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The Who What Wear Podcast
What Does It Mean to Be an American Fashion Designer in 2025? Featuring Sergio Hudson, Jackson Wiederhoeft, and Allina Liu
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- [00:02]
Nikki
Thank you to ebay for sponsoring this episode. This is what you do. When you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like an iconic Dior saddle bag or that diamond tennis bracelet, you go to ebay. There you'll find new loves that will never disappoint. Expertly authenticated and everything. Whether it's that vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings, a Prada crossbody bag to be besties with your other handb. Even an eternally classic watch like that Rolex oyster or that Cartier tank. You know the one. And when you find it, ebay has their expert's eyes to make sure you're getting the real deal. That way you can be confident that the designer finds you came for the luxury wardrobe that you've always wanted. It's all real. In fact, it's verified authentic. So bring your high standards and never limit what you can find. Yeah, ebay the place for new, pre loved vintage and rare fashion. Ebay Things people love.
- [01:24]
Lauren Egertson
Welcome to the who what Wear? Podcast, your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors and tastemakers who are shaping the ever evolving world of fashion. I'm who what Wear's editorial director, Lauren Egertson, and today we've got something special and a little different for you. Our associate features editor, Anna Escalante recently wrote an amazing piece for our spring issue about the state of fashion in America and what it means to be an American designer given the current political climate. I loved the story so much that I insisted she come on the podcast to walk us through her findings. You can check the link in the episode description to read the full feature. Throughout this episode, you're going to hear snippets of Anna's conversations with the designers Sergio Hudson, Jackson Biederhoft and Alina Liu, as well as the business of fashion's senior correspondent, Sheena Butler Young. They dive into their hopes and fears for the industry, the biggest challenges they're facing right now, and so much more. It's all coming up on who what where. Anna, welcome to the who what Where? Podcast. I'm so excited to chat with you today about a very important topic that you have spent a lot of time researching. Anna is our associate Fashion Features editor, an amazing, amazing writer, and she is so good at really just connecting with people, hearing their stories, listening to their point of view, and then shaping it in a way that is just so digestible for our audience. So we're so happy to have you here today.
- [02:56]
Anna Escalante
Thank you so much, Lauren.
- [02:58]
Lauren Egertson
Of course. Okay, so to fill our Audience in. You recently worked on an amazing piece for who? What, Where? That went into our spring issue that was called Invest in Meet the Political and Creative Forces driving American Fashion's Evolution. Can you walk me through a bit of the inspiration behind this piece and why you wanted to explore this topic specifically?
- [03:17]
Anna Escalante
Specifically, yeah, absolutely. I think when we have to think about the modern day fashion industry from an American perspective, a lot of our gaze is often shifted on the designers of Europe and the luxury conglomerates who live in these massive corporations and these massive design houses that have so much history, but truly there's so much homegrown talent. And of course, there are designers that we love and celebrate every day. But in the current retail, political and economic state of the United States right now, it's really challenging to be an independent designer, especially who operates with, you know, most of your production or most of your operations inside the United States. So with this in mind, I really wanted to do a deep dive into some of the designers that we know and love, including some that, you know, are kind of newer on the scene, to investigate the idea of what it means to be an American designer right now in this current moment, whether that was something that they felt aligned to politically, whether that was something that they thought was sustainable for their business practices and just kind of the whole fashion ecosystem in the United States right now. So given the trade war of it all, it kind of came really timely to sit down with all these people and kind of talk, where are we going, you know, as an industry right now in America? What's the future of that? And do you see your brand surviving in these next five to ten years?
- [04:46]
Lauren Egertson
Yeah, no. It's such an important topic. And I also feel like there are so many designers and brands that can fall into this category. So I'm sure coming up with your dream list of people to reach out to was kind of difficult. So I'm curious how it was that you came about, the people that you reached out to, the brands that you reached out to, because I think that's really important to kind of help people understand why you wanted to highlight these people and what stood out to you about them.
- [05:11]
Anna Escalante
I think that so much of current American fashion is often led by immigrants, led by people of color, led by black designers, by queer designers, by female designers, groups and communities who often aren't in the position of power to lead luxury conglomerates in Europe. And when I think about American fashion, I think it exists as this sort of like subculture, counterculture movement where a lot of the designs they make are really rooted in their identities. And so for me, it was really important to reflect that in the talent and the designers that I want to speak to for this piece. So everyone comes from a marginalized community in the United States right now. You know, given that the interviews were conducted approximately a month after the presidential inauguration, it was something that loomed quite heavy in a lot of these designers minds. And the people who would be most directly impacted by tariffs or by the fashion economy kind of crumbling, those are the people I want to speak to the most.
- [06:13]
Lauren Egertson
I'm so excited to hear what everyone had to say. I've obviously read your story, which everyone should go read. After listening to this, I know we're going to be hearing from some of these designers that you had interviewed for the piece. And I think everyone's going to really enjoy getting a glimpse into these conversations. So I'll let you take it from here.
- [06:30]
Anna Escalante
Thanks, Lauren. I began my research for this story by chatting with the senior correspondent at the Business of Fashion, Sheena Butler Young. For many emerging designers, particularly those from marginalized communities, the dream of breaking through feels incredibly distant. Even as they pour every ounce of creativity and passion into their work with the current administration, the continued conversations around DEI and what it means to be an American today. I want to hear Sheena's thoughts on these topics. Here's a snippet of our conversation and a fair warning. My dog was having a little nap session during some of these, so you might hear snores lightly throughout our conversation. You know, I know the last couple, I mean years, but let's say months given the current administration have been particularly challenging. I feel like we wake up to news every single day. Something's changing within the DEI sphere. In your professional opinion, where do you see the state of the industry as it is right now compared to, you know, a couple years ago or a few months ago?
- [07:28]
Sheena Butler Young
If you don't mind, I'll pull back a little bit further.
- [07:30]
Anna Escalante
Of course.
- [07:31]
Sheena Butler Young
Just kind of anchor myself, please.
- [07:33]
Anna Escalante
Yeah.
- [07:34]
Sheena Butler Young
Sometimes people forget or maybe don't realize that compared to other industries, fashion's adoption of DE&I as a function, as a initiative or whatever they were doing with it came only in 2020. Right. Like that's most fashion companies that have anything related to DI it started in 2020. I think Macy's I report on was like one of the only fashion retailers that had something before that technology and consumer packaged goods. DE and I existed as a function. There's deeper knowledge and it existed as a business imperative. Fashion's formation of Diversity, equity, inclusion as a business category was a reaction. It was emotional, and at worst, it was performative because, you know, people saw during the pandemic, a black man murdered by cops in Minneapolis, and consumers and employees were asking companies to do something. You need to show us that you're doing something to promote equity for marginalized people in this country. Fashion never really moved on as a collective from seeing DEI as a social impact nice to have, and it never moved into that business impact bucket. So what you saw was a little bit of a windfall, a little nudge of like, investment. Some pledges that we don't know where, they ended up coming out of that 20, 20, 21 period, around 2022, 2023. People that are from these marginalized communities in the industry will tell you that they don't know where the pledges went. They don't know where the grants that were supposed to be formed went beyond the 15% pledge, which does track some progress in brands. A lot of companies couldn't tell you where the shelf space numbers were. So the retrenchment DEI is a couple years deep. The biggest nudge to it going to the background started to happen around August 2023 with affirmative action. It added that legal teeth to the pushback on dei. And so the last couple of months is kind of like a big nudge to something that's been happening for a while. I think the interesting thing now is, yes, DEI is under attack as an acronym. It's compromised, right? It's so politicized, it's compromised. And by the way, I think it's very convenient to use the acronym. You've probably heard people say. They say the words now because they can't say, I don't agree with Equity, but because some of the rhetoric coming out of the administration, but also certain conservative groups has gotten so egregious. I think what. What I'm watching now is probably a backlash to the backlash that's almost like a positive, if you will. Like, I think there's like a lot of frustration and sadness about what's happened, but I think people are getting emboldened because it's getting so egregious. I've heard DEI experts talk about we should be at a stage now in the industry that we are listening less to what anybody says. It should be really how they're showing up. Like, we don't need another statement. So, like, you know, Target's in the midst of that now. You're going to be loud on it and then pull back. You're going to get it the worst. But we don't really need to keep focusing on what a company says it's going to do next, what a brand says it's going to do next. It's really about what they actually do next and do right now. I mean, that's how I would describe it. Groups that seem the most vocal are probably the same groups that would have been vocal in 2020. It's like I wrote a story during Fashion Week about designers having to be good at design and also be activists too, like carrying the mantle, the burden. It's still, unfortunately, the same people, right?
- [11:06]
Anna Escalante
We're living in a harsh reality where economic pressures, shifting consumer behaviors and an ever changing political climate seem to threaten the very foundation of what American fashion once stood for. A professional outlet for society's visionary creatives. Even in this broken state, there remains an undeniable spirit, a raw, unrelenting energy that refuses to be extinguished. Independent brands, armed with little more than their vision, are still pushing boundaries, weaving together identities, cultures and stories that have often been overlooked or silenced. To them, fashion is about much more than selling clothing. It's about crafting worlds, rewriting narratives, and challenging the expectations of what luxury and success should look like.
- [11:47]
Sheena Butler Young
Sheena continued, I do hope that American designers, just broadly, wherever they produce, do stay encouraged through the next couple of years. Because sure, can this administration do things that will have long lasting effects? Absolutely. And that probably is the case. But what happens in America for the next four years? Keep in mind, the world and life is so much longer and bigger than that. And one factoid I always like to mention is, you know, per the US Census, by 2045, this country will be majority non white. That means that designers that have a strong point of view that resonate with who will be the majority in the next 20, 30 years will be successful. They lean into emphasizing that point of view. They say, if you want to know what the future's going to look like, look at a kindergarten's class picture. My son's 10, but I look at his class picture every year like he's in fifth grade. And every kid is different. Some kids have two moms, some have two dads, all of these different things. That's who you're going to have to self and speak to in the next 20 years. So I think the optimism to me is that I'm going to live longer than four years, so help me God. And then the world is so much bigger than this little pocket that we live in now.
- [13:04]
Anna Escalante
After getting the lay of the Land from Sheena. I also want to tap into the perspective of some American fashion designers themselves. And Sergio Hudson was a no brainer. The designer who derives all of his collections from Joy and Black Excellence officially started showing on the New York Fashion week calendar in 2020. He was raised in the south, where prim and proper American couture was the foundation for his tight knit black community. What once was Joy, though, has turned into a far more realistic gaze at the state of the industry. Although Hudson is an established veteran on the scene, he began his label in 2014. The American sportswear designer only had one word to say about the state of affairs of the fashion business in this country.
- [13:44]
Sergio Hudson
Scary. That's the first thing that comes to mind for me. You know, you have your supporters and people that really see it for you, so to speak. But if you look in the marketplace, it almost feels like American signs in general are marginalized. And then when you are from a marginalized group or from an ethnic group, it marginalizes you even more because it's just kind of hard to break through all the juggernauts, the big brands in Europe that kind of run the industry and, you know, pretty much bulldoze their way through people's closets. And when I say that, I mean they're programmed to believe that if it's from Europe, it's better, and if it's a big brand, it's better. And just trying to break through that and to become one of those big brands has come to me even harder than it was 20 years ago and harder than it was 30 years ago. Like, I feel like as the time goes on and on, the goalpost just gets further and further away.
- [14:51]
Anna Escalante
During our conversation, Hudson was honest about the pursuit of the business and his dreams. He's tired of being put into a box as a black designer.
- [15:01]
Sergio Hudson
So here's the thing, and this is the soapbox that I've been on. I feel as though we have to become normalized. And when I say normalized, I don't want to be put in a box because I am a, so to speak, black designer, right? And when I say that, that means you have to design things with African prints, you have to design urban clothes. You have to design somewhat off the beaten path type of clothes, you know, colorful clothes or whatever we're stereotyped to be designers as. And when you're a designer like me, who just really, I'm an American boy from the south that grew up with a mom who wore a Donna Karen collection. So when I see fashion, I see it in a very literal, real space. And I'm an American sportswear designer, and I feel like when people look at me as a human being, they see a black man first. They don't see a designer, American sportswear designer. And that's the problem. We are almost like stereotyped into a box to the point I have had people come to my buying appointments and tell me, we know you like to do suits, but we need something more edgy. We know you like to do this, but we need something a little more creative to tell me there's no space for me in that space. Pretty much. I don't think they realize it, but you're marginalizing me, like you're putting me in a box by saying I can't be just an American sportswear designer that makes a great trench coat for a woman to wear or a great dress for a woman to wear to work, or a great suit that a woman would want to wear. It's no space for me in that because that's not how you view a black designer.
- [16:45]
Anna Escalante
Right? As for the future of the American fashion industry, here's what Hudson had to say.
- [16:51]
Sergio Hudson
It's a dark time for all of us, and I plan on surviving by any means necessary and showing them that you can make it. You can do this. These days I feel like people have fast forwarded and, you know, we're paying celebrities to wear clothes, we're putting out purses, putting out shoes. But the art form of making beautiful clothing for women to wear has kind of been lost and I feel like the support needs to come back for that. So support an independent brand and you'll continue to see this industry grow. But when we start supporting independent brands, to me that's when the industry dies.
- [17:38]
Nikki
This episode is brought to you by ebay. Hi everyone, this is Nikki, one of the fashion editors at who what where? I hope you're enjoying this episode highlighting our associate features editor, Ana Escalante and the design designers transforming American fashion. I'm a huge fan of American fashion labels. So I went to my favorite shopping destination for new and pre loved fashion finds, ebay. And because I love helping others shop, I curated the best of my findings into an edit@ebay.com WhoWhatWear I scoured the site and came across amazing items from brands like Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, the Row, Calvin Klein, Tori Burch and Coach. My first amazing find, a 2002 Tom Ford pencil skirt in chocolate brown. It has a buckle in the back so you can adjust the waist and will look perfect styled with a black tank top, elevated sandals and a long trench coat for spring or summer. Next I found a chic Ralph Lauren cottagecore style button down shirt. Pair it with a straight leg jean and flats and you've got a cute Americana vibe. I want to keep some surprises, but I'll share two more standout pieces which have happen to be designer bags. The first is a the Row 90s black leather bag. It's my top pick because of its timeless appeal. I own one and use it frequently. I wear it so often to date nights or brunch that my cost per wear is likely negative. The second is Prada's brand new buckle bag. It's a gorgeous black leather tote with a thick leather buckle wrapped around the top. It's pre owned but in excellent condition and it's waiting to be loved by whoever Snacks at First when it comes to shopping for designer items, ensuring authenticity is crucial for me. Luckily, ebay offers a fantastic authenticity guarantee. This service conducts a thorough multi point inspection on eligible luxury items after purchase, allowing me to shop confidently. It's incredibly simple. Just type what you're looking for in the search bar and use the Authenticity Garage guarantee filter. Bottom line, you can find exceptional pre loved luxury treasures from American designers on ebay. So if you're in the mood to shop, I mean, who isn't? Check out my edit after you finish the episode. Happy shopping.
- [19:48]
Anna Escalante
I also spoke with Jackson Wiederhoff for this piece. You might recognize Wiederhoff's whimsical, otherworldly designs before you recognize the designer themselves. Tucked away in the heart of the garment district in New York is where the Weiderhoff world takes flight in a fantastical atelier covered in bone corsets and gowns dripping in jewels. Although Wiederhoft has long been in the industry, the designer famously worked for CFDA chairman Tom Brown. It wasn't until 2019 when the label came to life. I asked Jackson about Weiderhoff's distinctive point of view and how identity, particularly queerness, plays a role in the designs and the world building of the brand. Here's a portion of our conversation.
- [20:29]
Jackson Wiederhoff
Peterhoft is a queer brand and that is kind of like a first and foremost thing, both in terms of the vision and the storytelling collaborators I get to work with. It all kind of does stem from a queer point of view. Queer. Not just as lgbt, but queer as strange and something that's out of place, you know what I mean? And I think we are people who really celebrate things which seem to be misplaced or things which are like, precariously placed.
- [20:59]
Anna Escalante
What role do you believe fashion or design or Wiederhoff kind of plays in amplifying social, political, cultural conversations, particularly for the queer community at large?
- [21:12]
Jackson Wiederhoff
There's so much in the world that you want to, like, address at any given time. Sure, you know what I mean. Both as like a citizen and as like a creative person. And I think as a citizen, you know, you have your vote and you have any means of organization that you, like, choose to partake in. That's your way to move your thoughts forward or support actions you believe in. As a designer, it's like a similar thing. I guess what I've kind of like felt over time is that the most efficacious work I can do really comes back to the creative work. And I feel like if there's a message, it has to do more with like, the work I'm creating in that primary space. Sometimes when I'm speaking about, like queer weddings, for example, like, the space, like, I don't get like a ton of queer clients. I'd love to get more. But queer weddings is a really interesting space to be in because for many queer people, we have felt excluded from the wedding vision. And a lot of queer people don't associate with the whole, like, wedding scene and they don't want to necessarily partake in like, an industry or tradition that they felt excluded from on a very intentional way for their whole lives. I just think there are a lot of queer people who have no interest in partaking in a system which has at many times organized against them. And for me to create imagery of queer transgender, post gender themes in like a bridal space, there's so much less imagery of that, like just existing in the world and how people like, feel included in this vision if there isn't a visual representation of that. The bigger we make that world, the more imagery exists in it, the more I think you can see yourself in it. And that's really, I think, one of the most important things I can do.
- [22:56]
Anna Escalante
Making that connection much more visible and much more tangible, essentially.
- [23:00]
Jackson Wiederhoff
Exactly.
- [23:01]
Anna Escalante
It's worth noting that the brand's surge in popularity within the bridal space also comes at a delicate time. Given that the current president, presidential administration has signed a series of anti trans executive orders.
- [23:12]
Jackson Wiederhoff
I think there is an exhaustion around the topic where you see people who like, we've fought for marriage equality before and we've lost and we won and we lost and we've won. And it's kind of like at a certain point. If they take it away, it's like, okay, like you, but, like, we'll be back. I don't think anyone would be surprised if it happens. And luckily, we have been training for the fight since birth. I think we're on the verge of, like, really, you know, dark times. I think especially the transgender community is, like, extremely under attack. It's not surprising, but there's so much we can do, and it's kind of like we know we'll win in the long run. Love wins.
- [23:49]
Anna Escalante
Sure.
- [23:49]
Jackson Wiederhoff
Truth wins. We will fight the good fight. Having things taken away and then having to fight for them back doesn't seem out of the question or, like, unusual.
- [23:57]
Anna Escalante
Yeah.
- [23:57]
Jackson Wiederhoff
You know, so it is, like, disheartening, but revenge is sweet, so there's that too.
- [24:03]
Anna Escalante
Totally.
- [24:03]
Jackson Wiederhoff
My version of revenge is creating beautiful art and, like, what a fabulous revenge that is.
- [24:08]
Anna Escalante
Yeah. Just last year, Wiederhoff was a finalist for the prestigious CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award that aims to highlight emerging American designers with a unique point of view. At this point, the brand doesn't need the press when it comes to doubling down on what makes American fashion so great. Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, and Ice Spice are all friends of the house. But when asked what the future of American fashion looks like, especially given the fact that the brand produces everything in the garment district, Jackson practically lights up.
- [24:39]
Jackson Wiederhoff
Being an American designer, I think one of the most important things I can do is supporting American manufacturing. New York City manufacturing. You know, a lot of almost every business I work with in New York is immigrant owned, woman owned, which is so New York. It's so badass.
- [24:54]
Sergio Hudson
Yeah.
- [24:54]
Jackson Wiederhoff
It's not these, like, heritage factories that have been around for generations. It's like the factory that makes all my corsetry. Like, you know, she's a Chinese immigrant who moved her 20 years ago and, like, runs an amazing business, and most of her employees are also immigrants. And she does incredible work, has incredible craftsmanship. Like, trained as a shoemaker when she lived in China before she moved here. You know, I think it is in support of the American dream. It might be more expensive, but I think to me, it's really critical in terms of being hands on with craftsmanship also.
- [25:26]
Anna Escalante
Yeah.
- [25:26]
Jackson Wiederhoff
And supporting local craftsmanship and also engaging in a system where, you know, American designers, American artisans, craftspeople, vendors. It's quite a complex ecosystem that exists in, like, a few blocks here in, like, the garment district. And I think supporting that is such a privilege that I get to engage in. I really want to do that forever. I think it's really important.
- [25:49]
Anna Escalante
Alina Liu, another designer I spoke to for this piece, attributes her drive and love of design to the chip on her shoulder that she had as a kid. The 33 year old New York based designer jokes that her Chinese immigrant parents might be partly to blame for her bellies phase and in turn her entry into the fashion industry.
- [26:06]
Alina Liu
I started and oh man, when I think back I'm like, wow, I've been in this for a minute. But I've always wanted to do what I do. I've been draping since I was a kid, really. And my parents absolutely fucking hated it because like Chinese parents, the second you show like any inclination towards people creativity, they're like, no, that's not what we want.
- [26:26]
Anna Escalante
After stints at the Row J. Crew and Rebecca Taylor, she decided to start her own label based on exploring the female form and the BDSM community. Enter the self titled label that's become a fashion darling among New York's young scene. After a couple years in business though, Lou quietly shut down due to financial constraints. It wasn't until she pivoted into the tech sector that she had the funds to relaunch. Years later, in 2020, it's a stark reminder that for most designers of color in the United States, there are no investors or conglomerate funding to help small designers stay afloat. That's why Liu produces in Guangzhou, China, known as one of the largest manufacturing hubs on the planet. Without exporting the majority of her business overseas, there's no way that she would be able to sustain her brand given most of Americans reliance on fast fashion and hyper fast retailers like Amazon. There's a sticky association between the perception of loose production and unethical subpar garment factories abroad.
- [27:24]
Alina Liu
I'm ethnically Chinese. I really take a lot of pride in the term made in China. I don't like the taboo, the issues that are tethered to it. You know, I go on Amazon and I read reviews from people who are like, well it's made in China, so what do you expect? Yeah, you know, that's, that's super, super hurtful. You know, like as a Chinese person I'm like, what does that mean? Does that mean like, you just see my last name and you just assume I'm producing garbage that 2 year olds for pennies? No, I pay a good amount per piece for my factory which is based in Guangzhou. And I've been there, I know the people, I've seen the conditions. Ethics are massive for me. Again, this country, it is so much more than sweatshops it's so much more than unethical labor. There are equitable places. There are people that believe in it. And I think it's really, really wildly racist and shitty to, you know, entire country of people together for, you know, a couple people's mistakes. And in terms of tariffs, you know, I'm gonna be fully transparent here. We have to raise our prices.
- [28:29]
Sergio Hudson
Yeah.
- [28:30]
Alina Liu
That is just the only way we can survive, to be honest. Like, if we move operations here, I feel like we will round even faster, even with the tariffs. Like, I've crunched the numbers. It's, like, much more competitive, for sure, still to produce in New York City, and we sample here still, but bulk all goes overseas. And, yeah, I'm happy to support the economy for my people.
- [28:54]
Anna Escalante
So I want to know the burning question. What does being an American designer mean to her today? Here's what Alina had to say right now.
- [29:03]
Alina Liu
It's difficult and it's complicated to identify as an American designer. I think that we have been put in a position where our administration doesn't reflect our personal beliefs, and yet we are viewed through that lens around the world, which I do not blame them for. I completely understand it. I think it's even more complicated given the fact that I'm not white, you know, and so there's always that straddling of two cultures. I'm actually going back to China in a month, and I'm not very welcome there either, which is kind of hilarious, too. Tattoos, I barely speak the language. So it's tough because, like, America's home. And I want to feel like I can embrace it and grow my company here. But occasionally, there are not even occasionally. Every day I wake up to some really scary. I wake up to new rules, regulations being passed that affect us as women and women of color. And, yeah, I think it's the loaded question I can't really give you, like, this perfectly clear concept, concise answer to, because if I'm being honest, like, I'm struggling aggressively with it.
- [30:05]
Anna Escalante
Yeah.
- [30:05]
Alina Liu
I feel like America was built on the principles of being a diverse place. Right. That's what we were all told. My parents came here believing, you know, there was, like, gold on the insidewalks and shit. Right. I'm heavily disappointed right now in the direction that we're heading. All I can really do is use whatever small platform I have to really embrace my community that believes in me and that I believe in them. Right back.
- [30:33]
Lauren Egertson
Hi, everyone. Lauren here again. I'm back with Anna. Anna, thank you so much for all of Your in depth reporting on this, it was so special to hear from all of these voices. So to wrap things up, I'm curious, having done all this research and having had all these conversations, what would you say are your big key takeaways from this interview?
- [30:50]
Anna Escalante
Yeah, I think one of the biggest takeaways is that it feels so incredibly important to not only, like, champion these designers on social social media, but really one of the biggest things that they told me that they hope comes from this piece was to just get people who can, like, buy into their brand, who can buy from them directly, who can rally retailers to pay them on time. So many of them were speaking to me candidly about the idea that right now to make it as an independent brand, it's more financially harder than ever. So, sure, a follow and a like and a comment on social media is great, but it is really important to support these designers in your everyday life. Something that you can tangibly put your dollars behind on.
- [31:34]
Lauren Egertson
Maybe a more personal note, I'm curious where you see your role as an American fashion editor fitting into all of this.
- [31:41]
Anna Escalante
Yeah, during my interview with Alina, we actually chatted a little bit about the idea that, like, New York Fashion Week is dead, or not necessarily that idea, but the whispers that perhaps America and New York as an industry and as a fashion city is not where we should be investing our money into. It's funny, because, of course, New York Fashion Week is something that our team looks forward to all the time. And I think the amount of homegrown talent that's here and the CFD has a wonderful job of, like, uplifting American designers. And I think they've taken really wonderful strides to do that over the last couple of years. But it is so expensive to show in New York. You know, some of these designers were breaking down the cost, talking anywhere from like 30 to 40 to $50,000 just to put on a Runway show that lasts for 15 minutes. Some of these brands don't have the capital to do that. Most of these brands, you know, don't even have the capital to sometimes produce samples in the United States. So I do wonder what the course of, like, New York Fashion Week is dead. Like, let's go to Paris, let's go to London instead. What that says about, like, our interest in American fashion and what we can do to continue to make New York Fashion Week, or just like New York in general, a much more equitable and accessible place for these young designers who have no other choice than to show here, whether it's off season, which a Lot do because of costs or when they make the investment to produce a show or to produce a presentation. Maybe it's just keeping those brands and those voices top of mind to do our part and support them as well.
- [33:20]
Lauren Egertson
Yeah. Did you chat with anyone specifically about being in a position that you're in? If a brand does decide to invest in a show or invest in a presentation during New York Fashion Week, is the coverage really important that you can offer? Working at who, what, where is social more important? Like, do they get into any specifics about ways that are key for them to find that extra success after deciding that the investment is worth it?
- [33:45]
Anna Escalante
When you ask me that question, the first thing that pops to mind is like, you know, how the American fashion industry right now feels so entrenched with the American creator economy. Of course, there is a time and a place for, like, influencers and social media creators to be front row of shows. And for a lot of brands, it's so much easier to perhaps invite a very selective list of people who, you know are going to post on social media, who, you know will give you the engagement to have them capture content in real time and kind of grow some sort of social following, which hopefully in turn will catch the attention of media or buyers or retailers or things like that. But in terms of traditional press, so many of the brands that I have spoken to as well, it almost feels like there's a transition back into traditional press, into the editors, the, you know, people who are leaders in the fashion industry and their coverage on Fashion Week or shows to really be the leading way that these brands see a return on their investment, to have editors there or to have trusted writers there to, like, really dive into your collection, kind of make your story come to life through those words. Press is a way to reach out to. To retailers and say, hey, the people who are in these rooms are really paying attention to what I'm doing. My work is. What do you think about that? You know, that perhaps is a little bit more lucrative to an investor or a retailer who's looking to buy a piece of the collection.
- [35:10]
Lauren Egertson
Yes. They kind of have that sealed stamp of approval.
- [35:13]
Anna Escalante
Yeah.
- [35:14]
Lauren Egertson
Well, thank you again, Anna, for everything, for all of your hard work, for your voice. If you haven't already, please go read the story that Anna wrote. That would be a really amazing place for you to look up all of these designers that we've featured today, go to their Instagrams, follow them, shop them, support them as best as you can, and we hope you enjoy this episode.
- [35:32]
Anna Escalante
Thank you so much.
- [35:39]
Lauren Egertson
A huge thank you to who what Wear Associate Features Editor Anna Escalante. Make sure to subscribe to our show wherever you like. Listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. And while you're there, I'd also be so grateful if you would rate and review us. If you have guest suggestions or any other feedback, drop us a line at podcastwhatwear.com or you can find us on social @whowhatwear. See you next Wednesday on the who what Where? Podcast. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hammeris, and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Claire Schmidt. Our editor is Ko Takasugi Chernevan. Our audio engineers are at Glen Canyon Audio, and our music is by Jonathan Leah.