Loading summary
Transcript92 lines
- [00:01]
Arden Fanning Andrews
This episode of the Run through is brought to you by ebay. I'm Arden Fanning Andrews, Vogue's beauty editor at large. Everyone's talking about tassels right now and that's the moment that I end up typing it into ebay. I found the perfect vintage triple chain belt with golden tassels and it just looks so elegant, timeless. And it's on the way in the mail to me. Thanks to ebay.
- [00:26]
Aurora James
Foreign.
- [00:30]
Nicole Phelps
This is the Run Through. I'm Nicole Phelps. Today I'm joined by Aurora James, the founder of the 15 Percent Pledge, a nonprofit launched in 2020 with a goal to have retailers commit 15% of their shelf space to black owned businesses. We Talked about the 15% pledge origin story, its wins, and the challenges she's facing as many companies continue their rollbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion. We also discussed her work as the creative director and founder of luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies and her obsession with vintage shopping. Here's my conversation with Aurora. Well, thank you very much for being here.
- [01:10]
Aurora James
Thank you for having me. I'm excited to chat with you today.
- [01:13]
Nicole Phelps
We are here to talk about DEI rollbacks in the fashion industry. This is something you have spent a lot of time thinking about and working on. How, in your experience, has the fashion industry done when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion? If I can't even imagine a bigger.
- [01:28]
Aurora James
A bigger question, right? I mean, I think first we'd have to define what diversity, equity and inclusion means, right? Because it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, which I read about a lot in my comment section. But I think for me it's about this idea of creating a diverse meritocracy, right. And making sure there are a lot of different voices that are represented in a room, in a company, in the world, in seats of power and in like cultural archives. That's kind of what I think about a lot. And I think historically fashion's done a pretty bad job, especially at like first person narration from people of color.
- [02:10]
Nicole Phelps
And so five years ago, you launched the 15% pledge to begin addressing some of these issues. There are people who are listening to this podcast, regular listeners who. What the 15% pledge is. Can you tell us?
- [02:23]
Aurora James
Yeah, sure. So, you know, obviously I'm an accessories designer. I've had a company called Brother Valleys, and I've always been very outspoken about different political issues. And in the wake of George Floyd's murder, I was getting a lot of calls and texts from different people in the industry. And not just fashion, just major retailers sort of across America. And I think for me, Nicole, my mom always taught me that people should do the thing that they do best. Best in service of those who've been historically excluded. Also, if we take ourselves back, small business in America was getting annihilated during the pandemic, right? They were expecting 44% of black owned businesses were going to close, which was basically double the national average. 90% of black owned businesses didn't get access to the first round of PPP money. So they really needed help. So when I thought about that as it related to a major retailer, I thought, okay, they're really good at selling product. Um, and so I said, look, black people are almost 15% of the population. Major retailers should consider committing 15% of their shelf space to black owned businesses. And the woman I was talking to was like, that's never going to happen. And I was like, okay, cool, let's get off the phone. And I sat down afterwards and I thought about it and I thought about the impact it would have on the American economic landscape, you know, if major retailers started committing in that way and how it would change things, even in private equity and venture capital and with big banks, right? Cause they would be looking at businesses of color and actually see growth opportunity for the very first time instead of seeing someone that was non recognizable as a successful founder. Because they haven't necessarily seen that. And so I, you know, sat down and wrote out the idea in the notes section of my phone, which is probably where your most brilliant ideas live as well. And then I screenshot it and I posted it to Instagram an hour later and I tagged a bunch of retailers, which for me is just a horrendous thing to do, because I don't. I'm not really someone who likes to be that confrontational on social media, Even though maybe people think otherwise. But you don't really do that. You don't like tag people.
- [04:29]
Nicole Phelps
And so take us back to that moment. What was the immediate reaction to it? And then what was some of the, what were the earliest impacts?
- [04:38]
Aurora James
Well, for me, by the way, I was just like, this is a fantastic idea. Because not only is it the right thing to do, it's going to be good business. And what I know about corporations is if they can't track it, they can't do it. Right? So we're taking a really emotionally fraught situation and putting metrics to it. So I think that's why people understood the pledge, because it was something they could take to their board. Right. And so I posted it on A Saturday, Monday at noon, we launched a petition. I think like Tuesday we had maybe 100,000 signatures. On Wednesday, I started working to make it a nonprofit. And by day 10, Sephora became the first major corporation to commit to the 15% pledge. So it moved fast. It moved really fast. I think in the first like 24 months we had like 25 pledge takers. They all signed multi year contracts. Nordstrom, for example, signed a 10 year contract with us. It's signed by Pete Nordstrom. So it really kind of has to start at the top. Everyone has to be bought in. And it's about not just like checking a box and, you know, putting businesses of color on the shelves and being done. It's like, okay, how do we really make sure they were casting a super broad lens and looking at all the brands that could make sense, not just the brands that like come across our desk because, you know, they're already owned by Estee Lauder or they are someone that worked there or whatever.
- [06:00]
Nicole Phelps
So you have all these huge corporations or significant number of corporations signing on. What are some of the first things or the most meaningful things you heard from these small business owners once they had been, you know, signed up to Nordstrom or signed up to Sephora? Do you remember what that was like?
- [06:18]
Aurora James
Of course. I mean, one of the first things we did with Sephora was we worked with them on changing their accelerator program. So we really focused on women of color. And, you know, Danessa Myricks is a really wonderful example. She, you know, had this business for a decade and she was sold at all the beauty supply shops, you know, across the country. And then when she went through the accelerator program, Sephora decided to put her onto the shelves and the business just blew up. I mean, customers were so excited. It's always sold out. Her business has grown exponentially. Her whole entire life has changed. And I don't think there's anyone out there that can look at Danessa or look at her products or talk to professional makeup artists who would think that she isn't one of the most brilliant product designers and makeup artists of our time. So I think it's been really fantastic. We put over 800 black owned brands onto the shelves of our pledge takers.
- [07:09]
Nicole Phelps
I think what I'd love for you to dig into is the work of the organization. You said you worked with Sephora on this accelerator, so, you know, coming up with this concept, it's not like the concept is, you know, comes to you and you get people to sign up and the work is done right I mean, there is, like, a lot of.
- [07:28]
Aurora James
There's real hell in between. Yes. Yeah. I mean, to be completely frank with you, like, summer of 2020, at the end of the night, I was puking, mostly because it's really hard. It's a lot of emotional 24 hours a day. Yeah, 2020 was really hard. 2021 was really hard. The end of 2024 was really disappointing, and 2025 has been a shit show. And, you know, look, it's. I've had to take a huge portion of my life and change how I spend my time. You know, I think I've felt lucky to do that because I've had enough privilege that's allowed me to because I've been successful with Brother Valleys, and now I feel like I need to use that privilege and try to open the door for other people whenever I have the opportunity to. You know, I started Brother Valleys with $3,500 at the Hester street flea market. So, you know, I know what it's like to be a founder and just put all of your dreams on the line and get a shot, you know? And this year, we're also giving out over a million dollars in grants, which is great, you know, but. But there's still so much more work to be done. And to be honest, it's really taxing. You know, I'm lucky because I think there's about 12 other people that work at the Pledge now, so that's been great.
- [08:41]
Nicole Phelps
Do you ever sort of sit back and feel like, gosh, we've come a long way, it's been five years. Or is it. Is it all still so much I want.
- [08:49]
Aurora James
There's still so much to do. I mean, ideas are great, but execution is everything, you know? And I think, like, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to. To see through this thesis, right? Because if it were to fail, then the narrative becomes, oh, actually, you know, DEI was a horrible thing. Giving founders of color opportunities isn't necessary. We shouldn't go out of our way. Like, all these things that a lot of Republicans are saying right now, Right? But for me, it's did these. And do these opportunities to give everyone sort of a. A more equal starting line in the race. Like, does it bear fruit? And I think, you know, it's hard to see that instantly, Right. It takes time to prove that out. I really do believe that we're proving that out. Um, and that part I feel really good about.
- [09:46]
Nicole Phelps
Can you give us some more examples of how it's being proven out? Are there other success Stories that stand out to you?
- [09:52]
Aurora James
Yeah, sure. I mean, Topicals is a great one. Right. Like, she was also in the first accelerator class. Um, it's a beauty brand for those who don't know. And she went on and got onto the shelves of Sephora pretty quickly. She ended up being one of the top five fastest growing skincare brands at Sephora. She raised her Series a at a $95 million valuation. She's 26 years old. You know, prior to 2017, only 36 black women had ever raised more than a million dollars in venture capital. And I think, you know, that's the other thing that we don't talk about. We don't talk about access to capital that much in fashion either. It's sort of like this taboo thing. Like, people, they like to talk about the art. They don't necessarily like to talk about the money, but the two, unfortunately, are really intertwined. And so access to capital has been a big issue with what we do as well.
- [10:46]
Nicole Phelps
I mean, that's. Both of us are on the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, and we. We sort of get that on the. At the ground level.
- [10:54]
Aurora James
Right.
- [10:54]
Nicole Phelps
That you. Creativity, if you don't have the capital, it just doesn't work.
- [11:00]
Aurora James
Yeah. I mean, look, and sometimes it's like trial by fire. Right? Like, I remember when I was younger, I'd be sitting in a workshop in Kenya, and it's like, okay, I have beads, I have leather, I have, like, what else is in the neighborhood? How can I put something together? And sometimes you get things that are really brilliant, but that doesn't take into consideration, like, you know, the fact that, like, I got an eviction letter in my apartment when I was in the fashion fund. Right. And so that kind of stress when you're competing is also very real. So it's not just about what you're able to do creatively. It's about what you're able to do in your life, your headspace, all of that jazz. And then can you seize an opportunity? You know, like, I wrote in my book about what happened when I, you know, was growing the business after I won and I had gotten this purchase order from net a parte. Actually, that was net 30. And it was the very first net 30 when we got. And. And I ended up, you know, taking a loan from someone that ended up being, like, really horrible. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
- [11:58]
Nicole Phelps
Tell us what net 30 is for. Not the business.
- [12:00]
Aurora James
The not business types here. Yeah. That means. So if I recall correctly, I think our purchase order was maybe, like, $200,000, right? And so they gave me an order of $200,000 worth of shoes, and then I have to make $200,000 worth of shoes and deliver it to them, and then I only get paid 30 days after they've received it. So there's a big gap. It's like, how do you pay for that?
- [12:22]
Nicole Phelps
Right.
- [12:23]
Aurora James
And when we talk about lack of access to capital for entrepreneurs, right? It's like, if you get a purchase order from someone, how do you pay for it? Because the stores aren't doing that anymore. They're not giving you deposits so much anymore. So.
- [12:37]
Nicole Phelps
Right. And I mean, that is like a backdrop that is really making it challenging for emerging designers in fashion right now. So it would make the. The 15% pledge even more important. But coupled with that, there are new headwinds, Right. The current administration, the current US Administration really has turned DEI this term and these efforts into a bad word, sort of. How are you facing that with your colleagues at the 15% pledge?
- [13:13]
Aurora James
I think we've been really lucky that none of them, the businesses that we work with at the pledge, have backed out, which is great, because I know, you know, Target, like Home Depot, all these people are making their announcements. They're not doing it anymore. And I think with Target, we've really seen how badly they've been impacted financially. Right. I think, you know, look, we're a nonprofit, so I think the fundraising climate's really hard because I think what this administration has done really well is sort of attack everything all at once. So traditionally, you know, there's certain philanthropists that you might go to or the public, but it's like, look, when everything is being attacked, even as individual consumers, we don't even know what to do. It's like we become paralyzed. Right? So we don't know who to give to. We don't know really what to do at all. So I think that part's been really hard, because as hard as it is to fundraise for, you know, an llc, fundraising for a nonprofit, where someone gets really nothing in return, you know, is really challenging. And then also, we try to give out so much money in grants as well. Cause I think for me, having gone through the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, I know how important it was when I got that $300,000, you know, I really wouldn't be here today, I don't think, if it weren't for that, you know? And I think it's a responsibility to pay it forward as well. And oftentimes, when we see women empowered, I think we also see that they pay it forward as well. But it's hard, Nicole.
- [14:41]
Nicole Phelps
It's been hell when you have individuals who come to you and ask you, how I want to do better, how can I do better? I need to be educated. Where do you point them? What do you tell them to do?
- [14:54]
Aurora James
I just tell them to really shop in alignment with what their own value set is and the world that they want to see. Right. And if it's not shopping, maybe it's even scrolling. Right. It's like, are you just scrolling a bunch of, like, weird Kardashian content and then talking about how much you hate the Kardashians? Well, if you're scrolling the content, like, you are empowering the Kardashians, you know, so it's whatever, pick your poison. But just, like, be thorough with. Okay, am I not doing this right, or am I doing this? And if you are doing this, then you have to acknowledge that you're part of the problem. So just, like, try to be the best version of yourself. Like, are you gonna mess up sometimes? Probably. You know, I mess up all the time.
- [15:35]
Nicole Phelps
I've been adding a lot of national parks and.
- [15:38]
Aurora James
Oh, it's nice. Okay.
- [15:40]
Nicole Phelps
This new account called Gal. It's not a new account new to me, called Galaxies. And I'm learning about space, and it's just. Oh, that's cool. It's like a good reprieve from the Hellscape.
- [15:49]
Aurora James
So that's new. It's a new thing for you.
- [15:51]
Nicole Phelps
Yes.
- [15:51]
Aurora James
That's like me with my harp playing. I've been playing the harp for the past year.
- [15:55]
Nicole Phelps
Wow. Are you having lessons or are you teaching yourself?
- [15:57]
Aurora James
No, I have to have lessons.
- [15:59]
Nicole Phelps
Wow, that's incredible.
- [16:00]
Aurora James
Yeah. Twice a week.
- [16:01]
Nicole Phelps
It's a beautiful instrument. Agree more with Aurora James, after the.
- [16:06]
Aurora James
Break.
- [16:09]
Arden Fanning Andrews
The other day, I, like, went on a real ebay spree. There's this huge push for, like, 80s opulence and 80s sort of glamour, and we're going to see that returning. And so I was already kind of tapped into that just from my gorgeous ebay watch list. And I found a really beautiful Chloe blazer from the 80s and a really great Miu Miu kilt. These great Dior boots. And I'm combining them all together. Sometimes trend forecasting doesn't require something that's gonna be, like, produced in the future. Sometimes you can, like, tap into the past and tap into the archive as well. That's what makes ebay a fun place to actually discover things, because you're not going in with something so specific in mind. But you have an idea of what you're interested in or what you're excited about or, you know, just truly trend forecasting. And so one thing that I would say people should be watching out for is, like, very opulent, 80s style.
- [17:18]
Nicole Phelps
Okay, so some companies have rebranded their DEI efforts in an attempt to be less controversial. They are calling DEI Inclusion and belonging. What are your thoughts on this idea of DEI being for everyone as opposed to serving historically disadvantaged groups.
- [17:39]
Aurora James
Being for everyone? Like, they're literally just saying it's for everyone. Okay, cute. I mean, whatever you want. Whatever you want to. Whatever. You know what I mean? Like, look, I. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart, am a huge believer in small business in Americ. Okay? Not just, like, as a political slogan, but because I believe that that is how people can access generational wealth, break out of the cycle of poverty, support their community. If certain people or organizations are more primed to help certain groups of people, I think that's fantastic. We all have to bind together to help each other to support small business. So if you want to call it whatever you want to call it, as long as you're doing your part to support people, everyday people being able to support themselves and follow their dreams, and I'm all for it.
- [18:33]
Nicole Phelps
You're sort of saying this, that there is a strong business case for dei, and you've mentioned this over the years, but a diverse workplace is a major positive factor in a company's success, statistically. Explain why. Why did. How did the statistics bear that out? Why?
- [18:52]
Aurora James
I mean, it's sort of like, would you trust four guys in a room to, like, choose the best tampons? You know, it's just like, no. Right. So it's. You need diverse points of view in the room. When people see campaigns, sometimes they'll be like, how did this happen? It's like, no, it happened exactly how you think it happened.
- [19:14]
Nicole Phelps
Right, Right.
- [19:15]
Aurora James
And there's so many different consumers in the room. We just need representation. It just makes things better we ever seen, like, you know, and we say it sometimes like, oh, that designer maybe needs a different stylist. Yes. Right. There's a lot of things like, oh, who curated that? You know? Mm. These are different ways to say, like, we need more diversity in the room also, because sometimes without it, it's really boring.
- [19:40]
Nicole Phelps
A few years ago, there was a huge support for diversity in the industry. We had Virgil getting the big job at Vuitton. We have just come through a humongous new raft of designer appointments, and it feels as if efforts towards diversity are rolling back a little, you know, we've lost women creative directors, men have gotten those jobs. For instance, when you look at the fashion industry now, do you see, like red lights flashing? I mean, I'll say for my part, I mean, we just sat through a couple of hours of judging of the CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund, and to me, it feels like possibly the most diverse and inclusive group of designers we've ever chosen.
- [20:31]
Aurora James
I think it's extremely diverse. I think, though, that the majority of those designers, like, are not represented in the closets of anyone in that room. So I think sometimes, Reid, oftentimes diversity can be this like, sort of novel thing that we feel like is important to have, but it's not necessarily what we're investing in, you know, and, and, and that, that then ends up being what we see in some of these appointments and stuff as well. Right? I think, yeah, fashion has a long way to go. I mean, what I worry about is just because I love fashion so much, I truly do, from the bottom of my heart, and I don't mean just clothes, I mean fashion. I worry that it's, that it's losing out in relevancy in general.
- [21:30]
Nicole Phelps
You mean that people want to spend their money on, on other things like travel or experiences or.
- [21:37]
Aurora James
People are spending their money on TikTok shops and shein, you know.
- [21:43]
Nicole Phelps
Because the, because they're being communicated to so well by TikTok or.
- [21:48]
Aurora James
Yeah, so well, just by the amount of content that's out there. Right. It's like when I was producing four collections a year for Brother Bellies, that's maybe like 120 SKUs a year. Zara, for example, was doing 35,000 SKUs a year. Shein does over 1 million SKUs a year. They're just cranking shit out, right. You know, and I don't know that the younger generations really see that much of a value in fashion. It's hard.
- [22:22]
Nicole Phelps
I mean, well, they're very hungry, right? They like that sort of the acquisition buzz that you get. I mean, my son, for example, shops vintage all the time and he's going every weekend and he likes that. The sensation of getting something new.
- [22:40]
Aurora James
But vintage is one. I mean, that has a story, right? And I'm like a very ferocious vintage shopper as well. I pretty much go every Sunday to a different flea market. And yeah, I mean, to me, look, my mom raised me with this Nigerian proverb. Until the lion has a historian, the hunter will always be the hero. And my mom was adopted at birth and she didn't know her ethnic background. And so we would spend a lot of time learning about different ethnicities through fashion and learning about different cultures through fashion. And she would say, a lot of women's stories are kept in unexpected archives. And a lot of the time that means fashion. And I think for me, the preservation of our individual stories and humanities as it's expressed through fashion is really important. And I think similarly with Brother Vellies, that's part of the reason why I've struggled so much in the past few years with designing new collections all the time, because I just can't do it. I'm so hung up on, like, the original desert boot, the original Veli. And I think I'm so fraught with the appetite of consumer culture and fast fashion. Right. And generally our, like, celebration of it. That, to me, like, adding more things into the world right now that aren't historically significant feels challenging.
- [24:23]
Nicole Phelps
We'll be back after a quick break.
- [24:36]
Arden Fanning Andrews
I like ebay for one of a kind items. Things that feel limited edition or collections that can't be found in stores. And with the ebay authenticity guarantee, I know that when it arrives, it's real. It is a piece that is coming from the designer's collection, the designer's archive. One of the biggest conversation points for some of the parties that I'll go to during Fashion Week are the pieces that I'm getting off of ebay. Everyone's a little bit intrigued and excited whenever they hear that you were able to find something on this digital treasure hunt.
- [25:15]
Nicole Phelps
So you are shopping a lot of vintage at the moment. Is that a fair.
- [25:19]
Aurora James
Yeah. Yeah.
- [25:20]
Nicole Phelps
Like, how do you know you want something when you see it?
- [25:22]
Aurora James
Are you.
- [25:22]
Nicole Phelps
Are you interested in specific eras or specific designers or. It's just a feeling you get.
- [25:27]
Aurora James
It's just a feeling. But, you know, I'm really. I love furniture. Clothes are hard at a flea market. There's certain vendors that, like, appreciate silk, but you're really gonna find a lot of polyester, you know? Yes, but you just gotta keep looking. You gotta keep searching for those gems, and I always find them.
- [25:45]
Nicole Phelps
Do you think people are buying more vintage in order to start divesting from the traditional fashion ecosystem?
- [25:52]
Aurora James
Yes, I do. I don't know if they're consciously trying to divest, but I think that people maybe are interested in things with stories. I do think that that will continue, and I think that people are starting to feel icky sometimes by just consuming all the time. Even my stepson has been, like, kind of interested and vintage in A way that like, maybe it wasn't always.
- [26:15]
Nicole Phelps
Uh huh. All right, taking it back to the beginning of our conversation. It's the five year ish anniversary of the 15% pledge. Where do you want to take it from here? What is your vision for the future?
- [26:32]
Aurora James
Well Nicole, I was really hoping we would be in a totally different place slash administration, you know, so there was a world where I was like maybe 20, 25, like you know, we will just like be irrelevant because everyone will be at 15%.
- [26:53]
Nicole Phelps
It's still a work in progress.
- [26:54]
Aurora James
It's still a work in progress, you know, so look, I mean I think for me it's just always going to be about supporting small businesses and like giving consumers diverse shopping options. You know, we do this fantastic weekend in every February in LA where we take over the backlot of Paramount Studios and we turn all of the like fake movie set stores into real black owned businesses. So we had Diotima there and La Chanture, all these fantastic people and thousands of people come and they shop all weekend and you know, we're going to do that again next year and for me I think it's just about like supporting people that deserve to be supported. And you know, we have the 15% pledge in Canada as well and that's 25% of shelf space going to bipoc founders. And I think all ships rise with the tide, right? Like when buyers start becoming a little bit more conscious of like oh, have we, you know, looked into any indigenous communities lately? Like not everyone can afford to get to New York, right? To have a fashion show or to have a showroom. So I think the buyers doing their work to actually like look outside of the usual channels is really what it's all about.
- [28:10]
Nicole Phelps
How have you balanced the work of the 15% pledge and running the business of Brother Valleys?
- [28:16]
Aurora James
I think, I think sometimes with Brother Vellies, it's been really hard over the past few years because so much of my time has gone to the pledge. And then also because so many of those businesses had a lack of access to capital, I ended up also having to work on a fund, right. So I spend so much time now also investing in businesses, you know, the Danessas of the world, Kai Senat's new, you know, men's grooming brand, Ghetto Gastro. You know, all of these people. And in a way I'm so proud of Brother Belly's because I feel like it gave birth to so much of this and I know it gave birth to so much of this, but I just haven't Been feeling like designing a lot of shoes, and I'm really just obsessed with the Veli. And I think I only want to sell vellies and huarachis.
- [29:15]
Nicole Phelps
Hmm. Well, I have to say that as a fashion watcher, I think that there's, like, a real strength in focusing on one specific thing or a small group of things and making it as perfect as can be. Like, on the business side, I don't know if it's easier to run a business like that or harder.
- [29:36]
Aurora James
So it's easier.
- [29:37]
Nicole Phelps
It is.
- [29:38]
Aurora James
Oh, my God.
- [29:38]
Nicole Phelps
Yes. I like it when somebody is super, super razor focused on something.
- [29:44]
Aurora James
Do you know the history of the Veli?
- [29:46]
Nicole Phelps
No.
- [29:47]
Aurora James
Okay. So the Veli was one of the very first shoes that originated on the continent of Africa. And it started with farmers who had leather from animals that they hunted, just like, wrapping the leather around their feet. Right. And then it evolved to being, like, multiple pieces of leather tacked together, almost like a moccasin. And then it eventually got a rubber sole. And when British people came to southern Africa and they saw that shoe, they fell in love with it. They brought it back up to the UK and instead of calling it a velly, they renamed it a desert boot, which is the English translation. And they launched the company that you and I know today as Clark's.
- [30:24]
Nicole Phelps
Yes.
- [30:24]
Aurora James
But that shape is actually a traditional southern African shoe. And so when I started Brother Valleys, I was traveling across southern Africa and started meeting a bunch of those workshops. And I took that $3,500 that I had designed a batch of vellies, tweaked them in a bunch of ways, learned the supply chain, learned how to vegetable dye, and that was the first batch that I brought back to the Hester Street Fair.
- [30:46]
Nicole Phelps
What year was that?
- [30:47]
Aurora James
2013. Then I won the fashion fund in 2015, and then I think in 2025, I might go back to just selling Valleys.
- [30:56]
Nicole Phelps
It would be fun to see you at the Hester Street Fair.
- [30:58]
Aurora James
I mean, not. No. Going to all the other markets. I may as well put up my own booth at some point.
- [31:05]
Nicole Phelps
Well, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today.
- [31:08]
Aurora James
Thank you for having me, Nicole.
- [31:09]
Nicole Phelps
Thank you. That's it for the run through. See you Thursday.
- [31:21]
Aurora James
The run through is produced by Chelsea Daniel, Alex DePalma and Joanna Solotarov. Our engineers are Jake Loomis and Luke Moseley. The show is mixed by Pran Bandy. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer, and Chris Bannon is Conde Nast's head of global audio.
- [31:43]
Arden Fanning Andrews
The other day, I, like, went on a real ebay spree. There's this huge push for like 80s opulence and 80s sort of glamour and we're going to see that returning. And so I was already kind of tapped into that just from my gorgeous ebay watch list. And I found a really beautiful Chloe blazer from the 80s and a really great Miu Miu kilt, these great Dior boots. And I'm combining them all together. Sometimes trend forecasting doesn't require something that's gonna be like, produced in the future. Sometimes you can like tap into the past and tap into the archive as well. That's what makes ebay a fun place to actually discover things because you're not going in with something so specific in mind, but you have an idea of what you're interested in or what you're excited about or, you know, just truly trend forecasting. And so one thing that I would say people should be watching out for is like very opulent 80s style from PRX.