know, be very prominent in the next generation.
- [29:11]
B
It's scary, but it's true.
- [29:13]
A
It's very scary. Someone actually asked if there was something in your class schedule right now that feels critical that you love learning and something that could be improved on in your course.
- [29:25]
B
I think a Lot of things, for example, like operations. So important. Not something I knew anything about going into this, but it's something I know now that I never want to work on myself. But I'm really happy that I understand it now because it's really so critical in every single business. And I think that's been a really great part about business school for myself and for my classmates there. We've learned so much about what we love and about what we never want to do. And even with everybody that I'm meeting, I mean, all of the people in my cohort, we all have different strengths. People love different things. People love different industries. So it's great to have this network of people who are good at a lot of really different things, and that's super valuable.
- [30:04]
A
A lot of my friends that I work with now are friends that I work that I met at nyu. I wouldn't be surprised if you crossed paths with a lot of them down the line.
- [30:11]
B
The industry is so small.
- [30:12]
A
It is so small. It's why I tell people, never burn bridges. It's so tiny. You're gonna meet everybody again somewhere down the line.
- [30:20]
B
Be kind to everybody. I mean, it's so hard to gain a good reputation, but it's very easy and very quick to get a bad reputation.
- [30:27]
A
So 100%.
- [30:28]
B
Be kind beyond time.
- [30:29]
A
Be on time. I love that. Speaking of down the line, I'm curious for you. What does that look like? I hate when people ask me what I see for myself in like 10 to 20 years. But, you know, going to business school, I think is a big move. And if you could see yourself in one position in 10 years, what would it be?
- [30:47]
B
I think I at least what I can say right now, and this will probably change by next year or by next month, but I think right now I would definitely be interested in going in house for a brand or in house for a platform. Another big reason why I decided to go to business school is I would go to these events and these dinners, and they're so fun and they're so beautiful. And, you know, you're there with people from the brand and you're there with other creators. And I love meeting other creators, and I love to pick their brain about their strategy. But whenever I was in these situations, I was always so much more fascinated with talking to the people who work for the brand or work for the company. And I want to know, why were these decisions made even? Why did you pick these specific people to be here? I'm so fascinated by that. So I think it would Be very interesting to be on the other side of the table one day.
- [31:32]
A
What's your favorite class that you've taken so far?
- [31:34]
B
Definitely my retail strategy. I think it's very interesting, and like I said, it's really good knowledge to know, but there's also so many difficult things about retail that I would never have expected. But I'm fascinated by it. I don't know if I would want to be in it, but I'm fascinated by it.
- [31:52]
A
Is there a retail experience you've had recently that has blown you away?
- [31:57]
B
You know, we actually talked about this in our class on our first day of this class, and our professor asked us to come up with our most memorable retail experience. And I would say for probably 70% of the women in the class, the most memorable retail experience they had was going to the American Girl doll store. That was my answer, and that was almost every other woman in the class's answer. And I feel like I'm floored. We don't do it like that anymore.
- [32:23]
A
I'm floored. You're 100% right. You're 100% right. I have the fondest memories of going to the American Girl Doll Store as a kid. Like, I think of that. I think of FAO Schwartz.
- [32:33]
B
Mm.
- [32:34]
A
I think of these very interactive, very immersive experiences that impacted us as kids. But would it hit us hard now if we went as an adult?
- [32:45]
B
I don't think so. I don't think we have. We don't have it like that anymore, which is sad.
- [32:51]
A
What do you think it was about the American Girl Doll Store that worked?
- [32:54]
B
I think it was so magical. It was such a magical experience that I actually was walking home. I was walking home from a Broadway show the other day, because I love Broadway, and I passed by the American Girl Doll store, and I was like, oh, my God, it's still here. I mean, it's a tiny version, but it's still there. But I don't think it's as magical.
- [33:11]
A
They really did a good job of encapsulating everything. Like, you would go in, you'd get your own outfit, you'd get a doll, you get their outfit, you'd go have a tea. It was an experience.
- [33:18]
B
It was like, my first probably example of really great customer service as a child.
- [33:24]
A
Spot on.
- [33:24]
B
Yeah. And build a bear.
- [33:26]
A
And build a bear.
- [33:28]
B
Crazy that we're talking about this. This is probably not what you expected to talk about.
- [33:31]
A
No, no, no. I'm not thrilled to be talking about this, because I think those experiences inform the way that we shop today and I'm like, someone needs to do a build a bear for shoes. Let me go in and. And be in like a Willy Wonka's Choc Chocolate Factory and design my own shoes. I think I'd love that. What's your favorite store in New York?
- [33:51]
B
I mean, Bergdorf. Yeah, I mean that's. I really just feel like the best experience. But I'm not really an in person shopper at all. Wow. At all. I cannot tell you the last time I bought something in person.
- [34:04]
A
Everything online.
- [34:05]
B
Everything online.
- [34:06]
A
I've like really transitioned in the last few years. There's a thrill of buying something in person. I know I'll never buy it on the spot. Like, I will have had to think about it for a really long time. Like I think of like a totem bag that I got got recently. I was thinking about it for a while and then I went in person and bought it because I wanted that experience. Also. All the totem stores are so beautiful. The one on the Upper east side is stunning.
- [34:26]
B
I need to visit.
- [34:27]
A
Oh my God. I just want to live in there. But yeah, buying something in person is thrill.
- [34:30]
B
It is. And you bring it back when you go and you buy something and you're like, oh my gosh, I'm gonna wear this to dinner tonight. That's the best feeling.
- [34:35]
A
No, it's life changing. It's absolutely life changing.
- [34:39]
B
But I'm primarily a secondhand shopper. I mostly shop on the realreal.
- [34:42]
A
So do I. Besides that totem bag that I got recently because. And the only reason because I didn't buy them secondhand is because they're priced the same on the realreal than they are in real life. So I went and bought the real one. But I will say this year specifically, everything I've purchased has been from the realreal.
- [34:59]
B
Same.
- [34:59]
A
There's a lot of realreal hate. But what do you love about it? I love it.
- [35:03]
B
I think, you know, you can buy a really nice $40 top on the realreal or you can buy it at Zara and it's going to be much better quality and a much cooler garment. You know, that's something vintage or not vintage, but secondhand they just have great pieces and it's fun. It's like a treasure hunt.
- [35:19]
A
It's a treasure hunt. And I also think I would rather spend $40 on a vintage Ralph Lauren top then get it from Zara.
- [35:25]
B
Exactly.
- [35:26]
A
For anybody listening who wants to follow your career path is thinking about going back to school, what is your best piece of advice?
- [35:34]
B
My best piece of advice, I think, I mean, I think there's never going to. Your money is never going to be wasted by educating yourself more and your time is never going to be wasted. And you know, I always kind of joke that my topics on social media that I, I push out the most or that do the best or like my topics that aren't the sexiest. You know, I talked about budgeting or I talk about education, but you know, I think being educated is sexy and it is hot and it's a great use of your time and your money.
- [36:02]
A
A modern woman, ladies and gentlemen, A modern woman. I love that for you. Thank you for coming on the show.
- [36:08]
B
Thank you so much for having me.
- [36:10]
A
So much fun. I loved hearing about your program. It's really inspiring to see you getting back in there and from the second you started it, I said this and I'll say it again and I can't wait to say it to you in 20 years that I think it's going to dramatically alter and define your career. And I'm excited to see you running one of the biggest luxury brands in a few decades from now.
- [36:29]
B
Thank you so much, Liv. That's incredible.
- [36:32]
A
Thank you. No one knows your business better than you, so who better to create your website than, well, you. Wix's website builder puts it all in your hands. Create a beautiful website just by talking with AI or choosing from thousands of templates. Customize every detail with simple drag and drop tools and get everything you need to start running business your way. Build more, think bigger and do it all yourself on wix.