The Todd Snyder Interview with Throwing Fits

Summary

Podcast Summary: Throwing Fits – The Todd Snyder Interview

Introduction

In the May 7, 2025 episode of Throwing Fits, hosts Sarah and Unknown welcomed renowned American fashion designer Todd Snyder for an engaging and insightful conversation. The episode delved deep into Snyder’s journey in the fashion industry, his design philosophy, collaborations, and perspectives on current and future trends in menswear.

Personal Style and Fashion Philosophy

Todd Snyder opened the discussion by emphasizing the significance of personal style as a form of self-expression. He asserted, “I really appreciate the Armani jeans shirts. That’s fire.” ([99:00] Todd Snyder). Snyder believes that developing a personal style should be an enjoyable process, not a burden. He encouraged listeners to embrace experimentation and learning through mistakes, comparing it to building a business plan: “You can’t just magically create that business plan without doing your research and without studying and without doing things.” ([50:03] Todd Snyder).

Snyder highlighted the importance of building a foundational wardrobe with versatile pieces. “If you have, like, 10 essential pieces that basically make up your entire wardrobe, you can mix those things and make up, like, 30 different outfits.” ([47:30] Todd Snyder). This approach ensures that individuals can maintain flexibility and creativity in their styling without feeling overwhelmed by constantly changing trends.

Collaborations and Brand Development

A significant portion of the interview focused on Todd Snyder’s strategic collaborations with prominent musicians and brands. Snyder recounted his collaboration with Matt Berninger of The National, describing it as a “dream come true” ([15:53] Todd Snyder). These partnerships not only enrich his design repertoire but also enhance brand visibility. He shared, “Working with people you like and you’re able to work with them to think differently, to help me get to a different place.” ([63:02] Todd Snyder).

Snyder also discussed his collaborations with iconic brands like Champion and New Balance. Reflecting on his early days, he explained how persistent outreach eventually led to successful partnerships: “They needed to see who I was. They didn’t... And so they kind of wanted to see what I was doing.” ([23:02] Todd Snyder). These collaborations have been pivotal in positioning his brand within both high fashion and mainstream markets.

Fashion Industry Insights

Snyder provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the fashion industry. He noted the shift from traditional fashion shows to digital platforms, stating, “Fashion’s changed so much... it's just the medium has changed how people show and how talking about fashion.” ([31:44] Todd Snyder). Despite the disruptions, Snyder remains a strong advocate for fashion shows as a means to inspire and connect with the audience.

He also addressed the impact of celebrity endorsements on menswear trends. “When all of a sudden you get a celeb and we get a lot of really good celebs wearing us... it gives me joy because it makes me feel like we’re doing the right thing.” ([66:35] Todd Snyder). These endorsements act as proof of concept and significantly boost brand recognition and sales.

Personal Anecdotes and Challenges

Throughout the interview, Snyder shared personal stories that highlighted his resilience and passion for fashion. He recounted a time when he was financially strained: “I was living paycheck to paycheck and... my money cash card didn’t work because I ran out of money.” ([96:44] Todd Snyder). This period reinforced his determination to succeed and adapt, eventually leading to the establishment of his successful brand.

Snyder also humorously discussed his struggles with fashion, such as tearing his ACL twice, which led him to stop playing basketball but remain a passionate follower of the sport: “I don’t think I could live if I couldn’t dress well.” ([08:12] Todd Snyder). His personal experiences underscore the deep connection between his life and his work in fashion.

Store Expansion and Brand Presence

A major highlight of the conversation was Snyder’s ambitious plans for expanding his retail footprint. Currently operating 20 stores, Snyder revealed plans to open additional locations in Fashion Island, Newport Beach, Nashville, and Columbus, Ohio. “We’re really trying to... be part of the neighborhood, being authentic to the neighborhood.” ([71:46] Todd Snyder). Each store is designed to reflect the unique character of its locale, enhancing the brand’s appeal and fostering a sense of community.

Snyder emphasized the importance of creating destination shops with distinct vibes, comparing them to Ralph Lauren’s iconic stores: “Each one had its own vibe, concepts.” ([70:46] Todd Snyder). This strategy not only attracts diverse customer bases but also reinforces the brand’s identity across different regions.

Future Plans and Aspirations

Looking ahead, Snyder expressed a desire to venture into women’s wear and accessories, acknowledging areas where his brand can grow: “Accessories is an area... bags... it’s really hard.” ([36:40] Todd Snyder). Collaborations have served as a learning platform, providing him with the necessary insights to potentially develop his own line of accessories in the future.

Snyder also touched on his enthusiasm for sustainable fashion and longevity in design. “If you have 10 essential pieces... it’s about making sure that... it all fits in well.” ([41:59] Todd Snyder). His focus remains on creating timeless pieces that offer both style and functionality, catering to a wide range of customers.

Conclusion

The interview concluded with Todd Snyder reflecting on his journey and reaffirming his commitment to innovation and excellence in fashion. He lauded the importance of collaboration, continuous learning, and maintaining authenticity within the brand. “Keep doing what you’re doing,” Snyder advised, highlighting the essence of staying true to one’s vision while adapting to industry changes.

Notable Quotes

• “I think personal style is the ultimate self-expression. So it matters to me to find one of a kind designer items or vintage pieces that fit my style.” – Sarah ([52:00] Todd Snyder segment)
• “I love tailoring. And having Matt who really appreciates it, it's just amazing to be able to work with people like that.” – Todd Snyder ([17:02] Todd Snyder)
• “If you have 10 essential pieces that basically make up your entire wardrobe, you can mix those things and make up, like, 30 different outfits.” – Todd Snyder ([47:30] Todd Snyder)
• “Dressing well. I mean, I’m sure there’s some statistics out there, but people are better dressed.” – Todd Snyder ([44:33] Todd Snyder)
• “I have a really good team that I lean on a lot to do a bit of it. But when things get off the rails and that’s when I have to start leaning back in.” – Todd Snyder ([39:37] Todd Snyder)

Final Thoughts

Todd Snyder’s interview on Throwing Fits offers a comprehensive look into the mind of a fashion visionary. From his foundational beliefs about personal style to his strategic collaborations and expansive brand plans, Snyder exemplifies the blend of creativity and business acumen essential for success in the competitive world of fashion. Listeners gained valuable insights into his design process, the importance of authenticity, and the evolving dynamics of the fashion industry, making this episode a must-listen for fashion enthusiasts and aspiring designers alike.

Transcript

[Todd Snyder]

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[Sarah]

People always stop and ask me where'd you find that Gucci bag, that vintage dress, that outfit? And I'm like the real real. Meet Sarah. She's an expert pattern mixer, a Prada collector and a big fan of the RealReal. I think personal style is the ultimate self expression. So it matters to me to find one of a kind designer items or vintage pieces that fit my style. That's why I love shopping on the RealReal. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. And right now you can get $25.

[Todd Snyder]

Off your first purchase when you visit.

[Sarah]

Therealreal.Com I love the peace of mind I get knowing that everything is authentic. The best part about shopping on the RealReal I can find the perfect dress, the perfect bag that makes me feel like me. With up to 90% off retail. No one does resale like TheRealReal and right now you can get $25 off.

[Todd Snyder]

Your first purchase at TheRealReal.com, go to.

[Sarah]

TheRealReal.com to get your $25 off that's TheRealReal.com/Gang we are joined by the titan of tailoring the essentials. Emirati bodying the competition from J. Crew to Drake's calm taekwondo. Todd trying to cop a coat and it's probably Todd Snyder dressing dudes and duds from LA to DC that's that Snyder cut Must be incontinent how he's covered in his own shit Stan's marvelous, Hawkeye's hemlines the meister of the Midwest the Don DOD of Des Moines oh, you're not fuck with the Iowa Caucuses? How about you suck my lower cock and deez nuts don't get it twisted like sniders pretzels but the op sour about his dough no women's wear but Todd got that double D Call him Phil Jackson cuz only with champions his telling is the truth no day or night cap but he's still a hot Toddy, the creator of sweatshirts. Plus, he never took an elbow. Calm. Todd, future founder and designer of Todd Snyder. Todd Snyder. Todd, how the hell are you?

[Todd Snyder]

Holy. That is, like, the best intro ever. Do you travel?

[Sarah]

Do I travel?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, with me. Can you, like, do it?

[Sarah]

Oh, yeah, sure.

[Todd Snyder]

I need it. I need to, like, you know, next meeting.

[Sarah]

Next all hands. You want me to intro you?

[Todd Snyder]

I need it too laid back. I need that kind of little, you know.

[Sarah]

Yeah, that's. It's the Midwest in you.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Sarah]

You're still a good, good Midwestern boy.

[Todd Snyder]

I try to be.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

My mom's still proud, so. Okay, good.

[Unknown]

We're happy to help you go completely psycho mode whenever you want to. Todd, we're so happy to have you. Welcome back to the show. Not on Zoom this time. In person.

[Todd Snyder]

This is so much better.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I agree. Even though you did spend on a podcast mic and you've used it a few times.

[Todd Snyder]

I view. I'm. I'm. I'm definitely a trained professional, but this is much better in person.

[Sarah]

Did HR or accounts pay Finance, like, approved that purchase. We're like, sorry, I need a. I need a podcast Mike.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, no, they. I don't. Don't think they really caught that one. I. I got it from Amazon, so maybe came in under, you know.

[Unknown]

Okay. To fraud within the first three minutes.

[Todd Snyder]

That's great. Great. Yeah. Sorry I'm in trouble again.

[Sarah]

Is legal gonna be listening to this again?

[Todd Snyder]

We usually assume so, yes.

[Unknown]

Okay. All right, good to know. No more talking about any thievery. No off the rip. Okay, let's start with a fit check. Todd, my question for you. Are you wearing anything? Not Todd Snider.

[Sarah]

Must be Inconnon, because he's covered his own.

[Unknown]

There you go.

[Todd Snyder]

I. Yeah, I'm trickers. I'm wearing.

[Sarah]

Oh, nice.

[Unknown]

Okay, so we got trickers. Not a collab, just straight.

[Todd Snyder]

No, they're. Well, they're mine. Sorry.

[Unknown]

Try to get one. Try to be humble on us.

[Todd Snyder]

Ah, we're in J. Crew underwear. Okay, There you go.

[Unknown]

Is that your go to draws of choice?

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Sarah]

What about the socks?

[Todd Snyder]

Socks or Todd Slider.

[Sarah]

What about the jeans?

[Todd Snyder]

Todd Slider.

[Sarah]

What about the. Everything else?

[Todd Snyder]

The belt. J. Crew.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay. Is it a Todd Snyder era? J. Crew?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's definitely Todd Snyder era.

[Sarah]

Not. Not the underwear.

[Unknown]

I would hope not.

[Todd Snyder]

The underwear is newer. Okay. I believe they were Jim or Jim Brett. Okay, so.

[Unknown]

Right. Because we need fresh underwear.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. Yes.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

Vintage underwear is not something.

[Unknown]

No, could be.

[Sarah]

Vintage lingerie apparently is a thing.

[Todd Snyder]

Is It.

[Sarah]

But I feel like with dudes, you don't want to.

[Todd Snyder]

No, no, no. Guys.

[Sarah]

No.

[Todd Snyder]

I barely.

[Sarah]

Yeah, we got vintage underwear of our own making.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

In our drawers. Draws. In the draws.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

They're barely holding it together.

[Sarah]

So what about the. With the spectacles?

[Todd Snyder]

These are mascots.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

These are. These are my favorites. These are the guilch, I believe. I can't read them because they're not on me.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I was gonna.

[Todd Snyder]

He was struggling. I'm like, I have so many mascots. It's. Yeah, yeah.

[Sarah]

Have you clubbed with them?

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, yeah.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

I've done a few. And there we. We carry their product in our stores. Nice. So I've known Zach and Harvey for, gosh, 15 years now.

[Sarah]

Is that how it works where if you like a brand that you want for yourself, you just tell your buyers to, like, go stock it in your store so that you can have, like, power Boot and, you know, New Balance everything?

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, it's kind of. I mean, that's how it started initially. I mean, I love Moscow. And I literally kept calling him, calling him until they said, yes, stop annoying us. And, yeah, they did.

[Unknown]

Please leave us the fuck alone. We'll make some glasses together.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes, exactly.

[Unknown]

A closed mouth doesn't get fed.

[Sarah]

Closed eyes, can't see vision.

[Todd Snyder]

I gotta write this down.

[Unknown]

We got idioms for days. Dude, it's our job. Don't worry about it.

[Sarah]

What about some of the hardware?

[Todd Snyder]

This is my unimatic watch I did just about a month ago, which blew out. And then these are my. My jewels, which are all things we carry at the store. So, Yeah, I pretty much don't.

[Sarah]

Is it, like, when you say curated, it's like vintage jewelry.

[Todd Snyder]

Some. Some are. This is a Scotia bracelet, and then this is vintage. And this is menai. And this is another classic. I can't remember the name of this one.

[Unknown]

Menswear Classics Abound. Which tracks for a guy in your line of work.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I mean, I'm. I pretty much have a closet at this store. You know, whenever I go there, I'm always like, I need that. And I. I live two blocks away from my store.

[Sarah]

Okay, what's your address? Legal, listening.

[Todd Snyder]

Near 26th Street.

[Unknown]

That's a dangerous proximity to the store. Is just your closet, dude.

[Todd Snyder]

That's it Is. I just go there, and I'm always like, yeah, very nice.

[Sarah]

And then what? You hitting Borgo after?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I would want to. I can't get in.

[Unknown]

Oh, really?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, it's hard to get in.

[Sarah]

It's tough. You got to go for the 5pm Resi.

[Todd Snyder]

Really?

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Little happy hour.

[Sarah]

It's either 5pm or 10.

[Todd Snyder]

I love that you know about it. It used to be truly. What used to be a restaurant there, and then they closed. But this is, like, on fire.

[Sarah]

A lot of good restaurants up there now.

[Todd Snyder]

A lot of really good restaurants. I mean, you have everything from Love in Madison park, which was, you know, obviously originator.

[Sarah]

Another vegan.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I'm sorry. Well, wait, really? E. Yeah. But they. For special guests. I hear they do for Todd Snider. I think. I think they a. A bar upstairs or something that they might.

[Unknown]

There's no vegans from the Midwest last time I checked.

[Sarah]

Right. What other restaurants are you into around there? Hawksmore. Great steakhouse from London.

[Todd Snyder]

Hawksmore is great. I love going to. I think. I can't remember the name of that one. What the heck. Clock Tower is really good.

[Unknown]

Y.

[Todd Snyder]

And then you've got Upland. Upland is really good. There's this amazing restaurants in Clementine bar.

[Sarah]

From the 11 Madison.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Folks, I believe.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's. It. There's. And there's no shortage now. Especially now with the whole Broadway opening up.

[Unknown]

This is why you got to buy Todd's clothes, so you can afford to eat and drink out, guys.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, you'll look good.

[Unknown]

Yeah, that too. That too, obviously. But in terms of, like, you know, you as a guy.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, that's always been. My philosophy is, like, at least you look good. I used to always. When I used to work in menswear at the store in Des Moines, I'd be broke, and I'd be like, well, at least we look good. Yeah. That was always the fallback.

[Sarah]

So would you rather be broke and look good or be not broke and look like.

[Todd Snyder]

I'd like to be broken? Look good.

[Sarah]

Yeah. I mean, we've all been there.

[Unknown]

I'll take the. I'll take the Warren Buffett option, but, you know, that's just me.

[Todd Snyder]

I don't think I could live if I couldn't dress well.

[Unknown]

I mean, True.

[Todd Snyder]

Right. I would be a little kind of lost. Like. I mean, how. I don't know. How do you. How do you really do anything if you're. If you're not looking successful? You know, if I walk around in a.

[Sarah]

Do you get a lot of confidence from. From dressing well, looking good?

[Todd Snyder]

I do. I get very nervous sometimes when, you know, I have to go to an event or whatnot. And that's always the thing for me that, you know, you want to look your best and, and when I go to events, I. I need to a know who the audience is and I kind of need to know what I should be wearing because I. I don't know, obviously being a fashion designer, and I want to look either too. No, Too dressed up or too.

[Unknown]

There is a standard that needs to be set.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. So I need to show up in a certain way. But it's funny because my wife will just rag on me. She'll show. Even as a fashion designer, you need that.

[Sarah]

You need that.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. She will be like, you're going to wear that?

[Unknown]

And I'm like, goddamn right.

[Todd Snyder]

Like, who do you think you are?

[Sarah]

You're the wife of Todd Snyder, God damn it.

[Todd Snyder]

And she'll. She wins every time.

[Unknown]

Oh, really?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Mean, happy wife.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, she's, she's also in the business. She's. She's the CEO of Parenza Schooler, so. Oh, she has, she's got opinions. She has a heavy, heavy opinion.

[Sarah]

Yeah, she has some.

[Todd Snyder]

I always, I mean, I crush it every time. I'm like, babe, I'm going to be the best dress guy there and I'll be going out with a bunch of finance bros and what are you wearing? And I'm like, not a, Not a vest.

[Sarah]

Do you ever feel like you have to dress down to, like, meet your audience on their level? Like, put on the micro puffer vest and, you know, dress like a piece of finance?

[Todd Snyder]

Well, I wouldn't say piece of shit, but yeah, I mean, I always, I try to dress my. For my audience. You never want to be overdressed, but you also don't want to be underdressed.

[Unknown]

Which one would you rather choose? Another hypothetical. Would you rather.

[Todd Snyder]

I think. Well, I always say Oscar Wilde was famous for saying, you never can be over educated or overdressed. So shout out Oscar Wilde. I would say he was sent to.

[Sarah]

Jail for being too swaggy.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, there you go.

[Sarah]

Right?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Is that why the Todd's, like, do you ever go to. You ever have an event or an outing where you're like, I don't have anything to actually match the dress code or the vibe? And like, you know what? Let me, let me go back to the collection. Like, add that into the Todd Snyder repertoire?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, that's generally how I do the collection. I mean, generally. Yeah, I, I travel a lot and then I try to put myself in situations where, you know, I'll be in the south of France and I'll be like, well, what am I going to wear here? I can't wear a black Head to toe, you got to wear kind of what makes sense for that region. Speedo.

[Sarah]

That's that or speedo.

[Todd Snyder]

Speedo, yeah. Not that. But we do have speedos coming out. Oh, we have speedos coming out.

[Unknown]

So it could be that now.

[Todd Snyder]

Could be that now. I would not wear that.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

That. I don't.

[Sarah]

You need some influencers to. Do you want to not sell some speakers?

[Unknown]

Would you want. Do you want to bankrupt everything?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, no, I mean, we. We definitely. We have some members on the team that are very affluent to. That.

[Unknown]

Got it. Okay. So the banana hammocks are for the team.

[Sarah]

The budget smuggler.

[Unknown]

What a. What a guy. What a great boss.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, I mean, it's our customer. Customer has been wanting it and, you know, it's. It's been successful for us, you know, as far as being there for the. The guy, wherever he's going, if he. Whatever he wears. You know, there's a certain style, there's a certain look even, you know, wearing. We call them briefs, but even wearing briefs, you want to look a certain way. You don't want, you know, the.

[Unknown]

You can't fumble the bag at the goal line right when that's the last thing you got on. I get it.

[Sarah]

Where else have you been recently where you're like, fuck, I'm kind of not out of my element, but, like, I wish I had more of, like, this vibe at my disposal. If this truly is how you go back and create for the collections.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, the biggest one, because some places I've never been before, which is interesting. I mean, I still have family in the Midwest, so I go back there, and that's always kind of a nice center point for me. But, you know, when I go to. Recently, we were in Japan and been for six years and just kind of being in Tokyo and just seeing what everybody wears, that really just. My head spins in a good way, where all of a sudden I'm like, oh, I got some ide is. But I always find, like, going to tropical destinations always kind of like, give me a nice kind of jolt of energy for new ideas. Because I'm always thinking, well, how would you dress in Mexico City? Or whatever? And. Never been to Mexico City. Went there and it was amazing. But it's, you know, it's warm, but it's still cosmopolitan. You still want to dress well, and you're not just walking around in, right, you know, cabana shirts. You're walking around in something a little more dry. So it's always that kind of filter. As I think about Design. How would you dress for these things?

[Unknown]

After a couple Mezcals, right, You're like, bingo.

[Sarah]

Real personal styles forged in hot weather. Everyone can just put on some, like, oh, layers in the winter and.

[Todd Snyder]

But like, yeah, that's when you really kind of real swag and you're. You have less to play with. I mean, when you're. You're in. Up north or wherever, all of a sudden you're throwing an overcoat and you have a hat and you're kind of done. Yeah. Yeah.

[Sarah]

All right, well, fit check. Sip it on a topo chico and a Coca Cola full sugar. Because he's a red blooded American.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Hell yeah.

[Sarah]

Fit check. Drink check, Complete. Todd, since we last potted four years ago, have you been hoping? Because I feel like that was something that people learned about from our podcast. Like, this motherfucker is a ball note.

[Unknown]

A real Hooper.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I know. I have not. I mean, I have watched a lot. I mean, I tore my knee twice. I tore my knee charm. Yeah. I don't want to go through that again. I mean, right? Technology is a lot better now as.

[Unknown]

Far as you get Kobe surgery.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Oh, my God. I mean, I had two ACLs, so I. I did not want to do that again, so I just stopped playing all together. But I watch a lot of hoop.

[Unknown]

Have you sworn off, like, playing pickup? Really?

[Sarah]

Like, yeah. No. Dude, what a papa shot at Dave and Buster.

[Todd Snyder]

I'll do that.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Sarah]

Are you nice?

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, yeah.

[Sarah]

Were you a two? I believe. What position do you play?

[Todd Snyder]

I was a two. Yeah, Nice. I was a two. I wanted to be one. I wanted to be a point guard, but you got to be a really good dribbler. I could dribble for about five or six times last. And then I gotta switch.

[Sarah]

You're like, it. I gotta. I gotta learn how to design clothes.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

All right, real quick, what can you tell us about this collab coming up with the National?

[Todd Snyder]

Well, at first, it's with Matt Berniger.

[Sarah]

Okay. The lead singer.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, lead singer. He has his own album coming out.

[Sarah]

Nice.

[Todd Snyder]

And it's awesome. It's. He came to me. Gosh, this was about a year, about a year ago. Little. Little over a year. He came to me. We set up a lunch, and it was a dream come true for me because it was like the national and Matt are like my ultimate. And Matt, make a wish for you. Yeah. Oh, my God. I mean, it was beyond, like, honestly, it's unbelievable. And he. We sat down and we just started talking about, you know, fashion, because I I'm. I've known pretty much every song he's ever written, and he always has a clothing and apparel. You know, Showered in Blue Blazer is one of my favorites. And I'm like, what does that mean? You know, fill yourself with quarters and anyways, like, you know, it's very, very strange. But, you know, it was really interesting to talk to him about fashion because he's very into it. And he said to me, you know, hey, I'd love to get your advice on. On what to wear. And I'm like, oh, my God. Like, here's somebody coming to me and asking me, like, his level. And he's always, like, every concert I've ever been to, he always dresses impeccably. Impeccably. Well, so does the entire band. They're all very understated but very curious about apparel and clothes.

[Unknown]

They're dialed.

[Todd Snyder]

They are. They're very dialed.

[Sarah]

I mean, you're kind of finding this nice little lane of yours. I mean, you collabed with Matt Barringer. Collab with Bon Iver. Are we going to see Todd Snyder hit the Coachella stage next year?

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, I wish.

[Unknown]

You wish to perform at Coachella?

[Todd Snyder]

No, I was thinking. I'm think. Thinking of Willie. So I don't know if you guys saw Willie. Willie.

[Sarah]

Willie Nelson?

[Todd Snyder]

No, Will. Willie Chavari.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

He did. He did something. Or I shouldn't say he did something, but Charlie xcx, right. Wore him in her concert and it was just off the hook.

[Unknown]

Big moment.

[Todd Snyder]

Closed the whole thing. It was. It was amazing.

[Sarah]

So was it the pre distressed underwear? Speaking of.

[Todd Snyder]

Was not.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

Was not. It was. They were not pre. They were black. They were really cool. But anyway, that was a great moment, so I'm super happy for Willie. But. Yeah, that's what I was thinking. When you said get on stage, I'm like, yeah.

[Unknown]

Oh, right. As the garments, not as the man himself.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, you know, but the. It's been fun. A Bon Iver. And working with Justin was amazing as well. And these are like my heroes. And to be able to work with them is like a dream come true.

[Unknown]

I went to the Bon Iver chat that you guys had at the store. How crazy is it to have another guy, like, because he's such a big fan of yours, and it was like. Like his whole closet is Todd Snyder.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Is that thing.

[Todd Snyder]

And I just found that out. Right Day.

[Sarah]

Really?

[Unknown]

Is that shocking?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. No, I mean, he just said, and I, you know, I don't have a lot of clothes and Everything I have is yours. And I'm like, like, come again? Yeah. And Matt was. Matt was similar. It was really fun. They played at the National. When they played at Forest Hills, he's like, come backstage. Backstage. We went backstage and went over to his dressing area. He's like, check this out. Every single item in there was me. And I was like, are you kidding me? I was just. It was unreal. It was really, really cool.

[Sarah]

Did you ever have musical aspirations? Maybe, like, when you blew out your.

[Todd Snyder]

Knee the first time, you're like, no, I can't sing. I can't sing or play an instrument. But I love music. Music for me. And it's funny, I was telling Justin Bon Ivere when I was designing the Woolrich collab. Yeah. That was the entire soundtrack. It was basically. I remember I was in Milan and I was just zoning out, and I listened to that album probably, like, 10 times.

[Unknown]

I wonder if that's why he's drawn to the clothes since he inspired the clothes. Like, it's some type of.

[Todd Snyder]

Kids come up with that. That's a good.

[Unknown]

I mean, listen. Well, I only just do it for.

[Sarah]

A living, so don't worry about me, dude. But now you're getting to live some, like, rock style, rock star lifestyle. Aspirational. Going backstage.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Hanging out with rockers.

[Todd Snyder]

Like. Yeah. And they're. And they're really just very, very much like myself. Very kind of quiet and reserved. They're not really. You know, I was thinking, okay, this is gonna be some crazy party back here.

[Sarah]

They're just, like, drinking kombucha.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

They're just hanging out.

[Unknown]

Man of a certain age, you know.

[Sarah]

Were you ready to, like, trash a.

[Unknown]

Hotel room and, like, throw TV out the window?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I, I, that's not me, but yeah.

[Sarah]

Okay, what about. I mean, we just saw asap. Rocky.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Head to toe. Todd said in Vogue, stopped by Law Roach. I mean, pretty smart to branch out from the tweet coffee shop vibes, right? Like, what went through your head when you saw Rocky wearing your.

[Todd Snyder]

I just about dropped the phone. I saw that, I think, on Monday, and it was just like, next level. I mean, huge fan of his and seeing him dress literally head to toe from our Runway.

[Unknown]

Crazy.

[Todd Snyder]

It was amazing because it gives me inspiration. You know, music has always been that source. And especially when you work with these style icons, like, them wearing it, you're like, it takes me to a new place and encourages me to do more of it. Because I know, I know it's what I'm good at. We were Just working with Aaron Tevette recently as a Broadway singer. Great style, and I just loved it. It was like I was dressing him at the store, pulling all sorts of different things, and he looks incredible in the stuff. And that's my wheelhouse. I remember back to when I was younger and I was dressing clients at the store. I just. You see the joy it gives them and the confidence. Like, even someone like Aaron, who's got, you know, he's a good looking guy and. And you see him all of a sudden start to feel confident, like, okay, I got this now. Yeah. And the same thing when I was working with Matt. Matt's just incredible style. He loves tailoring. And for me, that's my wheelhouse. I love tailoring. And. And having Matt who really appreciates it, it's just amazing to be able to work with people like that.

[Sarah]

And now you got that pretty Raph Simmons, Todd Snyder, usually what he dressed in.

[Unknown]

Yeah. You know, you have to amend some lyrics, have to go back, hit up genius dot com.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Are you like, you know what? More purple suits?

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. Yeah.

[Unknown]

When you design something, I forget what you look that is from the show. But like, who do you envision wearing that? You're like, this could be a rapper, it could be a rock star, Some combination, both or average guy. Like, what are you picturing in your head? Was that like that loud, fun suit?

[Todd Snyder]

I don't think about necessarily that part. I think about, you know, I have what's amazing when I'm doing the show and I'm kind of designing without thinking about who's wearing it. When I do the show, that's when everything comes to life and you think about the different models and it's all, you know, kind of predicated on the model. The model really brings it to life and it's. We're almost like casting a movie when we're casting a show. And as I. We think about as the model walks in and the swagger they have, it's like, what's he gonna wear? And we have this model that I. I mean, all of them. An amazing cast this year. Our Narcissus is one of my favorites. Who we've been shooting and using for the show for at least four years now. And he just has such great style and character that you're like, that's what you look for.

[Sarah]

And you build the looks based on their swag. Where it's like this look we want on him because.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, you'll tweak it's a little bit both. So somebody will Walk in the door and be like, that's perfect for him. Or no, that's good. Or, wow, that's great. But let's tweak it a little bit. Let's add a, you know, like something shiny. Like our Narcissus, really cool guy has dreads and kind of pulls him back and he has such great style. And we, we had this beautiful navy, dark navy cashmere double breasted blazer. And it had like a shirt and we're like, you know, these be a little more sexy. So we took the shirt off.

[Unknown]

Nice.

[Todd Snyder]

And he's wearing just like big baggy jeans and this big, oversized double breasted cashmere blazer. Nailed it. And it was just like, sexy. Cool. Move on.

[Sarah]

When we walk in the door, you're like, all right, not, not the Speedos.

[Unknown]

Three coats.

[Sarah]

Get the Speedos. And maybe like a sock or two.

[Todd Snyder]

You know, catering are good for you guys. Silver coats are good.

[Sarah]

Are you at the point, like, going back to the collabs with, like, guys that you really respect and are your, like, musical heroes? Are you at the point where you, if you wanted to, can float into anyone's DMs and just be like, yo collaboration.

[Todd Snyder]

I haven't done that yet. I've done it a few times, I should say, but I haven't done that a lot.

[Sarah]

You hit the. You log on and you're like, yo, what up, yo, Justin Collab.

[Unknown]

Yeah, it's big ts.

[Todd Snyder]

I'm trying to think my line did that with. I did that with the intern.

[Sarah]

This is, this is Todd. For real?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

The man, not the brand.

[Todd Snyder]

I'm not kidding. Not kidding. I have done that a few times, but yeah, it's gotten. I used to have to beg people to do.

[Unknown]

Really?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Sarah]

Now the tables have turned, huh?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I, I used to like. Champion took. I was a nobody 15 years ago, and so Champion took about five years to get. Get to the. The go. Lo Bean was two years of, of like, of me controlling them, me pursuing them.

[Sarah]

What do you think finally convinced Champion? One of the longest running, like, collaborations. I think you've had them in like, New Balance.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, that definitely that. Champion is the longest. The New Balance second Champion. What convinced them it was just. They needed to see who I was. They didn't. They didn't. I hadn't launched anything yet. They were fairly traditional in the way they were thinking, and collabs was something new. And so they kind of wanted to see what I was doing. And it just took me constantly knocking at the door. And what about now?

[Unknown]

Show improve a bit.

[Todd Snyder]

Right.

[Unknown]

They're like, let's see what this guy's. It's like the basketball mentality. It's like before you pick you for the.

[Sarah]

The team.

[Todd Snyder]

Exactly. Yeah. You always have to, like, whenever you're doing a pickup game. And that's how I got to play here in New York City. And I would be literally, you know, kind of get a few buckets in, a few layups, you know, and try to show them you can do something. And then all of a sudden, they're like, you want to play?

[Unknown]

You know, and then like, this guy's wet from three. Dude.

[Todd Snyder]

Were.

[Sarah]

But were collaborations while common in, like, the sneaker space and streetwear space in terms, like the menswear space? Like, they weren't that common when you were first starting to do, like, with, for example, with Champion. Right. So is that part of it where it's like, they don't really. That's not really a thing we do, though.

[Todd Snyder]

They didn't. I mean, Lo Bean was a good example that Ella Bean had never done a collaboration with anyone outside the company. I mean, they. They said this, and I didn't know this until we were sitting on stage one day and he announced it. He said, yeah, we don't do collaboration, Mr. Bean. Yeah. I'm like, really? Wow. I mean, it's very. Each one's different. Each one has its own nuances, and everybody has their own rules. I mean, everybody's very standoffish because they don't. They want to. They need to trust you, and they don't know who you are. And so when you start to go down the path and. And do things together, you just need to be able to show that you're going to do something that's cool, but also not going to destroy what they've.

[Unknown]

Right. Can't kill the legacy.

[Todd Snyder]

No.

[Unknown]

Just because you're a big fan.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. Yes.

[Unknown]

Not worth it.

[Sarah]

I've been following you for years. Okay.

[Unknown]

Yeah, cool. You and everyone else, dude.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Have you now are you turning down a lot of collaborator requests?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I'm definitely being a lot more selective, I would say. But it's still, you know, we just did something with fanatics about a month and a half ago or two months ago.

[Sarah]

And the.

[Todd Snyder]

That was like four months ago.

[Sarah]

NFL.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, we did NFL, then we did NHL.

[Sarah]

Oh, Fire.

[Todd Snyder]

And then my Rangers. Just them.

[Unknown]

Yeah, bro. Welcome to the club, dude. Sucks.

[Todd Snyder]

I have some really cool clothes, though. Yeah.

[Unknown]

To wear on the couch at home. The season is over.

[Sarah]

Can't Go fishing in cancer without the blue shirts.

[Unknown]

Do better.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, we just found. I mean, we just found out yesterday. Jlo. JLO was wearing our Giants hoodie.

[Sarah]

Oh.

[Todd Snyder]

So that was pretty fire. I was like, I didn't know she.

[Unknown]

Was a Giants fan.

[Sarah]

Jenny from the block?

[Todd Snyder]

Jenny from block. She's a Giants fan. Yeah. That was really cool. I. I had just seen it today, actually, and was super stoked on that.

[Unknown]

We get in front of Travis Hunter, please. You know, someone. You know, a little calling card.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

So. So are you tactful when you're turning in the clubs? You're just like, nah, bro. Are you, like, kick it to, like, you know?

[Todd Snyder]

No, I'm very.

[Sarah]

No, I'm kicking someone else to. For them to, like, break the bad news.

[Todd Snyder]

No, totally.

[Sarah]

Totally. We'll totally link up. Y.

[Todd Snyder]

Because you never know. So I'm always. I'm very involved with that. Like, collabs pretty much go through me, and I'm the. The person that. They'll either. They'll see them on IG or DM or whatever, and then they'll come to me. I. You know, I. I really. It's important to me, and I remember being rejected so many times. It's important to, like, be. Pay forward a little bit.

[Unknown]

The golden rule, dude, you know?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And. And generally speaking, it's, you know, if. If I already have something in the works that this competes with may not make sense.

[Sarah]

It's a good excuse to have. Sorry.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

With a direct competitor already.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, we. We. I mean, I. I'll tell you a true story, but we had Wilson come to us about two years ago, and we're like, hey, we'd love to do something with you. And I'm like, well, I'm doing champion. I just don't know if that makes sense. And they're pretty understanding.

[Sarah]

Fair enough.

[Todd Snyder]

So.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Too late.

[Unknown]

You're not a rude guy.

[Sarah]

No, I should have been quicker. Wilson.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Honestly, you got to see the vision if you want.

[Sarah]

Where were you 10 years ago, Wilson?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, exactly. Or what's the paycheck?

[Unknown]

Oh, I mean, listen, money talks, dude.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. Yes.

[Sarah]

Who do you want to collab with next? Besides whoever has the fattest check.

[Todd Snyder]

But, like, is there.

[Sarah]

Is there someone that you would love to, I don't know, just put out there and manifest?

[Todd Snyder]

I mean. I mean, I've always loved the women's space. You know, for me, I think that would be super fun. I. I do love doing interiors. I did something with Hidden Pond, which is up in Kenneport. Maine. That was super fun. You know anybody in particular? Not really. I mean, I'm really enjoying kind of like working with the people I work with now. But I'm always, you know, meeting with different people. And I've done some pretty special things that I've really enjoyed the last bit. You know, working with Matt Berninger and working with Bonavera.

[Sarah]

Let's get that. Let's get that Todd Setter iPhone going.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah, yeah. What do you need? What do you need that you don't want to spend money on? That's another way to approach it.

[Todd Snyder]

Can you guys make that happen?

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Cars, Todd.

[Sarah]

A Ferrari.

[Todd Snyder]

Cars would be cool. I did a car. I did a FJ Land Cruiser.

[Unknown]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

That was really cool. I did red wing leather interior. It was cool.

[Unknown]

Who bought that whip? Like, where is it?

[Todd Snyder]

I bought it. Oh, and then sold it just for double.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And then I did. We ended up selling two or three of them.

[Sarah]

Oh, wow.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And they were so. I did like special colors that they hadn't done before, like a. A slate gray. And they did this beautiful kind of like military olive.

[Sarah]

And it's got to be like a. Like a. Like a Japanese guy. Like a crazy collector that owns like.

[Todd Snyder]

All three Americana head. There's one guy. I bought two.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Todd Snyder]

So he bought one for each house.

[Unknown]

Shout out, Jeff.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes, I know.

[Sarah]

Wow.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, I mean, they're like $200,000 cars, right?

[Unknown]

Right, right.

[Sarah]

As a Ralph.

[Todd Snyder]

No, no. I wish. That would be cool. Ralph would be cool to do a collab with. I would love to do that.

[Sarah]

Honestly. A little full circle moment.

[Todd Snyder]

Right? That would be amazing. I've definitely have climbed up that tree. I've been kicked back down, but into Ralph's dms.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And Jim's number.

[Todd Snyder]

I will. I know David Lauren. Okay. Really well. And I floated by him through people, but okay. Yeah.

[Sarah]

When was the last time you spoke with King Ralph?

[Todd Snyder]

I saw him. He had his 50th anniversary couple years ago. Women's Wear Daily threw him a big event, and I went up to him and gave him a big hug and a handshake.

[Sarah]

Not too hard.

[Todd Snyder]

You might.

[Sarah]

Might crush.

[Unknown]

Crush his boys.

[Todd Snyder]

He didn't know who it was, but.

[Unknown]

Wait, really?

[Todd Snyder]

Jerry. His brother did Jerry. Jerry and Jerry.

[Unknown]

Jerry's job.

[Sarah]

Right?

[Todd Snyder]

Jerry and Jerry. Jerry. Lauren was pretty much our. Are all of our bosses. And he was always like dad to us. He's. And he's very giving. And, you know, Ralph kind of would come in and come out, right?

[Unknown]

Yes. No.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Sarah]

No.

[Todd Snyder]

You but regardless, he was a gentleman and he was amazing and I owe so much to him. And what was the, what was the.

[Sarah]

Fit he was wearing? Do you remember?

[Todd Snyder]

He was wearing a double breasted. Double breasted peak lapel. I think it was a navy jacket. Gorgeous.

[Unknown]

With some jeans and Solomon.

[Todd Snyder]

I think it was. No, I think it was jeans. I think it was cowboy boots.

[Unknown]

Okay. Oh, another classic look.

[Todd Snyder]

But no, he's always impeccably the best in the business.

[Sarah]

Dude.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, he. You look back at the photos when he first started and you're like, it's no wonder he is who he is. Right.

[Sarah]

Do you think Ralph Lauren stopped showing on the New York Fashion Week calendar because he was too shook to go head to head with his former protege, Todd Snyder?

[Todd Snyder]

Did you hear that?

[Unknown]

Who said that the student has become the master? We said that you are kind of the king of menswear at New York Fashion Week. I mean, we'll just call spade a spade.

[Todd Snyder]

Right? I mean, thanks.

[Unknown]

You're the anchor. No. Do you feel that?

[Todd Snyder]

No. No, I don't.

[Unknown]

No pressure.

[Todd Snyder]

No.

[Unknown]

To keep this thing going.

[Todd Snyder]

No. I mean, you know, fashion's changed so much. There's just been so much disruption, I would say. And you know, calendars and there are people showing Europe and, you know, with retail the way it is today, it's just the medium has changed how people show and how talking about fashion, it used to be big billboard magazines and then that became the food chain. Whereas the food chain kind of has changed a little bit. And you can reach customers on your own or you can work with influencers and get the same exposure. So people are always going to look for different avenues to get awareness. But for, for me, shows, I can't replicate that. It's. It's bizarre.

[Sarah]

It feels like. I know that you've expressed that, like showing at New York Fashion Week is very important to you and like a huge moment. Right. And. But you took a few years off.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

And then what. What kind of, you know, instilled the return? Like what, like, what was the impetus there?

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, to be honest with you, I kind of written it off. During the pandemic, your business was like double digit comping. We were doing really well. I'm like, do we really need shows? You know, our customers were buying our clothes. Regardless. We had a show and someone on my team said, you know, you should really do a lookbook because all these stylists were asking for lookbooks. And I'm like, well, we have a. We have catalog. We have A website. And sure enough, we started doing that, and we got a lot more polls. And then all of a sudden, that becomes. That's where. If you work with Larry or Bonatti or, you know, anybody at her level, they kind of shop your Runway for styling. They don't really look at the website, per se. They want things to have edge below their pay grade.

[Unknown]

Yeah, they need the whole vision.

[Todd Snyder]

They want the edge. They want that. Who is that character coming down the Runway? What's that sexy stuff? Yeah, they want that. And I didn't think about it, and I got invited to do the piti. Omo. And that was. That was it. That. That just like. And I knew I wanted to do it because that's like a. That's a gift from heaven. Like, that only comes around. You have to get invited, number one. And number two, not everybody gets invited. So I got invited, and I'm like, I have to do this. And it was a defining moment for the brand. It really. And so then it reminded me, like, I gotta. I gotta lean into this more and do this more.

[Sarah]

How are the peacocks at Pitti?

[Todd Snyder]

That year, I, you know, I didn't get to see a lot because I.

[Sarah]

Was, like, a little busy.

[Todd Snyder]

You're heading. I was in Milan casting, and then literally came in for the show. And then I was exhausted.

[Unknown]

What. What year was that? The pity was a year ago.

[Todd Snyder]

What is it now? 25? 24.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Was that. So you're saying that was a tipping point? Like, that's the.

[Todd Snyder]

That was a tipping point. And then that. That's kind of when the muscle kicked in for me and reminded me of why I do this. And I just. For the love of getting into clothes, I just love the. The art of it and kind of creating and designing and working with mills. And so what I did for that show especially, I dug deep into my process and my craft. And I was nervous at first because this is such an epic moment. And everybody in the world, you know, menswear wise, is kind of comes there. They're locked in, and it starts there. And we became part of the conversation the whole season, which was great. But without that, you know, you really start to think about, oh, this just sells. Well, I need to think about what sells. Whereas this is opposite, where you're thinking about what is going to inspire me, what's going to inspire my customer to think differently about something, whether it's big and baggy or whether it's, you know.

[Unknown]

Color or whatever customers paying attention to. You think fashion shows in Pity like that. Because that's pretty kind of heady for like, you know, real nerdy menswear fans. But maybe not the average guy, right?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, it's all. I mean, not every single customer. I would say there's always a small group that are very into that and, but that feeds the whole ecosystem. There's definitely this food chain, when you think about it, where you get the editors and you get the stylus and then the stylist puts it on the celebrity and oh my God, what is that that, you know ASAP's wearing or what have you. And all of a sudden that trickles down to a customer who's like, wanting to wear something differently.

[Sarah]

It's also like world building.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

As the Todd Snyder brand expands into, I mean, every single category from cashmere tailoring to Speedos to home goods to cars.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Never know. What's that?

[Todd Snyder]

You never know. I, I've always said it's, it's, it's. I look at everything as like an ecosystem and you're thinking about how to keep everything healthy and making sure that you always have fresh, new things coming in and a show really delivers that. It really kind of gives us that, that beginning step. But then there's so much after that. We have to make sure that we continue to tell the story.

[Sarah]

Is there a category in the Todd Schneider brand that you feel like you haven't quite perfected yet that you really do want to like, lock in on?

[Todd Snyder]

I, I would say accessories is an area. I mean, like bags and that, that's something that I, I have it on my. I need to do this. Like, I remember what's on your to do list?

[Sarah]

Bags.

[Todd Snyder]

Bags. No, seriously, it's like bags and, and it's hard. It's really hard. I mean, I didn't, I'm not a bag designer, so it's. But I learned like, I wasn't a shoe designer up until I started doing the collabs and stuff with New Balance and Red Wing and all that. So I learned all the components and you learn like, I know last time we met we were talking about Jack Purcell and I learned like what all the components are. And that's half the battle. Just understanding what all the, the pieces are. And then once you understand that and how it all goes together, it's like, it's like cooking. Once you understand the ingredients, it's much easier to understand and make something different.

[Sarah]

So the collabs are kind of a low key way to like, educate yourself on the products that maybe one Day we will see just pure Todd Snyder of whatever the product is.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah. The collabs definitely give me an insight to it, but it also shows me their process and craft. It's. For me, it's. It always serves two purposes. One, it gives me great product that's unique to my brand new store.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

But it really gets me going. I nerd out all the time.

[Unknown]

You're learning on the job, like still after all these years, which is like.

[Todd Snyder]

Working with people you like and you're like, oh my God, how'd you do that? And then they show you and you're like. And then you try to do on your own and then you add your spin to it. It's really, you know, that is what I really get off on, is really just getting into someone else's head and how they do their craft.

[Sarah]

Do you ever hit a creative rut where you're like. Or maybe like a slump?

[Todd Snyder]

No, it's really. And I think that's what helps when I meet all these different people because you, you understand how to trick your mind not to get complacent, not to think. Oh, that did well last year, you see. Oh, that teaches me a new way. Like, I'm going to do that. Right. I'm. And that's really what it's about is like seeing a different process or a different take on, you know, how somebody views something and say, I'm going to make that different.

[Sarah]

Are you a work, are you a workaholic or are you able to like, put your phone down and be like, you know what, I'm going to go watch this game. No, you're. You're on your phone 24 7.

[Todd Snyder]

My wife would say, I'm on my phone 24 7. I mean, I love my work. I love my. I love my job. I love it. I mean, it's honestly my favorite thing to do. I don't feel like I'm working. I feel like I'm just having fun. You're just living and it's. Enjoy. I mean it. It's everything I love doing. And there's certain parts of my job I don't love. But what are those?

[Unknown]

Tell us about those.

[Todd Snyder]

It's the business side of it, you know, just making money, making money. I gotta pay the bill.

[Sarah]

But do you feel, do you feel like you can be. As the company's grown, you feel like you can insulate yourself from that and just focus on the creative, or do you feel the need to still remain involved on both sides? The left brain, right brain, of it.

[Todd Snyder]

All I have, I have a really good team. So I, I lean on them a lot to do a bit of it. But when things get off the rails and that's when I have to start leaning back in.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

But you know, for the most part, you know, I leave. Leave it to them. All right.

[Sarah]

What was that? What was that Wilson check looking like?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, right, right.

[Unknown]

Coming soon.

[Sarah]

Todd. What, what, what sells the best sells, let's talk dollars and cents.

[Todd Snyder]

Our best seller. I mean our best sellers actually we have about five things that always sell really well. So it's always like our Dylan or suede Dylan jacket, which is just a great piece made. Made in Italy.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

Our sweater polo always does well. The other thing that does really well, it's a five pocket chino.

[Unknown]

Okay. Classics.

[Todd Snyder]

Classics does really well. And then recently like suiting. Suiting has, has been that wife suit crushing it. Yeah, that's been doing really well.

[Sarah]

Pinstripe suit. That Mick from the creative industry war.

[Todd Snyder]

Oh yeah.

[Sarah]

The HBO premiere or the premiere of Industry Season 3 at Metrograph over here was.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

I think it was a wife that double breasted that more flared trouser. It's a banger for an off the rack suit. Like I don't know how something gets styled more.

[Todd Snyder]

It's. I mean our suits are great. We make them all in Italy and we make, you know, stuff in Portugal as well. But all of our fabrics come from Italy. It's really. I really kind of get the most joy from. Is like working in tailoring and working with mills and factories. I just love.

[Sarah]

And are you super like to bring it back to the business side while you're creating? Are you also conscious of like what the end retail price is going to be so that you can kind of slot right in.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Above like, you know, it's not like some fucking crazy rich guy shit. But it's not just like your basic like entry level suit. It's kind of like right there for like a more everyday guy, but who knows what he's doing.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean I'm always looking for white space. Like where, where can I position something? I mean, I'm fortunate enough to have a brand that appeals to high, low meaning. I can have people that, you know, shop, want like a good deal on a T shirt or what have you. It's 60 bucks is what our T shirts are, which is made in la. It's amazing. And then I'll have, you know, a shearling for, you know, 6,000. It's having those things and, and they really fit in well, we, we have a good, better best philosophy.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

And making sure that a customer has something that they can get. Is it somewhat entry price point, but then not crazy prices that you see out there from luxury players.

[Sarah]

Right, right, right.

[Todd Snyder]

So we really try to have the.

[Unknown]

Balance you're getting in where you fit in.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Sarah]

What do you think is the Todd Snyder sleeper garment that deserves more attention and more sales?

[Todd Snyder]

You know, I think really tailoring, I would say is. Is the stuff that, you know, for me has always been. Does well, but could. Could do even more. And it. You're. It's. Right now it's. It's the one thing that, that people are buying lots of. But I think a lot of people are getting married and going to events and things like that. But it's definitely, I would say a little bit of our best kept secret to some regard.

[Sarah]

But starting to, but people are starting to notice.

[Unknown]

Starting to bubble.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, it's starting to bubble up. It's starting to percolate. Now where we're seeing this is. This is strange. Meaning like, you know, especially with business and everything being how tough it is.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

They were like, but we're selling a lot of suits.

[Unknown]

Is it, is it guys that. We've talked about this before on the show, but I want to get your take like this idea that nobody has to not know when most people don't. Most guys don't have to wear a suit, but now they want to wear a suit. And guys who are buying the wife, maybe it's like, I want to wear this suit. This cool, fun.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, I think guys are exploring kind of because there's a new trend happening. I mean, when I was at J Crew, it was all about kind of the shrunken suit and kind of the, the Ludlow. And now that's. That's changed. And now everything is oversized and. And you can't just buy something big and expect it to fit. You have to. There's an art to it. Yeah. It's about the shoulders, it's about the drape. And the drape has to be a certain way. How does your, how does your pant leg break? All of that is a new set of rules that guys are just getting to, you know, understand. So we're seeing a lot of guys gravitate to this new proportion play.

[Sarah]

Proportion play.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

That's my kink.

[Unknown]

That's a good one.

[Todd Snyder]

I know you guys are getting turned on. I know. Play some portion, chill out.

[Sarah]

I mean, there's also the macro factors of There's a global fucking recession about to touch down. Right. Do you think. How do you think guys are going to start dressing in reaction to the shifting economic winds? Like, is it going to be hashtag menswear all over again?

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, we'll see. I remember, you know, the recession, 2000, 2008, 2009. It was definitely kind of a refocus on, you know, dressing your best and dressing in a different way. So we'll see. I mean, I, I've always subscribed to, you know, you dress your best and dress for success and it's always served me well.

[Unknown]

The job you want employed?

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Unknown]

I think for a lot of guys.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, it's competition and the better dressed. I mean, I still think about, you know, Don Draper and you. He was always well dressed and granted that was a fictitious story, but, but, but he, but, but it does set the stage. I mean, dressing well. I mean, I'm sure there's some statistics out there, but people are better dressed. If you had to pick between the two, all things equal, a better dressed person is going to get even in my business, you know, it's like very, you know, pretty much, you know, everybody dresses well, but you're kind of always looking for little edge.

[Sarah]

If you have two job interviewees and one of them is very qualified, but dresses like, yeah, the other guy, he's a little underqualified, looks good, going the ladder.

[Todd Snyder]

Taste matters.

[Unknown]

Oh, taste is everything.

[Todd Snyder]

Taste, taste, I would say it matters. I don't know if it's everything.

[Unknown]

I'm, I have no skills whatsoever. So for me, it's all I have, so I'm biased. But you can't. Tea.

[Sarah]

Can you teach taste or can you learn taste?

[Todd Snyder]

You might be able to pick up some pointers. It all depends how curious you are.

[Unknown]

Interesting.

[Todd Snyder]

If you're curious and you study it and you follow things, I mean, it's all about picking the right lanes that you want and taking notes from them. But no, you can get better, I would say, but tastes make up for a lot, especially if you're in the creative industry and things like that. You may not be some of the best architects, might not be the smartest people, but they have amazing. I find most architects being incredibly intelligent. But, but there's some that are, have better ideas and better creativity that makes them widely successful versus one who's like super rigid and super conservative, isn't as successful, you know, and so it's, it's a similar, similar philosophy.

[Sarah]

Has your personal style evolved recently or are you Kind of, like, set in your ways after, like, just finding it and, you know, believing in it and being comfortable with who you are.

[Todd Snyder]

I have a little bit of a uniform. I. You know, meaning, like, what I try to do is I try to simplify and kind of have, like, go to's.

[Sarah]

And then your wife tells you that you're.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. She derails it and says, stop wearing that, and then I stop wearing that.

[Sarah]

But so what's the uniform typically?

[Todd Snyder]

Typically for me, it's not today, but typically for me, I'm. I'm wearing, like, a dress. Like, lately more so, like, dress pants. Okay. I'm getting back into, like, the pleated pant.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Wearing that with sneakers and wearing that with a.

[Unknown]

Because you want to, not because you.

[Todd Snyder]

Have to not be. Yeah, because I want something. But it's. It's a cool look right now.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Like pairing something like a dress trouser that's a little oversized, that's pleated with, like, a oversized sweatshirt done easy. And that. That's usually in a pair of sneakers.

[Sarah]

And I pretty much go, do you think we're gonna see guys just back to, like, the recession mindset? Like, dressing like. Yeah. You know, dressing better than maybe their current circumstances, or if it's buy less, buy better, buy, like, Americana.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I. I've always said, you know, you look at your wardrobe like an investment, and especially in menswear, you should be buying things that last a lifetime. It's something that you're. You're gonna have. And I still remember my. My father had a lot of my grandfather's clothes that would get handed down, and it was just they. You know, they grew up on a farm.

[Sarah]

Midwest mindset.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I grew up on a farm. And it's like, this is still good to be able to use it. So I think there's a lot. That's how men should think about clothes, is thinking about an investment, and you build a foundation. And I've always said this. If you have, like, 10 essential pieces that, you know, basically make up your entire wardrobe, you can mix those things and make up, like, 30 different outfits.

[Unknown]

Get a lot of mileage out of just, like, having a solid rotation.

[Sarah]

Sometimes shopping your closet is the best thing you can do.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, it is. And then you can, like, think of new ways of reinventing it or what have you. I mean, I still have stuff in my closet. Like, I've had these boots for, like. Like five years, maybe six.

[Unknown]

That's not that long.

[Todd Snyder]

It's not. I'll have them for another five, right?

[Unknown]

Totally.

[Todd Snyder]

Sell them for another five. I have boots in my closet I've had for 15 years. When I was a J. Crew, I had, you know, when I was at Ralph. I still have stuff that, That I wore then.

[Sarah]

What's the oldest piece of clothing you own?

[Todd Snyder]

I think it's probably. I have a. The oldest is a pair of jeans for my dad.

[Sarah]

Those ones nice and cooked.

[Todd Snyder]

We're very rarely. Because they're, they're. I mean, I've had them repaired like five times.

[Unknown]

Levi's.

[Todd Snyder]

Levi's. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Sarah]

That's like an heirloom with this 501.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. But I've had. I've. I've worn them too much where all of a sudden they start to disintegrate a little bit.

[Unknown]

Rafters.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, But I see the Speedo. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Well, we did an interview over email with you on our substack right around your show. And when was that?

[Unknown]

New York Fashion Week?

[Sarah]

Was it in February? February, yeah. Right. Yeah, February. And he told us that finding your personal style should be enjoyable. Not a burden, Right, to kind of like all guys out there. Why do you think guys right now feel so much pressure to have personal style? And does approaching it from that angle, like, is that fucking them up like before they even begin? Like, I need personal style.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, it's kind of like setting up your. Your business plan and saying, I need my business plan before you start your business. I mean, certainly you need. You have to have an iota of an idea of what you want to do, but the journey and kind of creating that is actually part of the process. You can't just magically create that business plan without doing your research and without studying and without doing things.

[Sarah]

Without fucking up.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Making mistakes a huge part of it. You have to fuck up.

[Unknown]

People are like fucking up all the time. The journey to just get to the destination off rip, right? It's like there's no process.

[Todd Snyder]

You have to, you have to fuck up and you have to be willing to the up and, and you know, it's like anything, you know, sports to whatever. I mean, you don't just pick up a basketball and become an amazing basketball player. You, you, you fail a lot. And I think that's the, that's the big thing I talk to kids a lot about. You will fail. Like, everybody will fail. And it's about you getting up and doing it again that, that separates you from. From everyone else. It really does. Because most people will just give up.

[Sarah]

Right?

[Todd Snyder]

But. But it's when you create Your own personal style. It's like you're not going to get it right away, so don't beat yourself up. Just keep going and keep studying. Find people on Insta. There's so many avenues now between Instagram, Pinterest. You find people you like and you follow them. Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care. This podcast is supported by the Real Real.

[Sarah]

People always stop and ask me, where'd you find that Gucci bag, that vintage dress, that outfit? And I'm like, the real real. Meet Sarah. She's an expert pattern mixer, a Prada collector, and a big fan of the RealReal. I think personal style is the ultimate self expression. So it matters to me to find one of a kind designer items or vintage pieces that fit my style. That's why I love shopping on the RealReal. The RealReal is the world's largest and most trusted resource for authenticated luxury resale. And right now you can get $25.

[Todd Snyder]

Off your first purchase when you visit.

[Sarah]

Therealreal.Com I love the peace of mind I get knowing that everything is authentic. The best part about shopping on the RealReal, I can find the perfect dress, the perfect bag that makes me feel like me. With up to 90% off retail, no one does resale like the RealReal. And right now you can get $25 off your first purchase. At therealreal.com, go to therealreal.com to get your $25 off that's therealreal.com is there.

[Unknown]

Too much noise though?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of information. There's a lot of information and there's a lot of crazy shit happening right now in fashion in general. It's like, like it used to be you would follow the NBA kind of tunnel walk and that would be like a really good indicator of some cool things that you might be able to, you know, riff off of. Now it's, it's ludicrous. It's crazy because now that every hockey tunnel fits. Yeah, well, those guys dress really well right now. But what happens is some of the.

[Sarah]

Eastern Europeans, their suits are a little too tight.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Some are Fit matters guys. Yeah, it does matter.

[Sarah]

And they got big haunches because.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes, but. But it's. But everybody's kind of going for the shock value right now. So like, like celebrities and. And athletes and NBA players, they're all going for the shock value because they want that and they think it's cool. I got all these. I got these reactions, and it just. It kind of screws up the whole ecosystem of fashion and how you think about it, because you start seeing some of these crazy looks. Like, I'm a huge fan of Pedro Pascal. But, like, in these really handsome. But then you're like, what are you wearing? And his boots were crazy. Those were good nuts, right?

[Sarah]

I mean, like the pirate shirt, too.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. But I mean, that's what he wants to do. And. But at the same time, it's hard for a normal person.

[Unknown]

You don't look like him because you.

[Todd Snyder]

Don'T look like him. And, like, am I supposed to be wearing that?

[Unknown]

Right.

[Sarah]

You know, what's really helpful is seeing these, like, celebs and everything when they are wearing stuff and people are praising them and. Or spreading. Cover up their face with their thumb and then see if you actually like the outfit. It's honestly.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Separate the art from the artist, guys.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Could you wear this as an ugly man? And the answer is probably no.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. But I mean, there's still some great. It's. It's really about picking. You know, it used to be easier when, you know, it was like the Paul Newman's of the world, whatever. There was very few and you would only see them in red carpet. So it was very edited and very kind of curated. Whereas now you're seeing everything every second, every, you know, moment. Sure. And you see it all. And then for a customer.

[Sarah]

And it's shoppable, too.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And for a customer to decipher, that has got to be really hard. But you pick. You pick a lane of, you know, people you like and admire and you think, oh, that's cool. You listen to your wife or boyfriend and you, you know, you're always very mindful and you have a path and, you know, it's. It's very similar to cooking to. To even interior designing and stuff. Like, you're not going to get it straight away, but you keep trying and you're gonna live and learn and you're gonna feel. You need to feel comfortable about what you're wearing. You can't do it just to make a statement. You need to really think about it. But it's not, it's not as hard as I think everybody puts it up to be. It's like just get into it, start doing it.

[Sarah]

There's just so much pressure though put on like each other to like instantly have it.

[Unknown]

It's become a cottage industry.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean I think they're, they're very much, you know it goes hand in hand. I mean like having dressing well for an event or dressing well for a date even is, isn't that doesn't come natural to a normal guy meaning a guy who isn't into fashion.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean people that are into fashion obviously have an advantage but women for sure are better at it. But it's also because they start younger and they, they're not afraid. I mean I have a five year old daughter at home and she's already starting to like she's getting fits off.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Do you have any aspirations? You kind of hinted at this to do Todd Snyder women's wear.

[Todd Snyder]

Maybe someday.

[Sarah]

Todd at.

[Unknown]

For her. Todd it.

[Todd Snyder]

For her.

[Sarah]

What do you think? Where do you think menswear is headed this summer as the temperatures rise as it gets honestly harder to like dress well because it's like shorts and a T shirt again.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean my trick has always been linen. Linen. Summer time is meant for linen. And the best thing about it is so when I go to the beach I'll wear a linen woven shirt and people are why are you doing, why are you wearing a woven shirt? And the reason why I like it because it doesn't stick like a cotton T shirt used to be my always go to but it kind of suffocates you whereas like a linen it, it dries quick and it just sits on your body. It doesn't like suffocate you.

[Unknown]

Do you care about the wrinkles or you like.

[Todd Snyder]

No, that's even more wrinkles the better.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

You don't want it to wadded up like a ball.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

But I think you know making sure that you. And one of my tricks is you always get like a shirt a little bit damp and then you, if you don't have an iron and you press it with your hands, it's then that that actually gives you like the perfect wrinkle because it's present, it's not, it's not completely polished.

[Sarah]

The Todd Snyder touch.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. You just take two hands and kind of put it through.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

You know, just with body heat.

[Sarah]

That's it.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. You can put it on your body and just kind of do that.

[Sarah]

It's like Mr. Miyagi, like.

[Todd Snyder]

Exactly. Okay.

[Unknown]

So linen is truly the fabric of our lives. Got it. Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Linen is king. You. You should definitely do linen in the. In the summer. And you know what's happening right now? It's really interesting because you're seeing this whole return to kind of like the 50s, where meaning, like, the, you know, shirts are gonna get a little more cropped.

[Sarah]

Recession indicator.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, maybe crop shirts.

[Sarah]

What about shorts in seams? What are you with?

[Todd Snyder]

I like longer.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

Personally. But I'm seeing both. You're seeing kind of a tale of two different lengths. You're seeing short shorts. I mean, you're also seeing longer shorts. Longer shorts are kind of like 9 inch in seams. 10 inch in seams.

[Sarah]

So for you, is that at your kneecap? Is that below?

[Todd Snyder]

Right above your knee? Okay, right above your knee. And depending how tall you are. But you want to get something that kind of sits right.

[Unknown]

This is coming from a tall man.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, I'm 6:3, so it's corn fed.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Red blooded American baby milk.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I'm the shortest in my family.

[Sarah]

Really?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Wow.

[Unknown]

Sorry.

[Todd Snyder]

Why? You're like.

[Sarah]

But you're also. You're like, I got to be the most successful.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. Try to be.

[Sarah]

What about trends in menswear that you personally would like to come to a screeching halt? Let's banish them forever.

[Todd Snyder]

Forever or for now?

[Sarah]

For now.

[Todd Snyder]

For now. Because I'd never say forever in fashion. I used to always be like. Because it always comes back. It always comes back. You know, for me, kind of like the shrunken suit. For me, I wish. Like, now you're starting to see, like, the ESPN guys wearing it, and it's just like they can barely even move right here. Like.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah.

[Sarah]

Barely get the coke up to his nose.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's real. I mean, that's the one thing I am excited to see go.

[Sarah]

Okay. Yeah. Why the fuck is that still around? Well, it's. With the mask.

[Todd Snyder]

It takes a while. It takes about. It takes about 10 years for things to really flush through like you saw. You know, it took for a long time when everybody was wearing pleated pants. This is back in the 90s. It took about 10 years for that to flush out. And all of a sudden, everywhere is flat front. And now it's about 15 years later. And you started, see, seeing. So it's like 10 to 15 usually.

[Sarah]

All right.

[Todd Snyder]

How long it takes to flush?

[Sarah]

Patience. Patience.

[Todd Snyder]

Because it takes a while. You get like, the late adopters that are like, oh, I got this suit, you know, Mad Men's in. And you're like, wait, that was.

[Unknown]

You missed it.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

The season finale happened, brother.

[Sarah]

I know. Well, since now. Now we got your friends and family.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Since we last potted, it feels like Todd Snyder's really blasted off to the stratosphere.

[Todd Snyder]

You're welcome. Thank you. Yeah. Wow.

[Unknown]

Our pleasure.

[Todd Snyder]

Dude, I did not.

[Unknown]

You never put that together.

[Todd Snyder]

I didn't attribute that, but I think.

[Sarah]

You' right, you can. There's a. If you put the graphs together, the timelines line up right there.

[Todd Snyder]

I'm gonna add. I gotta add another point to my graph.

[Unknown]

Thank you. We. We'd appreciate that point.

[Sarah]

For sure. Do you see brands now trying to steal the Snyder sauce at all these days and like, maybe, you know, get a little too close? Fly a little too close to the Snyder son.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

Is that flattering or are you like, you're taking money out of my pocket?

[Todd Snyder]

I don't know. It's definitely. It wakes me up. It makes me. Makes me realize I better get. Get on my game.

[Sarah]

Lights a fire in your ass.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Makes me think I gotta build. I gotta build a moat. Like, how do we build a moat? How do we make this? So now we're, you know, we're. Now we're just kind of digging deep and trying to figure out how do we A, reinvent, but then b, how do we tell a different story? I mean, the. The thing we have for us, which I've always said this, we're designer number one and doing shows obviously reinforces that.

[Sarah]

That.

[Todd Snyder]

But nobody's gonna out design me. Like, I love bars. I love going way, way deep into, you know, research. I'd love. One of my favorite things to do is going to mills and going to factories and just nerding out with them. My team hates me for it because we'll be on a trip and I'm like, I'll be right back.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

One hour later, I'll still be in the.

[Sarah]

That's the top tender. Difference is like. Like being at the genesis of, like, the textiles.

[Todd Snyder]

My. My genius is when I'm meeting with other creators and I'm able to work with them and get them to think differently, to help me to get to a different place. And it just. That's how I did. When I did the show. When I did the show at Pitti, I really dug deep and I was able to work with these amazing creators and they know more than me and they know how to weave they know how to do all this stuff. And there's nothing that gets me more exciting than seeing, like, a third generation weaver who's only done this his whole life. And I'm. I'm inspiring him, and then vice versa. Like, I was sitting there with this guy. His name is Ricardo from. From Lyria, the mill. And he's showing me all these vintage garments that he collects because he gets inspiration for that. And I'm like, dude, I do the same thing. And he starts pulling out some of these amazing pieces, and I'm like, that's amazing. And they just. We just started riffing off of all of that. And, you know, he doesn't speak very good English. I don't speak very good Italian. Sharing this language of. Of taste and, like, inspiration.

[Unknown]

Universal language.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. The ultimate language.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And I'm just geeking out. And I was there. We, you know, ended up going to dinner and then we went to, you know, afterwards. Went out afterwards. And it was just very, very appreciative of what he does, but also vice versa, because he doesn't get this interaction, like, believe it or not. And when he told me is like, other. Other designers don't do this. And I go, what do you mean?

[Sarah]

They don't take them out to the afters?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, they don't come to. They don't come to the mill. Oh. I said, what do you mean? He's like, no, he goes, designers typically send their people, but I never get, like, the head designer.

[Sarah]

The Todd Snyder difference.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So I go, you're in the trenches, dude.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, that's what I do when I do a watch. Like, I. I get into the details. That's my favorite part, is you get into it and you teach yourself something different. They teach you something, and then together we get to a new place. Right. It.

[Sarah]

So you don't think that even if people are like, maybe taking the aesthetic or copying the aesthetic or whatever, borrowing it, they're never gonna out nerd you?

[Todd Snyder]

No, I'm the biggest nerd.

[Sarah]

You're too.

[Todd Snyder]

I'm the biggest nerd that I can unequivocally state, I am. I will out nerd.

[Sarah]

And is that the moat that you're building around the brand where, like, no one can event. No. No one can truly touch us.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Because, I mean, there's. There's the brands that, you know, I mean, there's definitely people that I'm very appreciative of. The designers, like, you know, the Mic Am of the world, the Willow Trevaris of the World. The Thom Browns, all of those are incredible designers that inspire me, but I don't want to look anything like them and vice versa. They're. They're very. We're all kind of. We know our lane. Those are the people inspire me. But then there's other people that are not designers. They're. They're brands that says, oh, you know, I figured out a better way to make a pan or, you know, I worked in, you know, PE and I want to, you know, build a shirt company or whatever. I mean, there's a lot of these things, but it really comes down to the founder and the person that has that passion that's going to say, we're going to go different.

[Unknown]

The love of the game.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And we're going to go and do it our own way versus, like, following somebody else. And so it's really like, how do I separate myself from, from the, the copycats and like that and, and really, for me, it's leaning into what I'm. What I'm great at.

[Sarah]

And go deeper.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah. And go deeper.

[Sarah]

Well, you have said that up, even if you're a big nerd, up is a big part of, like, eventual success. Right.

[Todd Snyder]

Y.

[Sarah]

Since that Zoom call. Because when we potted last, you just celebrated your 10 year anniversary. Yeah, that was four years ago. So we're on the cusp of 15. I know, I know.

[Unknown]

Crazy.

[Sarah]

But since that Zoom call four years ago. So in the four years since, have you had any big fuckups that even your experience couldn't help you avoid?

[Todd Snyder]

Any big ones? I. Up all the time. I, I would say welcome to the club.

[Sarah]

As your wife, as your wife likes to point out.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah, my wife always out to me. She's like, yeah, that was a big up. Thanks. But no, it is what makes you better. I mean, it sounds cliche, but it is. I probably have a 20%. 20. 80. 20. 80% success. 20% up.

[Sarah]

Really?

[Todd Snyder]

Right.

[Sarah]

That's pretty bad.

[Todd Snyder]

No, if I, I was going to say that's better.

[Unknown]

That's more than healthy.

[Todd Snyder]

If you're a baseball player or.

[Unknown]

Oh, okay.

[Sarah]

You're batting 800%.

[Unknown]

You're the greatest hitter ever.

[Todd Snyder]

I'll take 80%. I've had some big fuck ups where we had this one where Jacob Alari had asked to do something together with us. It was about four years ago and we didn't do it. And that was probably.

[Unknown]

Oh, no, you missed out on the King.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, now he's like super Superman and we can't touch him. So but we didn't. It didn't work out timing wise. I actually think it was during the pandemic, right around the pandemic and we couldn't make it happen.

[Sarah]

What do you want to do?

[Todd Snyder]

He just wanted to partner on. He had some movies coming out, some shows coming out. Yeah, yeah. And we, you know, it was, it was before that, but it was just something. We couldn't put it together. And it wasn't because we didn't want to work with him. It was just more or less timing wise. It didn't work well for us. So that was.

[Sarah]

It's not because he's taller than you.

[Todd Snyder]

He's tall.

[Unknown]

Yeah. So you missed out on that cash cow.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. That could have been a nice, A nice halo for us.

[Sarah]

Do you still let do celebrities, like, whether it's. Forget the collaborations like, and actually making product, but like Rocky wearing it.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

You know, in a parallel universe, you didn't that up and Jacob Elordi's wearing your. Does that help move the needle?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Oh, huge. Really huge. Yeah. When all of a sudden you get a celeb and we get a lot of really good celebs wearing us and. And they genuinely buy it, which is, for me, shocking.

[Unknown]

That's the ultimate co sign.

[Todd Snyder]

It is. I mean, you know, we've, we've had, you know, Matt Bomer's been a big fan and I remember, I saw, I met him at the CFDA Awards and he turned around, he's like, I love what you do. This was like early on, it's like right 10 years ago. And I'm like, you know me.

[Sarah]

He's like, yeah, I can ask him for free, please.

[Todd Snyder]

And. But I, I can go on my Shopify and be like Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds.

[Unknown]

All the Ryan's.

[Todd Snyder]

Jake. Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Sarah]

All the Chris's.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sarah]

Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sarah]

And so when they, so when they get snapped wearing ts like you didn't see like that whatever they're wearing is all starting to start to fly.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Like the Rock used to and still does. But the Rock is kind of discovered us through Alaria and wears our sweater polos. And all of a sudden, every time he'd wear a sweater, polo is gone.

[Sarah]

What size does he wear?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, he's a. A. I think he's a double X. But he, I mean he's so. But he likes him skin tight.

[Unknown]

Sure.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes.

[Sarah]

Well, they have skin tight on him.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Yeah. But he, he kind of put us on the map for Sweater polos. He would wear them pretty much like a uniform. And so that all of a sudden spikes.

[Sarah]

You better be buying them. He's the most highest paid actor of 20. 25 or 20.

[Todd Snyder]

Is it really? Wow. Yeah. Good for him.

[Sarah]

Don't. He don't give any free.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean who can do what he does? I mean he goes from being like action hero to like doing like a kids movie. It's unbelievable. I loved him in Moana too. So. Okay.

[Sarah]

That's right. Is your 5 year old daughter obsessed with. Wanted to. Is that why?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

And so am I.

[Sarah]

And are you like, she's not listening.

[Unknown]

You don't have to lie.

[Sarah]

Are you like, look, he wore daddy's designs. He's like, shut up, dad, they're singing.

[Todd Snyder]

No, but she's very, she's very into what I do now. It's funny, I brought her to the office last week and she's like all proud. Like the dad makes clothes. I bring fabric home for her and we cut it up and make clothes for her.

[Sarah]

Yeah, that's very cute.

[Unknown]

Todd Ad for women has a bright future.

[Sarah]

Yeah, Todd. How many Todd Snider stores are there now?

[Todd Snyder]

They're right now. I think there's going to be 23. I think we got 20 right now.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Where the next three?

[Todd Snyder]

We're opening in Fashion island, which is Newport.

[Sarah]

Fashion Island.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, it's Fashion Island. Sounds like a show, right?

[Unknown]

Damn, dude. It's like our version of Epstein's Island.

[Todd Snyder]

Dude.

[Sarah]

That's another awesome. Like my own living hell.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, it's in Newport beach in California. And then we're opening in Nashville and about smash in about two, three weeks. And then we're opening Columbus, Ohio.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Sarah]

So you're not just. Well, besides Newport, you are not just like a bicoastal like coastal elite brand.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

You're starting to make penetrate America. Pause.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, like we're really trying to. We're testing. You know, we want to learn as much as we can. We have a store in Dallas and we're, you know, definitely want to get a store in Austin. Nashville, I think is going to be awesome. Off the hooks I worked with. I worked with Richard Haynes on the. We did a mural. Yeah, he's.

[Unknown]

So it's become a destination shop. It's going to be a vibe.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes, it definitely, I mean and all of our stores kind of have that like we have a store in Chicago that's really cool. We call it the Townhouse and it's kind of become like a destination and we always Try to make each store different. And are they.

[Sarah]

Are they, like, connected to, like, the home city? Like, is there going to be cowboy hats and in Nashville mural going to be, like, those pink angel wings that, you know, Definitely just take an influencer moment?

[Unknown]

Definitely not in the store.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, it's gonna. It's definitely be the haven for bachelorette parties. Bachelor parties. No, but we try to make each one unique and different. Just so that I do think there's a certain discovery and collectibility that's still important when you're thinking about brand and making sure that you're always surprising guests as they come in and getting them to really get into the brand. And the idea of, like, you want to go see all of them. I still remember when I was younger, like, in the 90s, I always wanted to go visit all the Ralph stores because each one had its own vibe, concepts.

[Unknown]

Right. They're all, like, concept stores in their own way.

[Todd Snyder]

And it's just each one's a little different, has a different personality, and you get. You can get something unique right there that you wouldn't get anywhere else. Like, the liquor store for us is like, our ultimate experience. For sure. It's still one of our best stores, but we just opened up in the Upper east side in Manhattan, and that's quickly becoming one of our best stores as well. And the reason for that is it's a different customer. Customer up there is a little older, who's a little more established. You know, the wife is usually shopping for the guy, whereas liquor stores, very, like, guy shopping for guys.

[Sarah]

So is it. Is it like the merchandising? Is it like the. The music? I mean, what is kind of. What's the success to. What's the secret to, like, succeeding in so many different markets?

[Todd Snyder]

It's just being. Being part of the neighborhood. Being part of the neighborhood. And, you know, we don't want to, like, land from Mars and all of a sudden, say, buy clothes from us. But it's really. You want to feel authentic to the neighborhood, and you want to feel like you're part of that and that.

[Sarah]

Finally get a table Borgo, maybe.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Can you believe that? Andrew Tarlow. What the. I am a block away.

[Unknown]

I am Todd Snyder.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Yeah. But I know I need to start flexing that a little.

[Unknown]

You don't do that ever. You're never tempted. Name drop yourself.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, I. I have done that a few times.

[Sarah]

What do you do it for? Like, restaurants, other stores?

[Todd Snyder]

I do it for restaurants, for sure. Yeah, I do it for restaurants.

[Sarah]

What, like Todd Snider assistant, gmail.com or something.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, well, I have my assistant sometimes call and do like that. Can you do the Todd Snider thing on this one?

[Sarah]

Are you starting to fields get a higher success rate with the name drop? Like 80. 80, 80, 20.

[Todd Snyder]

Like 90. 90.

[Unknown]

And that's why we do it.

[Todd Snyder]

Todd is for the only reason why I do it.

[Unknown]

Yeah, right.

[Todd Snyder]

I finally. Well, the other thing I did. I don't know if you've noticed, but I. I usually collaborate in kind of venues that I want to get into, whether it's like, music. Oh, wow. I can go to a national.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Get green room. Yeah. Or food. So I'm friends with a ton of chefs. I mean, I genuinely love food, and I genuinely love. I mean, all. We all love food, but. But I love the craft. I love how they go about. And I mean, nobody works harder than a chef.

[Unknown]

And it's so similar to, like, what you do. So you appreciate it.

[Todd Snyder]

I appreciate it. And so I've gotten to know a lot of really amazing chefs. Dan Cooler was one of my favorites from Loring Place, and I just love how he goes about it. He has a very simple but delicious way of making food that you're just like, how did you take something so common like Brussels sprouts and turn it into a salad with. And it's raw. I mean, it's like shaved perfectly. And he has the right. My mouth is gushing right now, but it's.

[Unknown]

Watch the mic.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I'm sorry, but it. But it's. That's what I love about what I do. Is probably the same with you guys. You get to meet some amazing people every week.

[Sarah]

Yeah, every week.

[Unknown]

Just the ultimate perk of the job.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. And then you. Oh, my God, I had no idea. But also changes you, too, as you think about. Oh, I'm gonna think about that. And how. How you know Dan. Dan, for me, is amazing. And then this other chef, Austin, who has one White street, is another really good friend of mine. He's from the Midwest, from Omaha. And, you know, and their stories are so good. These guys work their tails off their whole life. And they. They would literally knock on the. He worked at Noma, knocked on the door, and I'm like, how'd you get a job at Noma? He said, I just knocked on the back door and said, you guys hiring?

[Unknown]

Showed up.

[Todd Snyder]

Make me an omelet. And boom, he's hired.

[Unknown]

It's been a good ass omelet, dude.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

With the potato chips and.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, exactly.

[Sarah]

Are Are you good in the kitchen?

[Todd Snyder]

I'm better. I'm not as good as that.

[Sarah]

Okay, what's your. What's your go to dish?

[Todd Snyder]

Fish now is my go to. I used to be scared to death of it, and during the pandemic, I just kind of forced myself to. I. You know, of course, we watch all these tutorials and stuff, and now I'm. I'm pretty good at it.

[Unknown]

Are you, like.

[Sarah]

Are you on tik Tok personally?

[Todd Snyder]

No, I. I should be.

[Sarah]

Or what about IG reels? Like, is it all just cooking? Is it fashion? Like, is it basketball? What is it?

[Todd Snyder]

I'm on Pinterest. I'm. I follow a ton of, like, what.

[Sarah]

Is the algo feeding you?

[Todd Snyder]

For me, it's. It's a lot of basketball.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

A lot of fashion. And, you know, definitely the cooking is part of it because I'm always interested on, like, even just learning how to slice and dice and those knife skills. Yeah, those are really, really important.

[Sarah]

You spend a lot of money on your home kitchen.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Like, what was the big. What was the last big purchase you made?

[Todd Snyder]

The last big one? I bought a. A big stock pot for my matzo ball soup. My go to.

[Unknown]

Oh, yeah.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

I. I'm Agoyam. My wife's Jewish.

[Sarah]

Yeah. You moved to New York.

[Todd Snyder]

It's.

[Unknown]

Yeah, it just happens.

[Todd Snyder]

They line up for my soup.

[Unknown]

Oh, really?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Fire.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

They do.

[Sarah]

That's awesome.

[Unknown]

I need a bowl of that.

[Todd Snyder]

And they're. I have.

[Sarah]

New York is a global melting pot.

[Todd Snyder]

I have a. Literally, on my. On my wife's side, I have a bunch of very discerning women, and I've won them over with the soup. Yeah. Yeah. They're like, he made this. I'm like, yeah. And I cook for, like, five hours, and I clean for, like, 10.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Here's a. Here's an idea. At your next fashion show, have a little sampler on every seat of the matzo ball soup.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Hungry.

[Sarah]

Because people are always hungry. They're running around, they're dehydrated. Soup. It's.

[Todd Snyder]

They could be liquid in there. The Goyam, we'll call it.

[Unknown]

Yeah, that'll go over real well.

[Sarah]

When's the last time you went back to Iowa?

[Todd Snyder]

Hey. Went back for the state fair. I went back to the state fair in August.

[Sarah]

What disgusting food did you eat there?

[Todd Snyder]

Everything. Yeah, I got. I had something. Hold on. I gotta think what it was. I can't remember. It was. It was. It was one. They always have, like, a featured one every year.

[Sarah]

Like, A fried thing.

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, yeah. Okay. It was so what I've learned to do, which was really smart. You. You go and sample. You don't. You don't eat the whole thing. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Because you'll die.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, you'll die. I mean, and then you can have like 10 things and you're like, okay, I had a bite of that. A bite of that and little sampler.

[Sarah]

Fried butter.

[Todd Snyder]

Have not had fried butter.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

That. That seems a little much. I don't think I'd live. Yeah.

[Unknown]

It would be worse than tearing your ACL for a third time.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Yeah. Were they.

[Sarah]

Were you getting. Were people getting fits off at the Iowa State Fair?

[Todd Snyder]

No.

[Unknown]

You're like, I can finally turn my brain off and just consume.

[Todd Snyder]

I can just like, chill. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Did you dress for the occasion?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

What was your fit?

[Todd Snyder]

I. I wore my linen shirt or a linen shirt as hell. Hot as hell. And then of course, I. I should show you a photo after this. My phone's in the other room. But I was there with my brothers and they're much bigger than me. And you know, of course I look like tiny Joe standing next to him, which is awesome. So I could feel like I could eat. Eat more than they could, which was good. But no, I would wear my. I have a pair of New Balance. Like with the extra thick soles.

[Sarah]

The collab.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, soon it'd be cool.

[Unknown]

Okay. Performance wear for eating fried.

[Todd Snyder]

Soon to be. I. I was actually wear. Testing the next platform that we're working.

[Sarah]

At the Iowa State Fair.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, I wanted to make sure the sole units because, I mean, they're.

[Sarah]

It's putting. You're getting your steps in.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I get my steps in and it's super comfortable. So I thought, what a better way I'll wear test this. No one's gonna out me and. Right.

[Unknown]

Yeah. No one's gonna be like, oh, my God, the new Todd Snyder sneaker.

[Sarah]

You get the state fair.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. So I wore those. That's cool.

[Sarah]

Do you think you could ever move back to Iowa?

[Todd Snyder]

Not full time. I think this is the hardest. I thought about it a while back. I. I love it there. My whole family is there, so I go back a lot. But the industry's here and it's hard to. To be away from it. Yeah. Even though during COVID I contemplated it.

[Sarah]

Do you feel like it is still main is a source of inspiration for you when you are, you know, designing for the American man?

[Todd Snyder]

For sure. I mean, to me, I think there's always been a bit of pragmatic approach that I have when I design, I'm always thinking of, like, what's practical? What. What. What is a guy in the Midwest not going to get freaked out by? But then what is also going to appeal to somebody in New York or Paris or wherever? Like, so it's always. There's a kind of a spectrum that I'm always thinking about of and making sure I'm not upsetting one demographic, but.

[Unknown]

That through line is wearability.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, yeah, you're making sure that things are not too boring and not too fast. It's just really kind of what is. What is that? And there's certain people, especially with. With social and the way things are now, things get digested a lot faster. So trends move faster, they progress faster. You know, back in the day, when I was there, there was no Internet. There was no nothing. You know, you get a magazine, you'd only got GQ and three months late. Yeah. And you were. Yeah. So you were. You were always a little behind, whereas now it's like, immediate. So you start seeing these kids. Like, I'll see people in the Midwest and anywhere pick up trends fast, and they'll be wearing it properly. Like, you know, you would always see it before, like, oh, those guys are trying to reinterpret that. They're doing it this way. Not anymore. It's all. Everybody's very spot on.

[Sarah]

And what goes through your head when you see guys in New York that are dressing like farmers from Iowa with, like, camo hats and, like, you know, Carhartt and cool.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, you know, we got. That's what got me going on. Redwood wing. Yeah, Red wing. When I moved to New York in the 90s, every guy that I would see in fashion would wearing red wings.

[Sarah]

Like, what the I moved here for.

[Unknown]

I got to get away.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, I could have stayed home. I'm like, I wore that on the. I used to work in construction.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I wore that.

[Sarah]

But their red wings were sparkling clean.

[Todd Snyder]

I'm sure they're very, very good. But it was a. It was a fashion trend back then where, you know, a lot of guys were red wing boots with, like, white socks and shorts. And I was like, that's a really interesting take. So. And that became a uniform for a lot of creatives. A lot of creatives would wear red wings. It's kind of their boot of choice. And this is like 90s and early 2000. And that's what gave me the kind of the impetus to be like, you know, I should do something here. That kind of just talks about it in a different way because Red Wing was always considered a work boot. Like, how do you consider it a fashion boot? And that's what kind of gave me the idea to do it.

[Sarah]

It got it with the, with the kids in the Midwest that are able to just like nail a trend or because they have the information so readily and instantly available. Does that kind of speak to the shrinking gestation period of developing your own personal style where it's like, hey, I can just like do it. Like, you know, those guys in Paris can, even if I live in Columbus, Ohio, or just a farm in Iowa, like, and is that honestly a good thing or bad thing? But, like, does that speak to, you know, personal style development? Kids just can do it like instantly now. And so it's almost like copying and pasting versus, like building it yourself.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, yeah, I mean, it definitely there's people that are that way. I mean, I think there's all different types of people that dress differently. And there's certainly ones that kind of have that high kind of energy of like, you know, picking up a trend and then moving on to the next one, like just, just, you know, and that's. You see them buy something super trendy and then the next they won't ever wear it again and they'll be on realreal and they'll resell it or what have you. So you see, you know, the younger generation that's really wanting to turn through that, but the, the things that, you know, for me that transcend all that are the people that are consistent and start to build kind of that the pillars of their style. And what I mean by that is like, like you have like a go to shoe, you have a go to suit, you have a go to jean. And then you start to evolve and then you start to change the other parts that are going to give you the trend. You don't have to do everything. And, and I think that's, that's what I admire. I mean, I can see through that pretty quickly in, in people, especially people that work for me that kind of have like their own unique style and then they start to adapt as fashion trends come. That, for me, I respect a lot because that's, that's where I start to look for people on my team that really understand kind of longevity and kind of that consistency.

[Sarah]

So if you see a kid in Iowa at the Hog auction in Full Balenciaga, head to toe, that's just like trend rider still.

[Todd Snyder]

I don't know if I would ever see that, but yeah, but no, you'll see some people. The, the funny thing. The funny thing was I remember I was walking through an airport and it wasn't Iowa, but I was walking through an airport and this woman was wearing this macrame, like full length, like overcoat. And it was, it was handmade and she was not a fashion maven, but she looked cool as hell, of course. And I was just like. And I always love, like seeing somebody that is. Isn't trying it, but hits it on point and it's just because. And you'd always be. I always say it like they have no idea how cool they are.

[Unknown]

Right, right. That's why they are cool.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, yeah. And. And this woman just looks so cool and chic and she was just like wearing. She was wearing boots and she was wearing just like a great pair of jeans and wearing this long almost beyond her knee macrame dress. And you could tell she was not. She didn't come from Emily Bode closet. She was like legit. Like, this is what she wears.

[Sarah]

You've mentioned a lot of really fire designers from mainly America.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Michael, Mary, Emily, Bodhi, just now, who's on your Mount Rushmore of American designers?

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, gosh, put yourself on there. No, I can't do that. There's not a room unless Trump fixes it. But anyway, no, for me, I think, you know, Ralph Lauren, obviously, number one. And I would say it's probably a battle of the Toms, you know, between, you know, Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford and Tom Brown. I think they. Yeah, the thumbs. Yeah, no, they, they're, they're, they've built.

[Sarah]

You think it's those three and Ralph.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I mean, but there's plenty of others that I would, you know, I think there's so many amazing things happening in American fashion right now between, you know, Willie, what he's doing. I mean, you guys saw he got, you know, time 100 where it's huge.

[Unknown]

For him, making waves for sure.

[Todd Snyder]

And you know, and he's been doing this a long time and I'm so happy for him. But like, Micah Mary is another one. You know, I. Jerry Lorenzo and what he's doing. Emily, Emily Bode and what she's doing. There's just so much talent want here. And you see it, you know, Pharrell, you know, designing for Louis Vuitton. There's so much influence I think America has on fashion in general. It doesn't get enough credit for it, I think. And you know, the boys, the princess schooler guys just Left and went to Loewe, which is huge. You know, it's, it's representation. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Honestly.

[Todd Snyder]

And it says.

[Sarah]

It must be very busy right now.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes, she's very busy, but she's very happy for him. Them. Because it's just these guys have worked 20 years doing their own thing and to be able to get that honor is huge. So you're seeing so many amazing things happening in menswear that we don't all talk about enough. I think I personally am a huge advocate and, and, and I'm not just blowing smoke here. I mean, what Jerry Lorenzo has done with his brand, Teddy Santis has done. You know, do you think we're low.

[Sarah]

Key in a golden age of like American fashion design? But maybe it's just not like. No, I don't. No one's saying that.

[Unknown]

Well, they don't show in New York. A lot of these people, like, have left for Greer Pastures.

[Todd Snyder]

They do it in their own way. And I think, you know, we used to put so much emphasis on shows and that used to be like kind of the, the big difference between American fashion and European fashion is they have fat. The fashion houses, they have the LVMHs of the world. The, the amazing money flowing into that. We don't have that here in the States.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

You know, everybody's independent and we're doing our own thing, our own way.

[Sarah]

What the is the CFDA doing?

[Todd Snyder]

Well, it's not CFDA's fault that the CFDA. CFDA is not a bank. And that's. That's the difference. Yeah, I mean, non profit. I, I'm a. Yeah, I'm a, I'm a. I'm a member of the cfd. We, we all, we all try to, we try to make the industry better. And you know, Anna Winter is a huge advocate for it. I mean, what she does for the Met Gala, she brings so much attention to so many amazing designers that normally wouldn't get, get a chance. And they, they do amazing things. I think so many people put too much emphasis on the, on fashion shows in cfda. It's really just the ecosystem that we have in America for fashion. Like, most of us don't know that. You know, in Paris, a lot of that's subsidized by the government.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

So where's that over here?

[Todd Snyder]

You can ask Mr. Trump. I don't know. Maybe.

[Unknown]

I don't think he's gonna be very acceptive for that.

[Sarah]

Naples Fashion Week.

[Unknown]

Fashion Island.

[Todd Snyder]

Fashion Island.

[Unknown]

Honestly, he would fucking.

[Todd Snyder]

And, but, but there's a lot of amazing success stories. I mean, I. You could talk, you know, Jerry Lorenzo for. We could. I mean, the guy has in. He's positioned himself without really doing shows and in a. In a higher standing than a lot of people in the industry that I've seen. You know, Tom. Tom Brown, to me is. Is one of the great geniuses in this industry that, you know, started off with, you know, probably got laughed at a lot in the. In the beginning and, you know, even midway through, you know, doing the shrunken suits. But now he's. He's an icon. I mean, he's truly built an iconic business that I aspire to. But, like, Mike Amiri is another one. You know, he was very much, you know, an east or west coast designer that has now become this global phenomenon. Like, I've seen his stores in Tokyo and I'm like, what? And there's always a line to get into stores.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

And there's. There's a lot of them. I mean, I'm going to mention all of them. And what Willie's doing is just incredible. He's just really kind of stepping into his own right now. Yeah.

[Sarah]

I don't think that maybe there isn't. There just aren't that many advocates for the fact that this might be low key, like a golden moment for American design, American fashion.

[Todd Snyder]

It is. I. I think it is. And if you look at you and.

[Sarah]

Us, it's the three of us.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, you know, you guys were kind of like the zeitgeist of at least my business, and you were in the forefront of that. But. No, but it's true. I mean, if you think about, like, Pharrell doing lvmh, you haven't even mentioned Rick Owens and. Rick Owens. Yeah. Rick Owens. Yeah. Every. I always think of European, but he's American and there's.

[Sarah]

He's just bisexual.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

That's why I think he's European.

[Todd Snyder]

I think he lives in Paris.

[Sarah]

Do you think that. Is it crazy for you? So if. For you. If it's Ralph and the. And the Toms, for a lot of guys, it might be Ralph maybe a few times. And a Todd. Like, is it crazy that you might be on a lot of guys. Mount Rushmores?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I don't. I don't think about it, but sometimes when I start to go to different, you know, like play dates and things like that, or birthday parties with my daughter, and all of a sudden I'm like, I went to one recently in Brooklyn and I was wearing the same shirt. The guy was. I'm like, oh, you have good taste.

[Unknown]

Did he know who you were or that you made it?

[Todd Snyder]

No, he didn't. He didn't. But.

[Sarah]

Oh, well, one of us is gonna have to change.

[Todd Snyder]

It was his house, so he had to change. I didn't make. I didn't make him change. No. It's humbling. You know, for me, it's really humbling. It's. I don't think about that stuff, though, until I see it and I'm like, oh, my God, this is. That's my shirt.

[Sarah]

Or what goes through your head when you see it on the street? It's a dress.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, it's, it's. It's a, you know, it's a prideful moment. I feel it takes me back and it reminds me because I'm always just thinking, head down, like, get this done. Let's be successful. Let's make money. And then I'm not thinking about. And I pull up and I start to look. I'm like, oh, my God. Like, you know, I was at an event this weekend and I saw like, you know, three of our things on other people, and I'm just like, wow, that's really cool. And that. It gives me joy because it makes me feel like we're doing the right thing and. Yeah, but. Yeah, and I don't. I don't think about that stuff too much. And I. You know, for me, I don't. I don't think I'd ever be considered with Ralph. Ralph is. I don't think anybody will be Ralph.

[Unknown]

Those sightings, it's not like why you do it, but it's a nice byproduct of, like, what you're trying to accomplish.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Like you're succeeding.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, it kind of gives me the proof, you know, Proof of concept. Concept. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Well, let's talk about why we do it. Todd, how much money do you make?

[Todd Snyder]

How much money do I make? I make $1 million. It all depends on the year. Okay.

[Sarah]

What do you like to spend your hard earned money on besides your family and besides your business?

[Todd Snyder]

You know, that's interesting. What do I spend my money on? Mostly clothes.

[Sarah]

I still.

[Todd Snyder]

I still think I'm probably, you know, very much like my old self when I used to work with Dowers. I spent more money there than I made.

[Sarah]

You don't have to. You walk into a Todd cider store, you just.

[Todd Snyder]

No reference pieces or like, you have to pay.

[Unknown]

Yeah, that's crazy.

[Sarah]

What's your discount?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I get. I get 50 off.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Sarah]

It's pretty good.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

We need to pump those numbers up though, Todd. Can't be.

[Sarah]

That should be 100.

[Unknown]

My name is in the label, people.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Sarah]

Do you pay with the company card?

[Todd Snyder]

No.

[Unknown]

Do you buy a lot of.

[Todd Snyder]

I would be fired for that.

[Sarah]

That is embezzlement. But that is crazy that you had to pay for your own clothes.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I know it sounds weird but I mean it's a, it's a good deal. I mean it's when he's going back.

[Unknown]

In his pocket, people.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean the good news is and I, and this is the, this is the one metric I always pay attention to or the measurable I, I look at is when I go to resell my clothes.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

I actually get a pretty good return on it.

[Sarah]

All right.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

All right.

[Unknown]

Are you buying like a lot of vintage reference pieces for like work itself?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. I have, I have probably. I definitely have over a thousand pieces of Champion Fire that I archivist over keep in Iowa. Right. But yeah, vintage is my, my jam.

[Sarah]

Where do you like to. Are you shopping online? Are you digging in the crazy online?

[Todd Snyder]

London is one of my favorite places to go and then, and then Tokyo is my second favorite and then LA's third.

[Sarah]

And do you have like sources or are you going to like the stores?

[Todd Snyder]

Sources.

[Sarah]

Nice.

[Todd Snyder]

So I got to know. So one of one of the people.

[Sarah]

Giuseppe in the factory.

[Todd Snyder]

Whatever. Yeah, there you go. Well, he's. I took a lot of photos in that room.

[Sarah]

You ever did like swaps, like jersey swap? No, no, I don't gamers that game.

[Todd Snyder]

I should, you know, because I mean I can keep these things forever.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

But no, I, I have a really good team that. One of the guys that works on my team, Kenny Thomas, I used to work for at Ralph Lauren, he used to, he used to do all the double stuff and he was amazing at finding, you know, just great pieces.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Real hunter.

[Todd Snyder]

And he's a hunter, like, he's gatherer. Yeah. They call him pickers.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Todd Snyder]

Like you, you have to be a good picker. And he's a really good picker and like he knows, he knows where to go. Like he'll, he'll go to vintage shops and they always have like stuff in bales. They'll have like a bale of like oxford shirts and he'll be like, can you open a bail a box for shirts? And it's literally probably what's behind number three. And then you basically start digging. Yeah. And he will dig until he finds and he'll come back with like, 10amazing things. So I, I have, I've kind of surrounded myself with really, you know, people with great taste and biggest pickers.

[Unknown]

Building a roster.

[Todd Snyder]

American pickers. Yeah.

[Unknown]

Just like.

[Sarah]

All right, so you spend your money on clothes. What's the dumbest purchase that you've made recently?

[Todd Snyder]

On clothes?

[Sarah]

No, no, just in general.

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, the dumbest purchase I ever made. Are you saying recently, recently or.

[Sarah]

Unless, like, something really stands out, like.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I think that. I think one of the dumbest purchases that I made, I, I was a big purchase. I, I, I bought a car that wasn't what say of my choice that I wish I hadn't had.

[Sarah]

Was it a pricey, Pricey whip?

[Todd Snyder]

No, it was, it was like one of these things. I bought a Range Rover, a Land Rover velour, and I was like, why did I get. I wanted to get the Defender. And I was like, I gotta be practical. I got a kid. Defender is not what I should get. So, I mean, I wouldn't call it necessarily dumb purchase, but one of these things, like, I regret it.

[Unknown]

Too practical.

[Sarah]

Instant regret.

[Todd Snyder]

Too practical?

[Unknown]

Yeah. Practicality.

[Todd Snyder]

It's not a, it's not a van, thank God, but.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

Even though it's kind of cool right now, but anyway. Yeah, that was probably one of the things I regret the most. Buying recently.

[Unknown]

Should have got the Defender, Todd.

[Todd Snyder]

I know. I'm kicking myself every day. I'm like, I should have gotten the Defender. Especially when my wife's like, why didn't you get the defense?

[Sarah]

Oh, no, no.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Even she was on board.

[Sarah]

It's a good thing.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, I didn't know at the time.

[Unknown]

This is why communication is so important in any relationship.

[Sarah]

It's not like you lost, you know, 10 of its value. Value as soon as you drop off the law.

[Todd Snyder]

I buy him used.

[Sarah]

Okay. Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

I buy him. I got a. It was a Covid car, actually. I bought it from a 2020. It was a used car, and it was the best. I didn't know that that was the thing. It was a. You buy a Covid car, it has like 10, 000 miles on it.

[Sarah]

Right, right. Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

This is like two years ago.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

It's gone.

[Sarah]

What's your next car gonna be? Defend.

[Todd Snyder]

Fender Defender. Yeah, I think I'm gonna get it. I think that's gonna purchase because I, I didn't realize that I could, you know, I didn't know my wife was allowing it. Well, like, she gets car sick, and I just didn't want to, like.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

You know, kill her.

[Sarah]

Damn. So as an adult, Todd, what is the brokest you've ever been?

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, God, the broke as I've ever been.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Like a picture of the situation.

[Todd Snyder]

I remember. Oh, gosh. I remember. This was probably six or eight years ago. It was about eight. About eight years ago.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Todd Snyder]

I. I was. I was in Italy. I was doing some consulting work for Champion and Mike. My money cash card didn't work because I ran out of money.

[Unknown]

And I was like, what the zero dollars?

[Todd Snyder]

Like zero, I guess, like. And I was like, I was there, you know, I was dating my now wife and I was just like, oh, I don't have any money.

[Sarah]

How do you say muc.

[Unknown]

Asap?

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. And I. That was. That. That's the birth. Because I ever felt $0.00. $0.00.

[Sarah]

Sorry. That was only six to eight years ago. I mean, Todd Snyder must. You're doing pretty well at that point. Were you not like paying yourself or you were.

[Todd Snyder]

Ah, not a terrible financial plan. Actually, it might have been nine Now I'm thinking about. It was definitely before American Eagle bought me. I mean, I was, we were. I was living in paycheck to paycheck and. And got it right. Damn. Yeah, it was, it was tough. I remember.

[Sarah]

How do you. How do you break the news to wifey?

[Todd Snyder]

I forgot my credit card. Yeah, right.

[Sarah]

Can you pick up this? Italian stole my wallet. Can you get this?

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, I should have thought of that. That would have been a good one. Luckily, I've always been good at creative finance and I, you know, I had a. I had a. A few other credit cards. I had no cash, but I had credit cards. I was able to kick the can.

[Sarah]

Were you paying off one credit card with another credit card?

[Todd Snyder]

I. It's two. I used to do that in college. Yeah, in college. I mean, I was in College in the 90s. And we would be able to write checks. So the four of us would write checks, would last for about a month.

[Unknown]

So the, the statute of limitations on mail fraud is we're good.

[Todd Snyder]

Yes. Right. I hope so.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

For sure.

[Todd Snyder]

For sure. No, but we did that back and this was in Iowa. And because you could. You get away with writing checks to friend and not to friends, but you could float a check for. You float a check for a week.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

Because it took a week, but they would give you cash. Whereas in New York they're like, if you don't have money, they don't give you. And now they wait for clearance and all that.

[Sarah]

So see, you always were. You always had a mind for business.

[Unknown]

He was a Hustler.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah. Y.

[Sarah]

Well, Todd, thank you for joining the only podcast that matters and dropping darts, allowing us to peek into your big brain. Before we get you out of here, one last question for you. Do you have any constructive criticism that you would like to give us? We would love to hear from the master.

[Todd Snyder]

Well, I really appreciate the Armani jeans shirts. That. That's fire. And, you know, you guys could probably just wear a little bit more. Todd, that'll be really nice.

[Unknown]

We don't want to seem like got glazing slobbing on your knob.

[Sarah]

Yeah, I'm not gonna wear my Todd center tuxedo to a podcast on the 80 degree day.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, well, you have to dress the part. You know, it's.

[Unknown]

We're trying to. Because we're real journalists. We're trying to be.

[Todd Snyder]

Oh, that's right.

[Unknown]

We're trying to be objective. Objective, Todd.

[Todd Snyder]

No, I love. I love how real you guys are.

[Unknown]

So thank you.

[Todd Snyder]

I love how real.

[Unknown]

Love how real you are.

[Todd Snyder]

I mean, you guys bring a lot of just. I think what makes this industry interesting is, you know, people like you guys and, you know, Jeremy and, like, people that are just. Just. They make it approachable and understandable to the average guy. I. I certainly, unlike those legacy. Just keep doing. Just keep doing.

[Unknown]

Yeah, all press is good press for a man like Todd, but we appreciate the.

[Sarah]

Oh, Todd, where can the kids follow you? What. What would you like to plug? Got new collabs and stores on the way, I believe.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, well, I think I talked about the stores. No, I don't. I mean, I guess. What. What do I want to. In. Plug.

[Sarah]

Plug Todd Snider.

[Todd Snyder]

Todd Sn.

[Sarah]

In stores now.

[Todd Snyder]

How about Todd Snider?

[Sarah]

Todd Snider in stores now.

[Todd Snyder]

Todd Sn. We have a store near you that you do, probably. Yeah, we do. No, I mean, that's. That's been the nice thing in the last.

[Sarah]

How many stores in New York now?

[Todd Snyder]

Four or five.

[Sarah]

Wow.

[Todd Snyder]

Yeah, we have. I mean, just in Manhattan. Four. And then. And then we have one in Williamsburg, and then we'll be opening up, you know, hopefully one down in Soho someday. But we don't belly the beast. We don't have one yet.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Todd Snyder]

That's a tough one. That's, like, going.

[Sarah]

So good luck.

[Unknown]

Godspeed.

[Sarah]

Do you want to be there because of, like, the geographical cachet, or is it, like, that's where, like, the money is?

[Todd Snyder]

Both.

[Unknown]

That's where the tourists are. I'll tell you that much.

[Todd Snyder]

That's where the tourists are. It's kind of where, where you get judged a lot more and good or bad, but it's, it's definitely where, you know that's where the big boys are, right. And you follow, you follow kind of the luxury players and you see where they're shopping and you never want to be obvious about it. You don't want to be like, okay, we're going to open up right smack DAB on the 50 yard line. But you, you want it to be creative, you want it to be kind of discoverable but not way off the beaten. Right? Yeah.

[Sarah]

Soho, the fashion island of Manhattan.

[Unknown]

Some say, some say many are calling it that might be a fashion or to others, but yeah.

[Sarah]

All right, Todd, thank you again for your time for coming on to the only podcast matter. Chef, take us out.

[Todd Snyder]

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[Sarah]

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[Todd Snyder]

Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great.

[Sarah]

You love the host, you seek it.

[Todd Snyder]

Out and download it.

[Sarah]

You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcast are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad.

[Todd Snyder]

Did I get your attention?

[Sarah]

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[Todd Snyder]

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[Sarah]

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