Podcast Summary: Fashion for All: Brandon Maxwell & Walmart’s Denise Incandela On Why Walmart Belongs At NYFW

Podcast: Omni Talk Retail
Date: September 15, 2025
Guests: Denise Incandela (EVP of Fashion, Walmart), Brandon Maxwell (Creative Director, Scoop and Free Assembly)
Host: Omni Talk Retail team (Chris Walton & Anne Mezzenga)
Event: Live from Walmart’s NYFW Pop-Up, Meatpacking District, New York City

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode explores Walmart’s multi-year fashion transformation, its growing presence at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), and the philosophy behind making high-quality fashion accessible to all. The discussion features Denise Incandela and designer Brandon Maxwell, highlighting their partnership, the journey to democratize fashion, and the launch of special fashion pieces—culminating in Walmart’s expanding role as "America’s personal stylist."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Walmart’s Fashion Strategy & Transformation

• Transformation Journey

  • Denise outlines Walmart’s four-year campaign to reshape its fashion business by improving private brands, onboarding sought-after national brands, enhancing in-store/online experience, and driving perception change.
  • “[The pop-up] showcases our extraordinary elevated brands and assortment, provides an experience where the brands are the hero, and it changes perception...” — Denise Incandela (01:50)

• Brand Overhaul & Assortment

  • Focus on brands such as Scoop, Free Assembly, No Boundaries, and Avia.
  • Emphasis on quality at unprecedented price points ($15–$35 average) to close the gap between value and high-end aesthetics.

• Expansion of Reach

  • Free Assembly will soon be in every Walmart store; Scoop will be in half by year-end.
  • Inventory doubled, still struggling to keep up with demand due to positive customer response.
  • "We still can’t keep them in stock. So the customer loves it. And it’s because of the value... the quality and the aesthetic." — Denise Incandela (08:55)

2. Democratizing Fashion: Brandon Maxwell’s Perspective

• Creative Approach

  • Brandon applies the same design rigor to Walmart brands as his own luxury label: “That process is no different at Walmart than it is at Brandon Maxwell.” (04:12)
  • Focus on what’s “best for the customer, what’s fresh, what’s forward, what’s going to make them feel their best.” (04:06)
  • Highlighting the creative satisfaction of bringing premium processes to affordable lines.

• Philosophy of Access

  • “Fashion should be for everybody, but just at extraordinary price points.” — Denise Incandela (04:52)
  • “Walmart is America’s store and we should be for everybody. And we are.” — Brandon Maxwell (10:55)

3. Special Moments & Notable Quotes

Brandon Maxwell’s Blazer Story

• Brings back the very first jacket he created for his label as a limited edition $98 blazer, produced in New York City for the Walmart pop-up.
• Emotional account of dreaming to one day work with Walmart, persistence in finding a contact, and the reward of sharing his milestone with a mass audience.
  • “To celebrate that milestone, I wanted to bring back my very first jacket... It’s for $98. And that is incredibly exciting.” (06:39)
  • “To be in the fittings in my office and to see the jacket from 10 years ago... thinking, like, I wonder if my career will take off. And so you can imagine that this is a pretty incredible moment for me to be here.” (06:54)

Changing Perceptions at NYFW

• Discussion of why Walmart belongs at NYFW and what it means for the brand’s broader perception.
  • “Why not Walmart be here? Walmart is America’s store and we should be for everybody.” — Brandon Maxwell (10:55)
  • On the value of pop-ups: “The pop-up is really meant to showcase the brands... create the buzz with influencers... and get a sense of what really resonates in urban environments." — Denise Incandela (09:05)
• Integration with classic New York retail culture, including nostalgia for the “original Scoop store” in the Meatpacking District. (11:13)

Memorable Quotes

• On the vision for Walmart Fashion:
  • “We both very much wanted to democratize fashion and believe that beautiful clothes should not be expensive and everyone should have access.” — Denise Incandela (03:02)
• On the emotional journey:
  • “I remember making that jacket in the tiny little office, just thinking, like, I wonder if my career will take off... this is a pretty incredible moment for me to be here and to see it.” — Brandon Maxwell (06:54)
• On Walmart’s NYFW presence:
  • “New York Fashion Week means a lot to us. Right. New York Fashion Week is iconic. We want to be part of it.” — Denise Incandela (11:32)
• On Walmart’s role as ‘personal stylist for America’:
  • “Everything you’ll see as you walk through...[in] our stores or online, things go with each other... We want America to be beautiful and we want to help make America beautiful.” — Denise Incandela (11:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:06] Denise Incandela on the scope of her role at Walmart Fashion
• [01:50] Walmart’s transformation strategy and the NYC pop-up’s role
• [03:00] Brandon Maxwell and Denise Incandela discuss democratizing fashion
• [04:05] Behind the creative process – treating Walmart brands as premium
• [04:52] Pricing and Walmart’s market value
• [06:01] The story behind Brandon Maxwell’s limited edition blazer for Walmart
• [07:59] Distribution and pop-up strategy, expanding store penetration
• [10:00] Walmart as America’s “personal stylist" and NYFW presence
• [11:32] The importance of New York Fashion Week for Walmart
• [12:53] Teasing future pop-ups and concluding thoughts

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The tone is optimistic, inclusive, and proud. Denise and Brandon layer personal anecdotes with business strategy to make a compelling case for Walmart’s evolving identity in American fashion. The genuine enthusiasm—whether about supply chain logistics or a childhood dream realized—carries a clear message: quality fashion shouldn’t be a luxury, and Walmart is redefining who sets the bar.

Bottom line:
Walmart’s journey at NYFW isn’t about chasing trends but making trends—and designer quality—accessible for everyone, everywhere.