Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour on runway value and independent brand survival

Summary

The Glossy Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour on runway value and independent brand survival
Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Zafir Zvaglinska
Guest: Hillary Taymour, Founder & Creative Director of Collina Strada

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Episode Overview

In this New York Fashion Week special, Zafir Zvaglinska sits down with Collina Strada’s Hillary Taymour to discuss the evolving landscape of fashion shows, the economics of being an independent designer, and how brands survive—and even thrive—amid industry contraction and macroeconomic uncertainty. Taymour pulls back the curtain on why Collina Strada still shows on the runway, how her team’s creative approach and business strategy adapt to changing realities like rising costs, the diminishing role of wholesale, and the need for flexible, direct-to-consumer models.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Is Fashion Week For in 2025?

• Runway as Marketing Tool: Taymour sees Fashion Week as “purely to continue the marketing of what Collina Strada is,” emphasizing attention and storytelling for direct-to-consumer (DTC) audiences rather than legacy retail buyers.

  “It is just a ton of attention on us at that moment for our shoppers, essentially.” (02:25)

• Strategic Drops: Collina Strada coordinates product launches—like the Awe Inspired jewelry collab—to coincide with their runway shows, directly driving sales and offsetting show costs.

  “Typically, we'd like to drop a collab at the day of the show … which was really helpful for marketing and helpful for sales.” (02:39)

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2. The Creative Vision: "Shadow Self" Show

• Concept: The Fall 2025 show presents every model in a colorful Collina Strada look, each followed by a “shadow”—an identical look in black, visually symbolizing the inescapable consequences that follow every choice.

  “Everyone's being followed by their shadow, which is a … completely black version of the look, which is following them.” (03:38)

• Deeper Meaning: The “shadow” is a metaphor for collective and individual histories, policies, and invisible systems trailing behind societal progress.

  “The shadows represent the policies, histories and systems that trail behind. Invisible to some and glaring, obvious to others.” (05:09)
  “It’s a way … we could kind of incorporate this commercial level clothing on the runway, but still see it visually as the Collina Strada viewer.” (04:30)

• Political Undertones: The shadow motif reflects the political complexities of 2025 in the U.S.—a reminder of the weight of both personal and imposed choices.

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3. The Value of Creative Independence & Disruption

• Venue & Format: Taymour insists on independence when it comes to show formats and venues, embracing non-conformity and authenticity.

  “Collina Strada has never really followed the rules of fashion, and that's what makes it unique, and that's what makes it interesting.” (07:31)

• Relevance Beyond Calendars: She argues that the impact of a show comes from the moment and execution, not from being on or off a “schedule” like NYFW’s central venues.

  “You can make showing off the schedule as impactful as showing in … New York Fashion Week or Paris Fashion Week … it's going to be impactful whether or not it's in a calendar or not.” (27:29)

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4. The Real (and Rising) Cost of Showing

• Show Expenses: Production costs can range significantly based on venue, lighting, and set design; industry expectations rise as a label matures, and so do prices.

  “You can't really cross a path without spending fifty grand in certain places for those types of things.” (10:21)

• Evolving Economics: As Collina Strada moves beyond “emerging” status, suppliers charge higher (and fairer) rates—an evolution Taymour supports.

  “You're not getting those, like, emerging designer, like, I'll walk for free price.” (10:40)

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5. Marketing Moments: Why Dinners Don’t Work (anymore)

• Shift from Dinners to Experience: Taymour now considers dinners less effective for marketing and sees legacy events as too exclusive and impermanent.

  “I don't think dinners work anymore. … A dinner is great as a celebration, but … you can't see the product, can't incorporate it with themselves.” (11:57)

• Events Need to Engage: Collaborations or parties (like Collina Strada x UGG) that engage attendees directly and generate buzz are more valuable.

  “It becomes more of a spoken moment.” (12:36)

• Legacy of Visuals: Runway shows and lookbooks have enduring value, referenced long after the event.

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6. Collaborations That Count

• Control & Authenticity: All Collina Strada brand collaborations are hands-on and fully customized, moving away from generic product placements.

  “I design all the products myself with the brand … everything's quite customized to create that Collina world.” (13:47)

• Footwear Expansion: Footwear collaborations—like with Converse—allow for greater creative expression and demonstrate how a brand can own a category through collaboration.

  “I was always a Vans girl … how can I go around creating a Converse that I will wear and love?” (14:32)

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7. Wholesale Realities & Industry Upheaval

• Shift Away from Wholesale: In light of major retailer bankruptcies (Barneys, now Essence), Taymour is vocal about not relying on wholesale for survival.

  “I've never relied on wholesale orders to support the business … now that part of the business is completely helpful but irrelevant to our success.” (17:14)

• DTC is the Future: Direct-to-consumer and owning their own retail store anchors the business.

  “DTC is our biggest part of the business.” (17:49)

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8. Financial Survival for Independents

• Business Fundamentals: Taymour emphasizes diligence: tracking sales, costs, and being “on top” of the business daily.

  “I'm very on top of our numbers. I understand what's coming in, what's coming out, I make sure I can pay our employees.” (19:48)

• Independent Designer Tips: For emerging brands, honesty with customers, investing in DTC, and creative pivots are critical.

  “I would be really honest on social media and tell your followers your position … get your stock back or not. Ship your fall order and start growing your online business.” (21:55)

• Masterclass on OnlyFans: Plans to run a charity “Masterclass” with OnlyFans, advising young designers on dealing with industry upheaval.

  “I'm going to do a Masterclass on my OnlyFans as a partnership … tips about what to do with your Essence order and how to start growing your DTC.” (23:47)

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9. The Complicated Economics of Sustainability

• Challenges: Sustainability remains a brand pillar, but rising tariffs and costs make it harder for both brands and customers.

  “We have seen a trend where people care less and less about it … if you want a sustainable garment, … costs are going to continue to go up.” (25:21)

• Price Realities: Collina Strada tries to absorb cost increases, but educating consumers is necessary given the real costs of ethical manufacturing.

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10. The Real Value of Fashion Week: Stepping Stones, Not Elevators

• Long-Term Growth: A fashion show isn’t a magic shortcut to success; each show is a gradual, incremental step.

  “Every step of my career is like a stepping stone up. I never feel like I like, gotten an elevator, if that makes sense.” (29:54)

• Skepticism on ‘Instant’ Relevance: Grand success stories often overshadow the small, steady gains that build a sustainable brand.

  “To think that you're just going to get a huge jumpstart from doing a show is an ignorant way to think.” (30:20)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the function of fashion week:

  “For us, we show purely to continue the marketing of what Collina Strada is … It's more of a marketing thing for us.” – Hillary Taymour (02:01)

• On the “shadow self” runway:

  “The shadows represent the policies, histories and systems that trail behind. Invisible to some and glaring, obvious to others. The collection challenges the spectacle of progress.” – Hillary Taymour (05:09)

• On independence & creative uniqueness:

  “Collina Strada has never really followed the rules of fashion, and that's what makes it unique, and that's what makes it interesting.” – Hillary Taymour (07:31)

• On riding the industry’s economic rollercoaster:

  “There was days growing up where I was like, where am I getting at $50,000? And I'd be like lying in bed awake at night crying because I didn't know where I was going to get the money … thankfully, I've created a cushion for myself.” – Hillary Taymour (20:44)

• On achieving success:

  “Every step of my career is like a stepping stone up. I never feel like I like, gotten an elevator… Those are … small climbing steps to where you see yourself in the next five years.” – Hillary Taymour (29:52)

• On DTC advice for young designers:

  “Get the word out about the brand that they can now buy online directly from you and start building your customer base.” – Hillary Taymour (21:55)

• On the value of a show:

  “A show in a lookbook sits forever to be referenced by stylists, other brands. … It just has, like, more of a legacy.” – Hillary Taymour (12:54)

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Important Timestamps

• 02:01 – Taymour on who Fashion Week is for (brand marketing & DTC focus)
• 03:24 – The “shadow self” show concept
• 05:09 – Shadow metaphor's meaning and political undertones
• 07:31 – On creative independence in show formats and venues
• 10:08 – Financial realities of staging a show
• 11:55 – Dinners vs. runway shows as marketing moments
• 13:47 – Evolution and strategy behind collaborations
• 16:56 – On not relying on wholesale and DTC focus
• 19:19 – Managing finances and economic agility
• 21:55 – Practical tips for emerging brands
• 23:36 – Announcing the OnlyFans masterclass for designers
• 25:21 – Reality of sustainable fashion in 2025
• 27:29 – The ongoing debate over the “relevance” of NYFW
• 29:54 – The “stepping stone” philosophy for brand growth

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Episode Conclusion

This candid conversation with Hillary Taymour reveals an unvarnished view into the realities of running an independent fashion brand in 2025. From the necessity of runway shows as high-impact marketing, to resilience in the face of economic shocks and creative disruption, Taymour’s perspective is honest, strategic, and implacably authentic—an essential listen for anyone interested in fashion’s present and future.

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Listen to the full episode for more, or catch Hillary Taymour's OnlyFans “Masterclass” for hands-on survival strategies.

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Transcript

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[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Hi, and welcome back to the Glossy Podcast. I'm Zafir Zvaglinska, your international fashion reporter. And every week we talk to change makers shaping the future of fashion. And this week we are here with our New York Fashion Week edition and our designer segment. So we're diving into New York Fashion Week, not just what's on the Runway, but what it actually takes for a brand to show up. My guest today is Hilary Taymor, the founder and creative director of Collina Strada. And if you've ever watched a Collina Strada show, whether that's online or in person, you know it's not your average Runway. There's been some grass covered runways before and some augmented reality things and a long standing commitment, I think, to inclusivity, performance and a sense of pleasure. Playful rebellion. The brand, in my opinion, has become a bit of a staple of New York Fashion Week and one of the few labels that has consistently been pushing boundaries both visually and ideologically there as well. But with the wholesale market contracting and costs going up and the purpose of Fashion Week shifting, we wanted to ask, why does showing still matter? And how do you make it worth it? So, Hilary, welcome. It's so great to have you. I want to start with this big picture question that's on a lot of people's minds. This, in your opinion, who is Fashion Week really for in 2025?

[Hilary Taymor]

Well, I think it's a complicated answer, obviously. I think for us, we show purely to continue the marketing of what Clean Estrada is and how we can reflect that through our shows, through our clothes, and just really keep, you know, banging the door with what we believe in, what we stand for and kind of make that the spotlight of the show. So it's more of a marketing thing for us. We're really focusing on our direct to consumer right now. So it is just a ton of attention on us at that moment for our shoppers, essentially. You'll see us drop a ton of typically, we'd like to drop a collab at the day of the show. This season we're dropping our awe inspired jewelry collab, which is available now. And so typically we like to drive sales through like a drop the day of the show, which was really helpful for marketing and helpful for sales. And that kind of helps cost, like balance the cost of the show.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, I get that. I know that collaborations have been a big thing and, you know, apart from this jewelry collab, you know, what is the show this season going to be about? We're recording it before, you know, New York Fashion Week happens, but I'd love to get a little bit more insight into what's coming, coming down the wrong way for you this season.

[Hilary Taymor]

Yeah, this show is a really hard show for me. It was. I made it really hard for myself necessarily. Basically what you will see is we're going to have everyone in their normal, clean Estrada looks, like full color, colorful looks, and everyone's being followed by their shadow, which is a full. A completely black version of the look, which is following them.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Oh, wow.

[Hilary Taymor]

Yeah. So every look has to be pre styled for the show and, you know, pre designed. And the fact that like we're doing in this color and we're doing it in black and we're doing the shadow version of this jewelry and the shadow version that. So everything is grayscaled and duplicated to create these shadows. So it wasn't easy. But I think it's going to make a very visually stimulating show with a little bit of like, political shadow cast following you around. And I think, you know, it's a way that we could kind of incorporate this commercial level, I don't know, clothing on the Runway, but still see it visually as the cleanestrada viewer and then see it in the block in the more commercial way. I don't know, I thought it was a. As we see people, you know, during the recession, dressing more in black and things like this, I just thought it was a way that we could kind of incorporate both things but still have an impactful visual presence that's so interesting.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

And is that shadow self kind of mean anything else, you know, either to you or what are you hoping the viewer kind of takes away from it?

[Hilary Taymor]

So the shadow is going to be a reminder that no matter what, we're always followed by the consequences of our choices. The shadows represent the policies, histories and systems that trail behind. Invisible to some and glaring, obvious to others. The collection challenges the spectacle of progress, asking whether what we call forward is ever truly free of what's behind us. Wow.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Well, in the day of social media, I think that's an interesting kind of thread to follow. You see people's likes and posts kind of come up with almost like a big trail of them in their history over the last couple of years. I'm pretty sure you go far back enough everyone will be able to find, you know, what you're about since you're a teen. Yeah, that's. That's really interesting. Is that something that you kind of noticed yourself, like, with what you're thinking about politically?

[Hilary Taymor]

I mean, it's just kind of everything that's happening in America at the moment. It's very true to what our brand ethos is, and I think it's. You know, it's really hard to be so politically charged right now, and I think is an. A softer way to approach our choices and what's other people's choices for us, in a way. And no matter what people, these choices that are being made for us or with us will always follow.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, no, that's brilliantly said. And I know that with this New York Fashion Week, there's also been some other changes to not just kind of your format and the way you're thinking about it commercially, but also the kind of layout of the shows themselves. What does that mean to you as a brand that everything becomes a little bit more centralized? Is that important, or do you feel some of that kind of creative freedom taken away if you're not thinking about the venue itself?

[Hilary Taymor]

What do you mean, centralized? Like, other people are showing in the same space?

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. So a lot of the shows are brought together. I'm not sure if your show is part of that or not. Thank you.

[Hilary Taymor]

I'm a couple over here. I do what I want.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Okay, brilliant. In that case, I'll ask you, why is it important for you to show the way that you want to, rather than maybe showing as part of a centralized venue?

[Hilary Taymor]

Well, I wasn't invited to the centralized venue. Just kidding. I probably was. I probably just didn't see the email. I. I just think it's important. I think Kalina Stroud has never really followed the rules of fashion, and that's what makes it unique, and that's what makes it interesting. And I think, you know, whether or not we're invited to something like that, I don't know if I would say yes or no, but I do believe that whatever we're gonna do is very uniquely different to others. And that doesn't scare me away from, like, showing with the masses at all, because I know what I do is not competitive to any of these other designers because it's so different. And I think that people get kind of wrapped up in this whole, like, everything's the same, and they get nervous about their competitors showing similarly to them and all these things. But I. I'm so true to myself as a designer, and my visions are so my own that I don't think I'll never be wrapped up in that being a challenge for us.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. And, you know, you've been showing at New York Fashion Week for a number of years now. You know, I think it's been a while, right?

[Hilary Taymor]

11 or 12.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

11 years, yeah. Yeah. So that's. That's a very long time.

[Hilary Taymor]

How.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

How has New York Fashion Week in itself changed? Because obviously, there's been so much talk about the value of shows. You know, you mentioned the marketing, but how has that evolved for you over. Over time?

[Hilary Taymor]

I mean, I think it's just gotten better for us financially. Like, we're so well supported in this community in a way that Cleanest sort of really has a moment for itself. During Fashion Week here in New York, I see a lot of my friends and fellow designers, you know, go to Paris and other things like that, which I don't think it would be a bad thing for any brand. But I do see us having such a huge impact even with our earned media value. We're. We're about the same earned media value as, like, a Marnie show. Milan. So we're at $3 million earned media value for our shows. And, you know, I. I'm not sure if that would be the same if we were showing elsewhere.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Mm, yeah. Okay, that makes sense. And in terms of, I guess, like, the costs for you guys, have anything changed over time? You know, there's been tariffs this year. Last time that we spoke, which was in Fe last year, you mentioned the show cost being 400,000. How has that changed? And has there been any impact from the tariffs or other things that. On those production costs or agency costs?

[Hilary Taymor]

Yeah, I mean, you can do a show for that. We fluctuate. We'll go much lower, much higher. Depending on the venue, production, setup, lighting, set design. All these things play such a huge factor. I mean, you can't really cross a path without spending fifty grand in certain places for those types of things. However, I don't think the cost has gone dramatically up. I think as you change as a brand and as you get more, as you're less emerging status, you know, people just expect to charge more, which is totally valid and totally fair. So you're not getting those, like, emerging designer, like, I'll walk for free price. You know what I mean? And that's good, because you shouldn't be getting those prices. And I do understand, like, when it's more of an art project and more of a truly young starting brand that can't afford these costs. People need help, but I think with tariffs, we haven't seen the cost of. Everything has gone up, but not quite yet. We're more forecasting it to go up more. I think February will be a totally different thing.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

That's interesting. Yeah, it might be a completely different situation next time we have a conversation around Fashion Week. You know, kind of going back to the show format. There's, you know, catwalk. You talked about the kind of earned media value of that, the marketing moment. I'm sure that there's been other things that you've expanded into to boost that marketing. Like, how does that compare, maybe to doing a dinner, for example, or some other type of presentation during New York Fashion Week or even kind of around it.

[Hilary Taymor]

I like how you said dinner. I don't think dinners work anymore.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Oh, interesting. Okay. Why not?

[Hilary Taymor]

I don't know. I just feel like it's. I mean, I think a dinner is great as, like, a celebration, but I don't think you're gonna gain. I wouldn't plant all my eggs in a basket of saying that we're gonna grant this amount of capital marketing from a dinner, because I feel like people can't see the product. They can't incorporate it with themselves. Unless you have, like, a blowout. Massive party. I've had a dinner for Ugg. Then we had, like, huge party right after, which I think was super successful, where we had games where people would win the uggs. And it became such a bigger thing. I think their line was, like, around the block, and the fire department came in closed down. But these things are like. Then people are like, oh, my God, were you. Did you get into that party? You know what I mean? It becomes more of a. A spoken moment. Yeah, a moment. And dinners, I find to be quite even more exclusive than a fashion show, you know?

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Oh, yeah.

[Hilary Taymor]

Because you're like, oh, are you those 10 people there celebrating this ring? I don't know. I'm not to say I still do dinners, but I don't think that they're as lucrative, even close to as lucrative as a show or even a lookbook, because visually, that sits somewhere for a few days, whereas a show in a lookbook sits forever to be referenced by stylists, other brands. You know, it just has, like, more of a legacy.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, definitely. And, you know, the other thing that you mentioned is the kind of value of Collaborations and how that helps you balance the costs. What does that look like right now to maybe some of the collaborations that you did five years ago? You know, how have those brand partnerships evolved? But also, are you kind of demanding a little bit more from brands in terms of how they're showing up on the Runway to kind of be more in touch with what you're looking at creatively?

[Hilary Taymor]

Well, those collaborations, I design all the products myself with the brand, so I oversee every part of it. Whereas, yeah, sometimes before I would be like, oh, yeah, we'll put your watch on the Runway, you know. Yeah, that doesn't happen as much anymore for us, once in a while be something, maybe a category that we don't use, like a sock or something. But everything's quite customized to create that Kalina world.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. And it's very important for you as well to keep that kind of product going the other way to the brand, because obviously it's sold through their dtc. Like, that's kind of an important extension of, you know, how brands discover you.

[Hilary Taymor]

Right, Totally. And I think, well, customers discover us.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hilary Taymor]

But I think for us, yeah, I mean, I think it's just important if you're going to put your name, something on it that you should like it and you should want to wear it, I think that's like the number one thing. Like, we launched our Converse shoe on the Runway on this season. And, you know, I wasn't. I love Converse and I was always. But I was always a fans girl growing up. So I'm like, how can I go around creating a Converse that I will wear and love? And I think we came up with something really amazing and we're going to continue into another season of that drop. But it is very interesting on how you can take someone else's product and really make it your own to where you kind of. You can see both of us in the product. But it becomes something entirely different.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, I think that that's something I found really interesting with. With kind of other designers, especially kind of Fashion Week specific or maybe more fashion adjacent designers. That signature is so much stronger with these collaborations, I think, than with some of the others I've seen. And I've loved some of the products, the Converse ones. You know, I think there's been some other loafers you've done in the past, things that have been very good in the footwear space. Are you thinking about kind of focusing more on footwear as a category for you guys? I know that the clothing has always been a bigger part, right Now, I.

[Hilary Taymor]

Mean, we have our own shoe right now in store that was like our first cleanestratus shoe. But I think I really love working with other footwear designers. Footwear, so unique. And I also love shoes. So I think it's just a great. It's one of my favorite categories to collab with inside.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, it's a really good one. And there's a lot kind of coming in that space. I know that it's also a pretty stable category. Lower price point.

[Hilary Taymor]

Yeah.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

So it makes for a very good one. And you know, in terms of the development of the brand itself, there's also other aspects that are kind of coming into it. You mentioned D2C, but the other side is also important to note. We've just seen some kind of bankruptcy announcements from essence. The kind of whole landscape of wholesale seems to be changing. Major retailers are closing or delaying payments, scaling back orders. How has that kind of impacted your wholesale strategy? And does it change the role that Fashion Week plays for you now, knowing that there are fewer buyers there on the front row?

[Hilary Taymor]

I mean, I'm, I've always been a firm believer. I've, you know, I've seen the Barney's bankruptcy. I've seen, you know, going back in time like this happens. So I've always been a firm believer. And I feel really horrible what's happening to all these other emerging designers where, you know, ESSENCE might have been their biggest sales drive and like, that might have been their only paycheck. So we're going to see a lot of sad things happen coming soon, and I hope that those people can get through it. But it is a big lesson to be learned that that type of money income can't be relied on. And I've never relied on wholesale orders to support the business. I mean, I did when I was much younger in the brand and. But now that that part of the business is completely helpful but irrelevant to our success.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. So most of it's coming from D2C and collaborations.

[Hilary Taymor]

Yeah. And we opened our own store and that's been really successful. And yeah, DTC is our biggest part of the business.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

We'll be right back after this short break.

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[Zafir Zvaglinska]

And then, you know, in terms of talking about macroeconomic factors, obviously, you know, the, the theme of the show seems quite macroeconomic. A lot of brands are kind of talking about how tariffs, international logistics are squeezing production. You know, how is that affecting any kind of decisions around showing or scaling the brand for you?

[Hilary Taymor]

I think I've always been so nimble when it comes to, you know, the peaks and valleys of the economy that I just try to make sure that we're being, I always try to make sure that we're being as like, cautious and cost effective as possible. So it doesn't really change a lot for me at this moment in time, but I do think that it should change a lot for a ton of other brands who are as like, I check my bank account every single day. I check like I am on top of our numbers. I understand what's coming in, what's coming out, I make sure I can pay our employees. All of these things are, I'm very on top of. But I know my other friends are always like shocked, like, oh wait, they owed me that much money. And like, yeah, are you not checking your invoices? You know, so it's a big of game of this industry is to make sure you're on top of your sales, your, you know, trend, what you're trending for the month, Are you trending down? Are you trending up? All of these things are so important and vital to your success success that like, in order to be a successful designer, if you're going to be independent and not have a huge CEO and not have a huge cfl, like, you're not going to be able to continue what you're making. So it's very, this is all crucial part of the business that I've always been necessarily involved in out of like necessity because, you know, there was days growing up where I was like, where am I getting at $50,000? And I'd be like lion bed awake at night crying because I didn't know where I was going to get the money for to pay my production bills. But like, thankfully I've created like a cushion for myself to be able to feel supported and make sure that we're going to be comfortable through these ups and downs. But, you know, I hope that there's a lot of ways to teach other independent Designers through this essence bankruptcy, like, how to pivot, how to maybe get their stock back, how to invest in themselves through ads and sell that stock through their own DTC and help themselves grow and lock their site, gain their email list, like develop their own customer base and not rely on retailers to sell product.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. And would you have any kind of specific tips for. For those maybe who have, you know, emerging brand, like, they've been, you know, doing some collections for one or two years, and they've been relying on that for international attention? Is it just a combination of own site and social media? Like, what do you think works?

[Hilary Taymor]

I would be really honest on social media and tell your followers your position and be like, hey, and maybe get your stock back or not. Ship your fall order and take your fall order in and start growing your online business. You know, invest a little bit of money in your ads, get the word out about the brand that they can now buy online directly from you and start building your customer base. I mean, we, you know, I think kept about. I think we have about $200,000 on order right now that we're holding that we're gonna absorb into our dtc. But that's, you know, half a million dollars of profit if we want. Not profit of retail sales, if we want it.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah.

[Hilary Taymor]

You know, so how do we shift focus on sales and ads to sell that product that they would have had? Also, I think everything happens for a reason. You know, their. Their business was relying on extreme markdowns, and it was not helpful for other independent brands for our own sites. So you're going to see just a natural progression of people coming to your site if they can't access it for theirs. So you're going to gain those people, those customers, naturally and organically, I think. I'm not too worried about it. I'm more worried about the people whose money is trapped there.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, definitely. I think there's a lot of emerging designers that will have to be looking out for industry tips. And I'm sure that Hilary would be more than willing to give some advice through Instagram DM or else. And there's also some coverage from earlier.

[Hilary Taymor]

I'm working with OnlyFans this season, and we are going to do, like, a masterclass on OnlyFans about it.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Oh, my gosh. That is brilliant. Okay, tell me more about that. Onlyfans for designers.

[Hilary Taymor]

Yeah, I'm going to do a Masterclass on my OnlyFans as a partnership with OnlyFans for a show this season.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

That is amazing. Okay, so what will that Masterclass have.

[Hilary Taymor]

Just tips about what to do with, like, your Essence order and tips of how to, you know, start growing your own direct to consumer to stop relying on a failing retail industry.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Okay, well, I'll definitely be subscribing to that. It's so interesting seeing so many kind of designers and creative people move on to OnlyFans. Is that also, like, as a revenue stream or more because of the fact that it's an accessible way for people to access that level of insight?

[Hilary Taymor]

No, it's all going to go to charity, so.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Oh, brilliant. Okay. Which charity?

[Hilary Taymor]

I don't know what charity. I'm going to pick one that seems the most important next week, which you never know what's going to happen. So I like to, like, choose the charity the day before because, like, who knows what will happen next week.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Oh, yeah. And on that topic, you know, a lot of the brand is based around values. You know, we've kind of talked a lot about sustainability in the past and kind of how that's linked to everything that is going on with fashion, whether that's waste or. Or carbon footprint. And that's particularly important around Fashion Week as well. What is the kind of thing that you'd like your customers or kind of brand fans to take away about sustainability right now, considering, I guess, the state of things in the U.S. yeah, I.

[Hilary Taymor]

Mean, I just think that we have seen a trend where people care less and less about it, and it's hard because if you want a sustainable garment, especially with tariffs, the costs are going to continue to go up. And, you know, at Clean Straw, we tried to absorb most of those costs. So you're not seeing huge price increase from us. Our prices are quite very competitive for what type of dress you're getting or like, what type of garment you're getting that's made in New York City by local, you know, people and getting paid fair wages. So it's complicated. And I think people yell at the designer, like, this is so expensive. And it's like, well. And then you see, like, what happened with the cutting room, like, that whole thing, and it's like, well, okay, do you don't want to pay. You want small business owners to pay a huge amount for, you know, or a fair amount for staff, but then you don't want to pay for the product that they're giving you. It's a very complicated system that we're living in. And I totally get it because. Because it's like the chicken before the egg of where the money's coming from. So, like, if you're not getting paid the rate, you can't afford the clothes. But if you can't pay for the clothes, they can't afford to pay the rate.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah, which is exactly why ESSENCE kind of failing is a little bit of a problem. Because for one, for emerging designers, it meant that your products were at a markdown that you probably didn't agree to, you didn't sell like that on your own D2C. And then at the same, it does give more access to emerging design for people who would typically be priced out because they might not be able to afford even those very reasonably priced products. It's very much a catch 22 situation. And in terms of, I guess, the other brands, do you think that New York Fashion Week still holds the same weight for independent brands as it did five or 10 years ago? How has that value proposition shifted? And is there anything that you think still needs to change for it to remain more relevant?

[Hilary Taymor]

I mean, I can't speak to how it is successful for other brands, but I know that as an independent brand, you can make showing off the schedule as impactful as showing in a. In some, you know, New York Fashion Week or Paris Fashion Week or London Fashion Week. You can do it the way you want to do it and create a moment. It's going to be impactful whether or not it's in a calendar or not. So I think the relevance, this huge topic of whether or not New York Fashion Week is relevant, which has been happening and discussed for the last 12 years I've been in this discussion, it's kind of like, it's like not a real point, in my opinion, because, you know, is it relevant to go outside of your apartment on a Monday if you're not getting paid for it? You know what I mean? Like, it's like, well, you do what you have to do. And if you can make your own, you know, huge stance or huge moment out of something, doesn't matter if it's on Tuesday, Wednesday or next week, you know, it just is a moment and that's all that matters.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. And I think with the amount of access that people have to various ways of showing, it doesn't have to be the only one. Obviously, it's still expensive to show at New York, but there's other places now that people can do it and be even more disruptive.

[Hilary Taymor]

It's also expensive to show in Paris. You know, it's. It's expensive everywhere. It's way more expensive in Paris. So, like, this is where we're starting because we can afford it. You know, it's just, it's expensive to do a fashion show, but also it's expensive to make clothes and make new clothes.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

It's an expensive industry.

[Hilary Taymor]

And it's smoke and mirrors of how much is being cost. And that's why a lot of these brands are owned by other people. They're tax write off brands. And that's why they've been able to create what they've been able to create, because no one's looking at their bottom dollar at the end of the day. But then there's some hu success stories and it's, I guess because of the huge success stories that are, you know, floating around, there's people think that they can have that. And, you know, if you believe you can have something, you can totally have something. It's all about perception and what you believe you can do as a human. But I think the relevance of whether or not you can achieve that through a fashion show is I find that every step of my career is like a stepping stone up. I never feel like I like, gotten an elevator, if that makes sense. You know, I've been doing this since 2008. So every day there's a different opportunity in a small moment that can help gain more, you know, success to the brand or myself or awareness to people who may not have heard of it. And those are like, you know, small stairs, small climbing steps to where you see yourself in the next five years or your plan and all these things. But to think that you're just going to get a huge jumpstart from doing a show is an ignorant way to think.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Yeah. So stepping stones, not an elevator. That's the lesson number one from the masterclass. And just to kind of wrap it up, what can we expect, I guess next from Collina Strada, from the brand?

[Hilary Taymor]

I don't know. I haven't thought about it yet, but I'm sure it's gonna be really weird.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

Well, I hope that the show goes off without Hitch. You'll have a lot of shadow selves to look forward to and I'm sure it'll be a great one. So thank you, Hilary, for joining us on the Glossy podcast. It was a pleasure to have you, of course.

[Hilary Taymor]

Thank you so much for having.

[Zafir Zvaglinska]

And that's all the time that we have this week. Don't forget to give us a rating and a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you're listening to this, it really helps us out a lot. Thanks for listening.