The Glossy Podcast – Ty Haney on Outdoor Voices 2.0

Date: October 17, 2025
Host(s): Danny Parisi, Zofia Zvyglinska
Guest(s): Ty Haney (interviewed by Jill Manoff)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Glossy Podcast is divided into two primary segments:

1. Fashion and Luxury Industry News: Danny Parisi and Zofia Zvyglinska discuss the return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, recent EU fines against luxury brands for anti-competitive pricing, and the appointment of a new CEO at Armani amidst an impending company sale.
2. Main Interview – Ty Haney & Outdoor Voices: Jill Manoff, Glossy's Editor-in-Chief, interviews Ty Haney about her return to Outdoor Voices, her new activity-specific capsule collections (especially equestrian and hiking), and the brand's strategy as it establishes its “2.0” era in the competitive landscape of athleisure and activewear.

Segment 1: Fashion & Luxury News Highlights

1. The Return of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

[00:18 – 07:13]

• Comeback Context:

  • Show returned for the second consecutive year after a hiatus since 2018, now featuring new creative director Adam Selman.
  • Brand is caught between a push for inclusivity and a "return to sexiness."
  • Hosted performances by TWICE (K-pop), Madison Beer, Missy Elliott, and Carol G – attracting a younger, pop-forward audience.

• Show Highlights:

  • Incorporation of the Pink line for the first time, targeting younger consumers ([02:16]).
  • Notable participants included Jasmine Tookes (walked while pregnant), a trans model, and athletes Angel Reese (WNBA) and Suni Lee (Olympic gymnast), reflecting a broader, although not exhaustive, representation of diversity ([04:48], [05:52]).
  • "There was a lot of evidence that they are [horse girls]…the ride pant...sold out very quickly." — Ty Haney ([24:02])

• Notable Quote:

  • “I was pleasantly surprised that I feel like Adam Selman kind of stuck to the guns a little bit there. … It was not a cornucopia of diversity, but definitely some and probably more than you might expect, given...the kind of severe backlash to anything even resembling DEI.” – Danny Parisi ([03:02])

2. EU Fines Major Luxury Brands for Anti-Competitive Pricing

[07:13 – 16:17]

• Key Brands Fined: Gucci, Loewe, and Chloe, for “Resale Price Management” (RPM) restricting wholesale retailers’ pricing.

• Implications:

  • Precedent for future retailer lawsuits against brands.
  • Possibility for contract changes and more power for independent/small retailers.
  • Potential shifts in how retailers manage discounts and old inventory ([08:25]).

• Quote:

  • “It sets up a precedent basically for retailers to take action or to sue brands for losses that they might have incurred…” – Zofia Zvyglinska ([08:25])

• Regulatory Trends:

  • EU is aggressively pursuing luxury industry abuses, from supply chains to labor to pricing—aiming to restore the reputation and standards of European luxury after years of reported issues, such as subcontracting and price hikes ([11:50], [14:12]).

3. Armani's Leadership Change & Sale

[16:17 – 21:46]

• Leadership Update: Giuseppe Marzocchi (company veteran) appointed CEO post-Giorgio Armani’s death; company now actively pursuing a sale as per Armani’s will.

• Sale Details:

  • Preferred buyers include L'Oréal, LVMH, EssilorLuxottica.
  • Noted internal power held by Leo Del Orco (largest stakeholder and Armani Foundation chair).
  • Anticipated changes in company structure, licensing, DTC expansion, and potential splitting of beauty and fashion divisions ([19:04]).

• Quote:

  • “His first responsibility being selling that stake is a monumental task considering the legacy that Giorgio Armani left behind.” – Zofia Zvyglinska ([17:46])

Segment 2: Ty Haney’s Outdoor Voices 2.0 – In-Depth Interview

[22:08 – 47:44]

A. Ty Haney’s Return and Brand Revival

• Haney’s Homecoming & Vision:

  • Spent last year reassembling the team and reconnecting to Outdoor Voices' original vision: “to build the number one recreation brand”—focused on joyful, non-competitive activities ([22:29]).
  • "Really, our vision with Outdoor Voices since day one and then today as well, is to build the number one recreation brand and recreation being activity you do for the Fun of it with a smile on your face. With friends with animals. There's many flavors of activities that to me fall within the umbrella of recreation, and equestrian is one of those." — Ty Haney ([22:29])

• Activity-Specific Collections:

  • Recent launches include highly successful Equestrian and Hiking capsules, both of which will remain as continuous offerings, not limited editions.
  • Emphasis on authentic, activity-specific product creation; e.g., OV Ride Pant sold out quickly, signaling demand from "real" horse riders ([24:02]).
  • Hiking collection inspired by Colorado outdoors and technical outdoor apparel, aiming for a youthful, feminine spin ([25:33]).

B. Lessons from the First Chapter, Strategy for OV 2.0

• Reflecting on the DTC Era:

  • Haney discusses the financial and operational pressure of the early direct-to-consumer boom (“grow at all costs”), which complicated sustainable growth for young founders ([28:21]).
  • Now focused on returning to brand roots—technical, recreation-focused gear, celebrating movement, and joy over performance or competition.

• Quotes:

  • “The model...really put pressure on the business. ...there’s a lot that can become tricky when everything has that massive pressure to grow at all costs around it.” — Ty Haney ([28:21])
  • “It’s less to me about like, we’re here for Gen Z and more about this tapping into this doing things in recreation mindset for people who maybe don’t as much resonate with the intense kind of athlete performance at all costs type brands...” ([29:06])

C. Trends, Product Innovation, and Audience

• Product & Style Evolution:

  • OV is now moving beyond the “sea of sameness” (tight, stretchy outfits) toward creative, self-expressive technical gear that includes non-legging bottoms (e.g., ride pants, cowgirl jeans, hiking pants with zip-off features).
  • “I think in particular this younger generation is...attracting to kind of more ability to...have self expression and ...put an outfit together that just doesn’t look like everyone else.” — Ty Haney ([30:49])

• Approach to Color, Branding, and Community:

  • Contrasting most fashion brands’ recent color minimalism, OV sees color as core to energy and activation in sportswear.
  • Strategic shift toward more visible logos and messaging, allowing customers to express their brand affiliation on their own terms ([34:35]).

D. OV’s Competitive Set and The Broader Market

• On Competition:
  • Haney sees the real challenge not as rival brands, but as “inertia” and getting people moving: “What we’re up against is ...inertia in a sense, and people...not wanting to move." ([35:39])
  • Comments on Nike x Skims collaboration: admires the buzz, but sees OV’s positioning more about activity and technical innovation than sex appeal ([36:57]).

E. Business Model, Community, and Ty Haney’s Entrepreneurial Journey

• Business Integration:

  • Tyb (community engagement tool) and Joggy (organic energy brand) are companion companies—each structurally independent but synergistic with OV's recreational philosophy ([39:56]).

• Leadership Insights & Women in Entrepreneurship:

  • Importance of prioritizing, talent recruitment, and urgency: “Compression of time creates value. So make a decision, test it, learn, and then adjust from there.” — Ty Haney ([43:55])
  • Reflects on the "female founder takedown era," hoping her "second chapter" inspires other women founders despite ongoing industry challenges ([45:08], [45:35]).

• Advice for Entrepreneurs:

  • “Learning quickly, making adjustments, testing learning quickly, and making that loop quite quick is something that has proved to be very valuable for across all companies.” ([43:55])

F. What’s Next for Outdoor Voices

• Upcoming Launches & Strategy:

  • Continuous rollout of activity-driven capsules every 4–6 weeks to re-activate engagement post-dormancy ([46:51]).
  • Q4 and holiday season expected to be key sales periods, following retail tradition ([47:29]).

• Quote:

  • “You'll start to hear and see a lot from us as we start to push this boulder back up the hill within...this North Star of Recreation.” — Ty Haney ([46:51])

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Quote/Note | Speaker | |-----------|------------|---------| | 03:02 | “It was not a cornucopia of diversity, but definitely some and probably more than you might expect...” | Danny Parisi | | 08:25 | “It sets up a precedent basically for retailers to take action or to sue brands for losses that they might have incurred…” | Zofia Zvyglinska | | 17:46 | “His first responsibility being selling that stake is a monumental task considering the legacy that Giorgio Armani left behind.” | Zofia Zvyglinska | | 22:29 | “Our vision with Outdoor Voices since day one and then today as well, is to build the number one recreation brand...” | Ty Haney | | 24:02 | “The ride pant...sold out very quickly. So I was a little like, let's see if the horse girls care and are out there. But there was a lot of evidence that they are.” | Ty Haney | | 28:21 | “The model...really put pressure on the business. ...there’s a lot that can become tricky when everything has that massive pressure to grow at all costs around it.” | Ty Haney | | 30:49 | “I think in particular this younger generation is...attracting to kind of more ability to...have self expression and ...put an outfit together that just doesn’t look like everyone else.” | Ty Haney | | 35:39 | “What we’re up against is, like, inertia in a sense, and people, like, not wanting to move.” | Ty Haney | | 43:55 | “Compression of time creates value. So make a decision, test it, learn, and then adjust from there.” | Ty Haney | | 46:51 | “You'll start to hear and see a lot from us as we start to push this boulder back up the hill within...this North Star of Recreation.” | Ty Haney |

Key Takeaways

• Victoria’s Secret is experimenting to find the right balance between its legacy sex appeal and modern standards of diversity and inclusion.
• European regulators are ramping up pressure on luxury brands to clean up pricing and supply chain management.
• Armani faces a pivotal sale under new leadership—the structure and buyer(s) remain up for grabs.
• Ty Haney’s return to Outdoor Voices marks a refreshed but fundamentally original vision: focusing on joyful, inclusive recreation and distinctive, activity-driven collections with an emphasis on technical innovation, color, and brand community.
• Haney sees the future of activewear as moving beyond leggings, embracing more expressive, versatile gear, and building genuine community engagement rather than fixating on direct brand rivals.
• For entrepreneurs, Haney stresses prioritization, talent, quick learning loops, and resilience—especially for women in an industry still recovering from past 'takedown' moments.
• Expect regular drops and increasing visibility from Outdoor Voices as Ty Haney forges ahead with "chapter two" for the brand.

This summary is designed for listeners and industry professionals who want a deep, timestamped walkthrough of the episode’s news and interview highlights, combining insights on the broader fashion landscape with a detailed, candid discussion of leadership and creativity in modern lifestyle brands.