MoMA’s Chay Costello on leveraging 3 million visitors and brand collabs to create a popular retail destination

Summary

The Glossy Podcast: Episode Summary Featuring Che Costello, Associate Director of Merchandising at MoMA Retail

Episode Details:

• Title: MoMA’s Che Costello on Leveraging 3 Million Visitors and Brand Collaborations to Create a Popular Retail Destination
• Host: Jill Manoff
• Release Date: January 8, 2025

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1. Introduction to Che Costello and MoMA Retail

The episode begins with Jill Manoff welcoming Che Costello, the Associate Director of Merchandising at MoMA Retail. Che provides an overview of her role and the unique position of MoMA Design Store as a hub for distinctive and innovative gifts. She emphasizes the store's commitment to merging culture and commerce by collaborating with renowned brands and emerging designers to create exclusive product lines.

Notable Quote:

• Che Costello (01:19): “I've always had a really deep personal relationship with art... working in a museum retail is kind of the perfect mix of culture and commerce.”

2. Merchandising Approach and Brand Collaborations

Che delves into her merchandising strategy, highlighting the importance of selecting collaborators that resonate with MoMA’s artistic and design ethos. She discusses the success of past collaborations, such as the Champion Archives collection, and the criteria used to choose fitting partners.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (04:58): “We believe that good design belongs to everybody.”
• Che Costello (06:42): “We did a deep dive into all things Champion... they’re really an amazing heritage brand...”

3. Holiday Strategy and Popular Items

As the holiday season approaches, Jill inquires about MoMA Design Store's holiday strategy. Che explains how the store curates products that cater to gift shoppers, focusing on nostalgia and the integration of art into daily life. She highlights popular items like the Subu slippers featuring Matisse’s artwork and retro tech gadgets that evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (02:03): “People come to us because they want to get something really special for people they care about.”
• Che Costello (03:22): “We’re seeing a lot of interest in retro tech... like a Polaroid camera or a cassette player.”

4. Understanding MoMA’s Shopper Base

Jill explores the diverse customer base of MoMA Design Store, noting the mix of museum visitors, design enthusiasts, and streetwear collectors. Che emphasizes the store’s mission to make good design accessible to everyone, catering to various demographics and shopping preferences.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (04:58): “We have a bunch of different customers... design lovers... part of the MoMA community.”
• Che Costello (05:52): “The exhibition 'Items Is Fashion Modern' opened up the opportunity for us to create product collaborations with some of those brands.”

5. Art and Fashion Collaborations

The conversation shifts to the synergy between art and fashion. Che traces the historical relationship between the two fields and discusses the increasing trend of collaborations between artists and fashion brands. She predicts a continued rise in such partnerships, driven by the desire to integrate art into everyday fashion.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (12:25): “There’s always been a really great symbiotic relationship between art and fashion.”
• Che Costello (13:31): “I think fashion is looking for a way to bring art into our everyday. So we’re going to see more collaborations between artists and fashion.”

6. Highlighting Standout Collaborations

Che shares her personal highlights, including the collaboration with the Matisse estate resulting in Subu slippers adorned with Matisse’s vibrant patterns. She expresses pride in bringing iconic art into functional everyday items, enhancing the lives of MoMA’s customers.

Notable Quote:

• Che Costello (13:43): “Producing the collaboration with the Matisse estate means a lot to me... putting on beautifully designed slippers inspired by Matisse.”

7. Marketing Strategies for Collaborations

Discussing marketing, Che explains the importance of storytelling in promoting collaborations. She details how MoMA Design Store leverages local influencers and authentic narratives to connect products with their rich histories, thereby enhancing customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (14:41): “Storytelling is part of the DNA of what we do at MoMA Design Store.”
• Che Costello (15:44): “We worked with local influencers... they acted as our models for our marketing photoshoot.”

8. Team Collaboration and Curatorial Partnerships

Che highlights the collaborative efforts within her team and with MoMA’s curators. She describes a dynamic process where every product is reviewed for its relevance to current exhibitions and MoMA’s design collection, ensuring a cohesive and high-quality product assortment.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (19:25): “Our exhibitions are always underlying everything we’re doing and thinking about.”
• Che Costello (20:58): “We have these pioneering minds on the curatorial side who are really partners to us as we plan our product assortments.”

9. Challenges and Adaptations

Addressing challenges, Che discusses the complexities of anticipating market trends and managing inventory amid unpredictable factors like shipping delays. She emphasizes the team’s proactive approach in adapting to changing consumer needs and preferences.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (21:05): “Trying to figure out when to hit people with the right messages is always a challenge.”
• Che Costello (25:31): “Managing inventory is always a very intense calculation... having a realistic idea of reorder times is crucial.”

10. Future Outlook and Ambitions

Looking ahead, Che shares her excitement for upcoming projects and the continued evolution of MoMA Design Store. She expresses enthusiasm for sustainable design initiatives and anticipates further innovative collaborations leading up to MoMA’s centennial in 2029.

Notable Quotes:

• Che Costello (26:27): “We’re constantly trying to learn more about materials and manufacturing behaviors that have less impact on the planet.”
• Che Costello (28:07): “We’re already starting to think about MoMA’s centennial year in 2029... it’s going to be a real moment.”

11. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Jill expressing her excitement for MoMA Design Store’s future endeavors and thanking Che for her insights. Che reiterates her enthusiasm for upcoming collaborations and the store’s mission to blend art, design, and functionality.

Notable Quote:

• Che Costello (29:02): “We look forward to doing more of them in the future... very thoughtful collaborations.”

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Key Takeaways:

• Strategic Collaborations: MoMA Design Store excels in partnering with iconic and emerging brands to create unique, art-inspired products.
• Customer-Centric Approach: The store caters to a diverse clientele by offering a wide range of products that blend functionality with aesthetic appeal.
• Storytelling in Marketing: Effective use of storytelling and local influencers enhances the brand’s connection with its audience.
• Future-Oriented: MoMA is committed to sustainable design and is proactively planning for future milestones, including its centennial celebration.

This episode offers a comprehensive look into how MoMA Design Store leverages its vast visitor base and strategic brand collaborations to remain a leading retail destination in the intersection of art, design, and commerce.

Transcript

[Che Costello]

Foreign.

[Jill Manoff]

Thanks for tuning in to the Glossy podcast. I'm your host, Jill Manoff, and today I'm sitting down with Che Costello, the associate director of merchandising at moma Retail. In my eyes, the moma design store is the ultimate source for unique and cool gifts, and Che is shaping the product curation. A large part of that is partnering with brands and designers to create exclusive, exclusive product collaborations. For example, MoMA recently rolled out the Champion Archives collection. So I wanted to ask Che about her merchandising approach, including who or what makes a fitting MoMA collaborator. I also wanted to ask about MoMA Retail's holiday strategy. How is it taking full advantage of all the gift shopping? Welcome, Che.

[Che Costello]

Thank you so much, Jill. I'm delighted to be here with you today.

[Jill Manoff]

I'm so excited to have you. You have to tell us where you are. You've got these artist skateboards behind you. Are you at your office today?

[Che Costello]

I am at my office in midtown Manhattan, several floors above the museum galleries today.

[Jill Manoff]

Fantastic. Before we jump in, I want to know whether basically you started being most interested in art or was it fashion and like, and what got you to this super fun, I don't know, mix of places here?

[Che Costello]

I've always had a really deep personal relationship with art. I've always found it really meaningful and moving. But I also knew I wanted to work with art in more of a business context, kind of putting together those two pieces of culture and commerce. So working in a museum, in retail is kind of the perfect mix of those two things where I get to work all the time with curators and artists, but also with designers and products and things that people get to enjoy in their everyday lives.

[Jill Manoff]

Totally. How great. Well, we're approaching holiday now. I was going on and on and on about gifts, but you're way more than gifts. You do furniture, for crying out loud. Do you consider MoMA a gifting source? Like, is that a large majority of how people are spending?

[Che Costello]

People come to moma Design Store for a number of different reasons, and we have products across all categories. MoMA is really special as a museum because it was the first museum in the world to have a curatorial department that was dedicated to modern architecture and design. So that's foundational to MoMA Design Store. So we are known for these beautiful design objects, things you could find in our collection that are reflected in our product assortment. Designs by Alto and Eames and Noguchi, but also the most exciting new emerging designers of the day. Right now, I'm talking to you between Thanksgiving And Christmas. And yes, gifting is a hot topic in that corridor. And people come to us because they want to get something really special for people they care about. And we always remind ourselves of that. Who are they shopping for? What are they trying to say? And often it's, you know, I was talking about how I came to my work through a love of art. Often the role art plays in people's lives is really special and important. So giving them a gift that has that allusion to an artwork or an artist they love or a beautiful design that makes their everyday lives better is really important.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, I'm stopping in New York. I definitely plan to stop at the store to look for gifts. What are people buying this year? Like, are there hot, hot items?

[Che Costello]

When we were going into the season, we were really thinking about a few things. One of them was nostalgia. Folks have this deep sense of nostalgia. We're seeing a lot of interest in retro tech, almost technologies from the late 90s, the Y2K era. So we're seeing some great excitement around things like a Polaroid camera or a cassette player or cd. And that's been something we anticipate and it's great to see. We also to hit upon that note of how people want to bring art into their everyday lives. One of our most exciting product launches of the season are these Subu slippers featuring Matisse's artwork. And Subu is a Japanese slipper brand and they're these like perfectly gorgeously designed slippers. And then we worked with the Matisse estate to put his artwork on the slippers. And if you're in New York, come to moma and you'll see Matisse on view. So we love to have those synergies. New York is a part of the holiday tradition for a lot of folks. They come in to do shopping or to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, and they also visit museums. So we're also thinking about that going into the season. What's that experience going to be like?

[Jill Manoff]

Totally. Tell me about who your shopper is, because I think you have members, but also, for instance, a lot of your collaborations are limited edition. And I would think that that would speak to the kind of, I don't know, like streetwear minded collector, maybe like somebody who, like, who wants it now. And I believe that I heard about, about that slipper footwear brand from, from a streetwear fanatic on a podcast. That's so interesting. But yeah, is there kind of an overlap there or how would you describe your shopper base?

[Che Costello]

We believe that good design belongs to everybody. So we want to make it accessible across all these different categories at all these different price points. So we have a bunch of different customers. We have someone who's visiting, yes, a museum. We get 3 to 4 million visitors a year. They want a memento. But we have those design lovers who want to tap into the fact that moma was this kind of purveyor of what good design was in the mid 20th century and that we're still showcasing the most exciting new designs of the day. And increasingly, I would kind of date it back to 2017, when MoMA had this exhibition, Items Is Fashion Modern, which is really looking at like 111 iconic apparel and accessory pieces that have become so in steeped in our culture that they're almost design icons. And part of that were things like the Champion hoodie, the New Era baseball cap.

[Jill Manoff]

Yeah.

[Che Costello]

And that opened up this opportunity for us to create product collaborations with some of those brands. And it was phenomenal. And we wanted to do it in a really special, unique way. Like when we did the New Era cap, we did it with either MoMA logo on the side and the Yankee logo on the front. And then when we did our first collaboration with champion Back in 2017, we did it with like a collegiate, sporty MoMA logo. So people almost felt like they were rooting on or part of the MoMA community.

[Jill Manoff]

Cute. Cute. Well, that's interesting. When we first started talking about you coming on this podcast, the Champion archives collection was just getting ready to launch. Is that still a newer. A newer category for you? Our newer collection? And tell me about that and what went into collaborating with the Champion brand to make it kind of a fitting partnership for you.

[Che Costello]

Yeah. In 2017, when we did our first collaboration with Champion, it was just the kind of MoMA collegiate logo on a hoodie. And we were thrilled to see how popular it was and how excited people were. We were surprised, too. We sold out in a couple of weeks of what we thought would have last us many months. And we realized there was really something happening there. People were really responding to it. And then over the years, we continue to collaborate with Champion. And then my colleague and I did kind of a deep dive into all things Champion. We got to go out to their headquarters in Kansas City and we got to see the embroidery machines, all the different screen printing colors and how they screen print. It was truly inspiring because we also discovered Champion dates back to 1919 in Rochester, New York. So they're really this amazing heritage brand. And they've always done these Custom things. Their early collaborations were with sport teams and schools and things like that. And we wanted to hearken back to that. In fact, they're also an amazing example of good design, because the hoodie, when it was invented, was really about solving a problem. Rochester is one of the coldest corners of New York State. So they designed this hoodie in collaboration with athletes in schools, because when you're sitting on the sidelines, you want to keep your muscles warm. So it's still today, one of these, like, enduring, amazing designs. Then we connected with the folks in Champion New York City, where they had an archive, which was an absolute dream. I mean, imagine we're seeing all of these old designs of letterman jackets and patches. People added themselves. Early examples of sort of those mesh shirts football players wore over their gear when Champion for a while was the official athletic outfitter of the NBA. So they did things for the Olympics. So we were looking over all of these key moments in Champion history, and we hand selected a few items like the satin bomber jacket and windbreaker and the cardigan. And we made MoMA versions of that, which is both an homage to Champions history, but also a kind of love letter to MoMA as well, all of its fans and the folks who love to wear the gear.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my God. Did you do, like, a mesh jersey? So cute.

[Che Costello]

We did not do a mesh jersey, but we have done a sports bra in the past, which I thought was super exciting. Yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. Well, tell me, for how many stores do you. You've got a couple of stores, IRL locations in New York, Right? And exclusive to New York. Tell me. I'm just wondering. I feel like because you're such a tourist destination, maybe your kind of balance of online versus in store sales is different than most. I would think your stores are maybe blowing up versus what's happening online, although that's open international or nationally. Go ahead.

[Che Costello]

Right, so we have our online platform, and we also have a museum store in the museum. We have a design store across the street, which is really, you know, showcasing design objects. We have a store Downtown in SoHo in Crosby street and Spring on the corner there. And we also have stores throughout Japan and a store in Hong Kong.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, great.

[Che Costello]

There's a little bit of a different customer mix and product mix based on where people are shopping with us. As I mentioned, if you have 3 million visitors coming to the museum, you're definitely going to see some strong activity on campus on 53rd street up here in Midtown. But the SoHo customer is more of like a neighborhood customer, a repeat Customer is somebody who goes out to brunch at Balthazar, spins by the store to pick up a gift for a dinner party later. And then, of course, our website is really serving our customers everywhere. And we see that really turning up during this particular quarter around the holidays, where people just do that. That, you know, gift shopping.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, tell me about the balance of items that are. You would consider like a fashion item and how that's evolved. Because, you know, during the pandemic, we talked about, like, the boom in home products, home decor, and, you know, I mean, specifically on the luxury side, that's kind of slowed. And home is where it's at, it seems. But has your assortment reflected kind of some of these broader trends?

[Che Costello]

I would say from the moment we had the Artemis Fashion Modern exhibition and we started really looking at brands like New Era and Champion, we've captured a really engaged audience who is looking for these more new introductions, new colorways. And we also have been doing a collaboration with Nike. We launched our Nike MoMA socks this fall. That a huge success. Such a huge success. We're not in stock at the moment, but we plan to have an ongoing relationship with a lot of these brands. And we always ask ourselves, why MoMA? Why is MoMA doing this collaboration? We work so closely with our curators and our learning engagement colleagues, and we always have to have that really deep reasoning behind the collaboration. Often it's because it's in our collection or it's in the exhibition or because it's really an engaging for our audience.

[Jill Manoff]

Totally. I just did a story and it was basically saying art and fashion are collaborating more than ever. There's a handbag brand that came out that was a couple of thousand dollars out of the gate as a luxury brand. And they're like. It's also like something you display on your coffee table. It's a. An interior design piece. It's two in one. But anyway, I'm seeing a lot of examples of fashion also plucking from art. Would you say it hit a kind of high, a fever pitch? Like, this is where things are going. Like, are we going to see more of it? How would you describe the trajectory?

[Che Costello]

I think there's always been a really great symbiotic relationship between art and fashion. You look back in, like, the 1930s, and Elsa Schiaparelli was working with Mara Oppenheim and Salvador Dali on gowns and jewelry. We have an amazing piece in our collection from 1968, Andy Warhol's super dress, which is like a paper shift dress that looks Like a Campbell soup can. But that's. It's very co. Cool and I'd love to bring it back someday. But that said, I do feel like I've really been seeing the dial turned up on fashion art collaborations. I mean, you think back to Kusama and Louis Vuitton or before that, Murcami and Louis Vuitton. And I think it has to do with the role that art and artists play in our lives, how they kind of reflect the state of the world back to us and provide some perspective. And I think fashion is looking for a way to bring that into our everyday. Right. So it's not just a trip to a museum. Now it's on the Runway, now it's on the streets. So I think that we're going to be seeing more and more collaborations between artists and fashion.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. Is there an artist or a fashion designer, anyone that is like your ultimate collaborator, your. Your bucket list, or maybe one that you're looking back on that you're really, like, proud of, that you've already done?

[Che Costello]

I think for me, one of the most exciting projects I've worked at at MoMA, and I've worked at MoMA for 25 years, so that's a long history. That's fantastic is the collaboration we just did with the Matisse estate and the Subu slippers. Because Matisse is not an estate that works with a lot of collaborators, and MoMA has one of the largest collections of Matisse's work. And giving people the opportunity of bringing that into their everyday lives means a lot to me. When I think of how many people are going to be waking up in the morning and putting on these beautifully design slippers, but also inspired by the colors and patterns of Matisse. That, for me is. Is really exciting.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, you built this amazing reputation as being like a place for discovery and things you. You've never seen before. Like, is there. Is it necessary to be, like, marketing these collaborations because, you know, they're rolling all the time? Like, what's the marketing play for. For getting these super cool items, like, in front of the online audience and.

[Che Costello]

Beyond for us, because we put so much thought and purpose into our collaborations and we're always asking, why MoMA? Why are we working with this collaborator? What's exciting about our working with this brand or designer? The marketing really plays a big role in that because before, storytelling was a buzzword everyone used. It's really part of the DNA of what we do at moma Design store because we do so much research and development. When I did this Champion capsule collection. We went deep into the history of the company and who owned it when and when they with University of Michigan versus UT and really understanding their DNA and understanding where we come from historically and then weaving those stories together. That's why people shop at Luma Design Store because it's unique, it's individual and there's a great story behind it. And marketing is the way to deploy that story. So trying to find great ways for people to not just see a cool jacket but to know a history of two amazing New York State based institutions are embedded in that design.

[Jill Manoff]

Would New York influencers like do they come into play as well?

[Che Costello]

Oh, definitely. We were really excited for our collaboration with Champion because we've worked with a bunch of our, our local influencers, big fans, folks on Instagram and they acted as our models for our marketing photo shoot and that was really great and exciting. And we also took it to the streets of New York to photograph it. So it was a real great New York story.

[Jill Manoff]

Well, holiday gift guides, lookbooks, all the things like what's necessary to earn the buck during this busy time.

[Che Costello]

Because we have such a wide range of products at MoMA Design Store during this particular holiday quarter, we try to make it easy for people to do their shopping and that's where gift guides come into play. So people are shopping for different reasons for different people. Sometimes it's a stocking stuffer, sometimes it's a splurge worthy gift for somebody super super special. Sometimes it's a teach gifts. So we try to package our wide range of products and these different categories to help people to make it super easy and frictionless when they're shopping?

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. In the last year, you know a lot of again ups and downs in other industries. Has your customer behavior change like would you say any specific shifts that you've noticed that really speaks to new habits.

[Che Costello]

It's always really hard to plan for the future. A couple of shifts we anticipated and that are making a lot of sense for us right now. One thing we're seeing this holiday season more than ever are practical gifts. People wanting to buy things for others that are useful and functional things. We have this terrific Japanese sewing machine that's great for like somebody who's a terrific crafter. It's a streamlined design, it's easy to use things like a beautiful toolbox that is a unique color and opens really elegantly. So things that are functional, practical. We definitely, definitely went toward that as one of our goals and we're seeing people respond to that. We're seeing a lot of multifunctional problem saving travel accessories. Travel is definitely back. People are excited to be doing it, but they're looking for the best gear to do it most efficiently as possible or with great pops of color. We did this new collaboration with Brooklyn based designer Ellen Van Dusen, where it's all made of recycled leather and it's things like passport cases, luggage tags with her amazing colors and patterns on them. And that leads to another area that we're seeing growth in, which is joyful design, almost things for kidults, you know, things that are playful. Sometimes you buy them for kids, sometimes adults buy them for themselves. A big interest in all things Miffy. I don't know if you know Miffy, but she's.

[Jill Manoff]

I'm looking it up right now. Tell me Miffy.

[Che Costello]

Miffy is a rabbit. She was designed by Dick Bruna, who's a Dutch artist.

[Jill Manoff]

Do you recognize Miffy?

[Che Costello]

Yes. Now you see or you know her. She's from 1965. She was designed by Dick Bruna and she really has a huge following among people in the design community. We recently worked did a collab where we did a Miffy who is Dutch, wearing a little Starry Night knitted dress, Vigo, also Dutch. So a nice collab there. But we certainly initially started carrying Miffy themed products for kids. But we're finding out we have lights and we have different accessories and people are buying them across all ages.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. Tell me about your team and how you're collaborating, maybe across departments. Like, are you working directly with museum curators to know, like, what's coming and how your product reflects maybe the exhibition or something?

[Che Costello]

Absolutely. I have an amazing team. There's about a dozen of us. We have areas of expertise that were broken out into and the same team that does the buying of products from the market, does the product development. And our exhibition schedule is a huge organizing principle for us. We work closely with MoMA's curators, and those are the same curators that add art and design to our collection who organize the exhibitions. Every product at MoMA Design Store is reviewed by our curators and we have amazing lively discussions about, you know, what are the filters? We're going to review these designs by. Is this designer in the collection? Was it in the exhibition? Does it document an important moment in design? Is it an innovative material? Is it sustainable? It represent a diverse voice in design. So I think that's what really leads to how special our assortment is that we have these pioneering, amazing minds on the curatorial side who are really partners to us as we plan our product assortments. And absolutely. Our exhibitions are always sort of underlying everything we're doing and thinking about. Like I mentioned, we have a lot of Matisse related product right now we have an exhibition on view. We're looking at 2025 and we know we have a Woven Histories exhibition that's going to be about handcrafts and the role that weaving played in early modernism and still plays today. We have a Ruth Asawa exhibition coming up. So that's all in our mind and we're thinking about what we're working toward.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing. What was a big challenge this year or maybe not huge, but maybe weighed on your mind a little bit?

[Che Costello]

Well, it's always hard to look into the future and know what people are going to need. And I think one of our big goals at MoMA Design Store is to meet people's needs, to anticipate what they want and to provide it. To have designs that solve problems and make their everyday lives better. 2024 always tricky. An election year is always tricky. And then we had a late Thanksgiving. So trying to figure out when to hit people with the right messages that will align with what they want and need is always a challenge. We identified a few things that we anticip would resonate with folks. Things like nostalgia travel, wanting to have an infusion of like bright color and joyful patterns for the holiday season. And we're really pleased to see that they really align with what customers are responding to right now.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. It's funny that you mentioned the retro tech. We were just talking about that on my team.

[Che Costello]

It's really interesting and I think that the retro tech has something to do with people. Almost like an analog to the wellness moment where people want to relax, they want to disconnect, maybe they want to go for a walk and listen to music, but they don't want to also have their phone buzzing and beeping and letting them know that somebody wants to change a reservation. So they pop in a tape and a Walkman and go for a walk. I think there's also this really exciting element to something like an instant camera where we take so many photos on our digital devices and never see anything. So you bring an instant Polaroid camera to a party and all of a sudden like everyone's gathered around.

[Jill Manoff]

It's novelty.

[Che Costello]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Jill Manoff]

Amazing. You mentioned wellness. Has wellness and beauty come into play more. More so in recent years in your assortment?

[Che Costello]

Certainly. I think, I believe part of wellness is surrounding yourself with beautiful things that enrich your everyday Life. So certainly things like beautiful objets, a lovely vase, a portable lamp that has a beautiful illumination to it. We've carried designs like the lofty clock, which helps with your sleep cycles. We have a weighted sleep mask that's like sleep is really important to people. You're not going to have a good day if you didn't have a good night's sleep. So thinking about designs really that offer opportunities to make people's lives a little bit easier, better problem solvers.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Tell me about your growth trajectory. I guess maybe now compared to Pandemic and where we're going from here, like are things a little bit up and down and then like Pandemic and you're, you're working your way back up or how would you describe it?

[Che Costello]

Because our goal at MoMA Design Store is to anticipate people's needs and meet them where they are. It's always kind of tricky and interesting. Certainly during the Pandemic there were a lot of pivots and shifts sold so many puzzles. Now people are less interested in puzzles, more interested in travel accessories. And those are things you can somewhat analyze, predict, but really taking a human based approach to thinking about what's going to be happening in six months, in a year, in two years, and what are people going to need. Our team is constantly traveling the world. We're always trying to keep our finger on the pulse of what's happening in social media and following trend forecasters, but really thinking deeply about things and trying to anticipate needs. We have the added benefit of a world class museum, absolutely brilliant curators. And we get to see what they're working on, we get to see what they're thinking about, what they're planning three years from now. And that also helps fuel and create our sort of blueprint for where we're going.

[Jill Manoff]

I would think that there's a lot of demand for you moma design store to pop up, do a shop and shop within some of these retailers who don't offer maybe a lot of giftable items. Is that something that you guys do often?

[Che Costello]

We haven't done many. We actually do have a pop up space that we have other folks pop up in our area in our, we have a dedicated space in our Soho store, we have a feature space on 53rd street and we have our website because we so often do encounter exciting new brands and designers or product launches. So we're more focused on giving folks a platform to pop up in our spaces, I would say than our popping.

[Jill Manoff]

Up right now makes good sense. Has managing inventory been a thing, like, another issue amid the unpredictability?

[Che Costello]

I would say managing inventory is always, you know, a very intense calculation. There are certain types of products that are obviously going to penetrate much more strongly in the museum environment.

[Jill Manoff]

Right.

[Che Costello]

Think of your Starry Night magnet or your logo pencil. Where are there things that we sell, like, you know, $5,000 digital Japanese piano that people are going to be buying more online?

[Jill Manoff]

Yes.

[Che Costello]

And also, obviously, there's been shipping issues to deal with. Reorder, I would say in the time I've worked in retail, reorder times just get longer and longer. So. Really? Yeah, trying to be realistic. Not over inventorying, but have a realistic idea of, like, it might take nine months to be back in stock. So that's.

[Jill Manoff]

I mean, in a time when everything's unpredictable and the trend cycles so fast, that's so hard.

[Che Costello]

Yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

Tell me about what you're looking forward to. What are you looking forward to in 2025?

[Che Costello]

2025, I'm looking forward to working closely with my team. Storytelling and research is really important to us. So we've already started doing a lot of deep dives into what people might be excited about looking for in 2025. So kind of taking those strands and turning them into a product assortment is always exciting. I've been working intensely with my team on expl resources. The champion collaboration came out of that kind of meeting with folks who are based in the USA or manufacturing in the usa, thinking deeply about sustainability. And we're students in this area. We're constantly trying to learn more about materials, manufacturing behaviors that have less impact on the planet. So these are some of the goals that we're working towards. I'm really excited, though. Like, we're at the kind of beginning stages of seeing what 2025 could be. And I always love it when everything comes to fruition. Like, I'm the one who's like, I see people with the MoMA shopping bag in New York City. I walk a little faster because I want to see what they're buying. I love seeing our products in the wild and seeing people using them. We have the best customers in the world. I read all of our customer reviews. It's like, I have my morning coffee and they have great suggestions. I love how they live with our products. I love the things they have to say about how generous they are and giving them to other people. So always exciting things ahead of us. And then, of course, I'm always thinking a bit about 2029, which is the museum's centennial year. What are we going to do then? It's going to be.

[Jill Manoff]

I had no idea.

[Che Costello]

Yeah, we're already starting to think about it, because what an amazing moment that the Museum of Modern Art that was founded back in 1929 will have a hundred years under its belt. Like, that's going to be a real moment.

[Jill Manoff]

It. Collaboration central. Ooh, watch this face. That's exciting. And P.S. i know that tote. That tote is iconic. And also, I just interviewed Todd Snider, and there was some. There's some parallels with some things he was saying. Like, they collaborate with Champion. I guess I would say, like, icons only. Like, he collaborates with Timex and Woolrich, and Anyway, everything's over 100 years old, but, like, there's something to like. Like when authenticity matters and a story matters to, I don't know, connecting with these iconic brands. You're onto something.

[Che Costello]

Absolutely. And we look forward to doing more of them in the future, too. We're very thoughtful of the folks we collaborate and partner with, but we have some exciting ideas.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh. Well, can't wait to see Che. This was fantastic. Thanks for being my guest today.

[Che Costello]

This was really fun, Jill. I had a great time. Thank you for having me.

[Jill Manoff]

That's all for this episode. Our theme music is by Otis MacDonald. Be sure to give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or wherever you're listening to the Glossy podcast. See you next week.