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- [00:00]
A
Foreign. I'm Laura Vinroot Poole, and this is what we wore. Alyssa Zachary worked her way through the fashion industry with respected brands like the Row, developing her keen eye for design. Alyssa used her extensive experience to launch her own brand, High Sport, starting with the Perfect Pantry. And I'm trying to think about how I first became aware of High Sport, other than trying them on for the first time and knowing that they were a complete miracle. But I do think maybe it was the whole substack world of fashion writers, maybe that everybody was going crazy talking about it. And I was like, what are these pants? And then I think we ran into each other at the Country Martin. Yes.
- [00:49]
B
I saw you walking by at the Country Mart in the Country Mart parking lot, and you were wearing high sport pants and you looked very cute, and I was very pleased to see you in that.
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A
Okay, good. Well, wonderful. Well, thank you so much for agreeing to do this and also thank you so much for being such a support to the Brentwood team. I mean, that's been so incredible to have basically our house designer living several blocks away that they can call and say, can you replenish us?
- [01:17]
B
Well, I'm so glad to have that store here. And I, you know, have friends who drop in all the time and report back on what they've seen, and I go in all the time. And Brentwood's lucky to have you.
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A
But you're not from la, you're from.
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B
I'm from Dallas.
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A
Yeah, tell me about that.
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B
Yes. So I grew up in Dallas. I went to college in New York and then was, you know, landed in New York for about 13 years and then came to LA. So I've only been here for eight years.
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A
But I want to hear about your childhood in Texas.
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B
So I grew up in Dallas, which was a wonderful place to grow up. I grew up within sort of a five block radius of most of my extended family. Family was a very important part of my childhood. We were all together all the time, riding bikes to one another's houses, and my grandparents were around the corner. So when I think about my childhood in Dallas, it's mostly marked by spending time with family. And my family was a big part of the community there, too. I say was because my grandparents were really involved in the community and they're no longer here. But my parents and my sister and her family are still in Dallas, so they are still a big part of the community there.
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A
And tell me about your grandparents.
- [02:32]
B
You know, my grandparents brought the family to Dallas. My grandfather was in the oil business, so that was a natural place to be. And my grandmother was a fine art dealer and I think she was ahead of her time as a working woman. She worked from home. She would hang and display the art in her house so people would come to her and see it. And she represented, or rather she sold a lot of mid century artists, mostly lithographs, so editions and you know, a lot of mid century artists like Hockney and Jim Dine and Richard Archwager and Warhol and Lichtenstein and all kinds of notable artists. And so, you know, I got to grow up around that, which I think was not only it would have been special anywhere, but I think in Dallas, this exposure to culture and a bigger world. And I think that had a huge influence on me.
- [03:30]
A
And did you spend time with her? Did you go there after school?
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B
I did, I spent. We spent a ton of time there, mostly on the weekends. And you know, she had an incredible home that was just full of collected treasures over a lifetime of travel. And I loved being in and among all of those things, it was a ton of visual stimulation. And she had a closet full of art that I would go through and books and books and books full of slides that I would look at through her slide viewer. And it was like sort of just a visual explosion being there. And that probably had a huge impact on me.
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A
Do you have a first fashion memory?
- [04:14]
B
Well, I think that I have loved just clothing and getting dressed for as long as I can remember. I think clothing has always been a really meaningful form of self expression for me. You know, I remember laying out clothes, little like editorials on the floor of my bedroom, you know, shopping with my mom and putting things together and dressing friends and. Oh yeah, sure. I feel like getting dressed has played.
- [04:45]
A
A huge role and what an incredible place to grow up. I mean, Dallas is such a dressed town. Yeah, there's nowhere in the States like it. I think it's like the pinnacle of getting dressed, don't you?
- [04:56]
B
I do think so. I mean, I remember seeing, you know, everybody sort of looked good and there was a high standard of dress for sure. But you know, it's a particular kind of dress, I think, and it even still holds. It's been so interesting to see the way that a New York customer versus an LA customer versus a Charlotte customer versus a Dallas customer. Styles high sport. Because despite this sort of like globalization and you know, social media merging of all these cultures, there's still a very distinct style of dress in each of these places.
- [05:30]
A
Yeah, I totally agree with that. We have something in Common. My grandmother is a Cornell graduate. She was a Met graduate in 1925.
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B
Wow.
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A
But how did you get to Cornell? That was a big leap.
- [05:47]
B
You know, I mostly applied to colleges in the Northeast, and that's sort of where I got in, I should say. I was a pretty serious athlete in high school and toyed with the idea of playing sports in college, but probably wasn't quite committed enough to do that. And, you know, then ultimately applied to a few colleges, mostly in the Northeast, with some influence from my parents and my sister, all of whom went to Yale. So had a pretty narrow view of what a college experience might look like, and then landed in upstate New York in Ithaca.
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A
And what did you study?
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B
I studied economics and labor relations.
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A
And so tell me about your first job out of college. What'd you do with that econ degree?
- [06:30]
B
I had. I started working in fashion and retail in high school. I worked at a store in Dallas called Elements, which is still there, actually. So was very much interested in working in the fashion business from the onset, but have also always been interested in the business aspect of it. I think that's probably where studying economics comes in. And then when I graduated from college, I went into the Macy's merchandising program.
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A
Oh, wow.
- [06:59]
B
Was an executive training program. At that point, Macy's was still part of Federated. And it was like this incredible experience and obviously a hugely corporate business, but a really great experience with, you know, certainly with working with people, immersion into New York business culture and production, Private label, a little bit of design. And it was just sort of like a master class in the industry.
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A
How long?
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B
Well, I stayed there 365 days to the day. And then I decided I could go.
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A
It was menswear, womenswear, children's, everything.
- [07:42]
B
Yes. I mean, at a certain point I was assigned to. To a specific private label because it really all came back came down to these various private labels that Macy's had. I don't know if they still have them, but they had so many at the time that the one that I worked for was called Karen Scott. And it was sort of like a women's bridge line produced where Alyssa produced in Asia.
- [08:02]
A
And did you facilitate that?
- [08:04]
B
I did not know. I did not travel to Asia. But you know what? I think something that was really interesting that I learned. Well, I actually learned quite a bit during that period. But a big part of what they taught was diversifying production because you didn't want to be too reliant on any one country or any one manufacturer. And it's Interesting how that has come back into play recently. Yeah.
- [08:29]
A
We were having a buying meeting yesterday and they were talking about how most of our collections, especially the ones that are made in China, have figured out how to produce other places. And I'm like, wow, that is like a really big deal.
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B
Yes.
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A
When you had that job, Zoom didn't exist.
- [08:47]
B
Existed.
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A
Isn't that crazy?
- [08:50]
B
Yes, it totally is. I mean, email obviously existed, although I remember, like, I wonder if this is still the case. We had an interweb, so. So you were only allowed to work on Macy's related things. There was no access to the outside world and there was of course, only like Nokia flip phones, phone calls and fax machines was how we communicated.
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A
Which is also, like, really fascinating because you really had to know how to write and to communicate exactly what you meant. Yeah, really interesting. So on day 366, where did you go?
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B
So then I went to Rebecca Minkoff.
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A
Oh, wow.
- [09:23]
B
Yeah, it was a really interesting moment there. There was, and I think they've had an interesting trajectory in general, but it was sort of this excitement around the brand. And there was something called the purse blog at the time, which may very well still exist, but it was a chat group for people who were basically obsessed with these handbags and this particular tier of handbags of which there were a number of other brands in that moment. And there was just sort of this obsession and excitement around the brand and the project. So it was a fun moment to be there, but I knew that I wanted to be in apparel and I wanted to be in designer apparel. So from there I went to Parsons. That was sort of my opportunity to go back to school and study design and pivot into designer apparel.
- [10:08]
A
Were you working while you went or full time school?
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B
I left and went to Parsons and the program that I did there was sort of a two year program and I did it in a year and a half. So it was. It was a break from working and.
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A
It was design that was the program.
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B
Yes.
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A
And did you have any indication, any idea what you wanted to do?
- [10:27]
B
No, but I knew that I loved being there. I loved my experience there. I loved draping and patterning and sketching and needle punching and sewing. I loved it all. I loved working with my hands. I loved learning about how clothes were made. It was an incredible experience. You know what I'll say is I knew from the beginning, before I went to college that I was equally interested in the business aspect of fashion. So I knew that design alone would not satisfy my interest. But if I could unite this design education with my business experience, that then I would land on what was right for me.
- [11:13]
A
Does Parsons do a good job of that, knowing that designers also need to be smart and know about econ?
- [11:20]
B
I would say there was a little bit of, you know, maybe there. There was some sort of, like, business education, a little bit of brand education. There was a. There was a class called Processes and Skills that talked a lot about, you know, extending your idea into brand. I wouldn't say there was a lot of business education. I interned at the Row towards the end of my Parsons experience.
- [11:46]
A
And what was that like?
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B
Oh, I loved it. I mean, I saw what the Row was, what it could be. That was just sort of the beginning. I think they were maybe in their second year of business at that point, and it was just an incredible experience. And in fact, when my internship was over, they were like, okay, bye. Thank you so much. And I more or less chained myself to my desk and said, I'm staying here. This is where work. And then I was there for almost 10 years. Wow.
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A
Okay. So what was your first role there?
- [12:15]
B
My first role was as a design intern. Then when I stayed on to work, I had a generalist position. You know, at that time, the business was about seven people. It was an office in LA and an office in New York, and the woman who sort of oversaw a lot of the different departments unrelated to design was based in la. So I took a position in New York, being her eyes and ears on the ground. And the business was a little bit of a rocket ship. So, you know, it spoke exactly to what I love to do then and what I love to do now, which is have my hands in so many aspects of the business. I mean, to me, that's always been the beauty of working at small businesses and now owning one. You know, I don't know, maybe you feel the same way, but to have, you know, it's incredibly dynamic.
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A
Yeah, I think so. It's not boring.
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B
Oh, it's not boring.
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A
Tell me, what were some of the intangible things that you learned that shaped, I think, the way that you work now?
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B
God, I learned so much at the Row. I. You know, I would say there are a lot of obvious things or things that seem obvious to me, like attention to detail, commitment to quality. You know, I think. I think the Row never compromised on product or quality. And, you know, I very much hold the same standards today at high sports. So I think that. I think that that had a big influence, you know, believing that something is possible and wanting to See it through to fruition. And not really hearing no, but believing, you know, we can get this done. And that's a big part of how I work now. You know, I don't really hear no. I sort of, you know, I sort of think there's an alternative. I don't want to hear no. I want to hear, you know, how can we make this happen? I think what the Row did and does now has always been original, an original proposition. And, you know, that's very important to the ethos of high sport. There's so much of everything out there. How can we identify a distinct brand and product vision and stay true to that? Yeah, and the culture at the Row was also incredible. I think, you know, so many creative minds together, young minds at that time, and just an incredible environment. And I am still friends with so many of the people that I worked with there today, and they remain, you know, they remain important supports and counsels in my life and business.
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A
So. So did you move in between departments there in that 10 years?
- [14:57]
B
Yes. As the company evolved, my role there evolved. So I worked on collaborations of which, you know, there were many. At one point, I supported marketing. I, in the early days, would help with sales. And then as the company grew and became more formalized, I went into merchandising. And that's where I was for probably the second half of my career.
- [15:22]
A
Will you explain what merchandising is?
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B
So merchandising more or less is the conduit between sales and design. So, you know, if you think of. Of sales as needing a, you know, saleable collection, when you think of design as executing on a vision, merchandising is sort of what translates the sales needs to the design team and works with design to create a collection that's saleable.
- [15:52]
A
And.
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B
And, you know, in my mind, it's such an important job because it's. It's, you know, without that bridge, you wouldn't. You might really have a disconnect between those two areas of the business, bringing together the form and the function that makes a fashion business work.
- [16:07]
A
From my end, from the buying end, you always hear when brands are having a hard time, they're like, we brought in a new merchandiser. We're really excited. Things are going to get better. Yeah, I believe that was part of your job creating product. Like, was it that you would go through the collection and say, you need cotton T shirts in here. You need some cashmere sweaters in order to make this a merchandizable collection, Saleable?
- [16:32]
B
Yes. It is not. I Wouldn't say. I mean, generally not speaking specifically to my experience, actually, I guess it could differ company to company, but it is less, you know, it is not a design position, but it's about taking ideas and yes, saying, you know, okay, how can we flesh this out into a full collection that we can bring, you know, to the store level or, you know, what is missing from this collection that the customer needs? What is she wearing this with? And, you know, how are we creating a full image for this season that, you know, is communicating your.
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A
Your.
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B
The designer's vision.
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A
And Alyssa, is it also connecting to the sales team and understanding how they sell? Yeah. And you saying to the design team, like, I need them to be able to do this or have.
- [17:18]
B
You have to speak both languages. And to me, that's what's so exciting. I mean, you really, as you're saying, these businesses that are like, everything is going to get better. We have a new merchant. You can't have one without the other.
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A
Yeah.
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B
And, you know, sales can be really like numbers and data driven and design can obviously be much more, you know, creative and ethereal. And I think the merchant is the one who takes those two very important silos and connects them.
- [17:45]
A
So you were there with. With them for 10 years and then moved to LA.
- [17:50]
B
Then I went on to. I had had my son towards the end of my tenure there, and he was about one when I left. And I came home one night from a long day at work and, you know, I think he had just started walking and he ran to me at the front door and I felt like I felt this pull to control my own schedule a little bit more and be able to spend time with him. And so it was a very difficult decision. But I left at that point and I went on to work with the Kate team and the Line at that point. You know, it was an assembled brands was an umbrella for the line and Kate and protagonist, another brand we were working on at the time. And I went to work with them for about a year and a half and then moved to la.
- [18:40]
A
I always think too that women in New York, it's like when they. The first several times they have to take the stroller down into the subway and then come back up and they're like, actually, yeah, I'm not going to do this anymore.
- [18:52]
B
Oh, my gosh. Well, I will say getting in and out of a car and a car seat with a baby maybe isn't much easier.
- [18:58]
A
That's true. So when you got to la, you continue to work, you're with Kate and then Rosetta. Getty?
- [19:05]
B
I think so, yes. So actually I forgot about Rosette, but I was consulting for Rosetta at the time. A few people actually who had previously been at the Row went on to work at Rosetta. So I joined them there for a period as a consultant, was simultaneously consulting for Kate and protagonist and doing a little bit of work for the line. And then my husband's career brought us to la. So I had never considered moving to LA before. I probably only been here even a couple times, but.
- [19:36]
A
And what were you starting to notice that women were missing in their closets. How did this whole thing start? I think the high sport pant.
- [19:44]
B
You know, it was the first time when we moved to LA that I hadn't, that I wasn't working, you know, in school or working. I truly had space to think and observe and you know, consider and I started to play with some ideas and I visited factories here and I visited fabric mills here. And I thought that there was an opportunity. I had always had a desire to do my own thing and you know, had always had an entrepreneurial spirit and my own creative vision. And I thought that there was an opportunity for clothing that was tailored and looked great and the wearer looked great, but that really wore well throughout the day. You know, look as, you know, as a busy mom, someone who was, like I said, getting in and out of the car and you know, had lunches and school drop offs and meetings and cocktails, I found that I needed something that looked as good in the evening as it looked in the morning. Yeah, and I think, you know, la, there's, there's, we are not cut and sew, we are knit, but there, there are, knits are made here and there's so much cut and sew jersey and, and T shirting made here that when I started to explore manufacturing in la, I think that informed what high sport became.
- [20:58]
A
And so how long did it take to develop?
- [21:00]
B
Oh my God, it took forever. It took forever. It took about four years. Yeah. I'm almost embarrassed by how long it took, but I think there were a few factors that, that, that played into that. But it took a really long time.
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A
Can you imagine developing this without your previous experience at the Row and, and, and at Macy's? I mean at all of the places.
- [21:22]
B
No, I can't imagine doing anything I do without previous experience. I've had the, the opportunity to speak to a fashion class at my high school a couple times as a guest lecturer. And you know, I, it's an all girls school so I. I talk to the girls about how my network that I developed, you know, working in fashion and my experience and all of the resources that accumulated over my, you know, even starting with working retail in high school, all of the resources that I accumulated over that 20 years have been so essential to what I'm doing today. Could not have done it without it. So, you know, I say to them, definitely, do your own thing, start your own line, but go work for other people first.
- [22:06]
A
Yeah. And then how did you know that it was a pant? I mean, I know it's more than that now, but how did you know that that first piece was a pant and that that had so much, so many legs to it?
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B
Well, it wasn't a pant anymore than it is today, really, except for that the pant just struck a nerve and it took off right away.
- [22:26]
A
This is hearing it from friends, and this is hearing it from, you know, ex colleagues. And you're saying, this is what I think it is. And everybody's like, oh, my God, yes, I have to have a pant.
- [22:34]
B
We launched with about seven or so styles, the pant being one of them. And I had friends over, but all.
- [22:44]
A
In the same fabric. Alyssa, all in that same.
- [22:46]
B
Yes, all in the same fabric. So that was very much part of the original thesis. And actually we have a very exciting holiday concept that I'm coming to New York to shoot on Friday that, you know, speaks to the original thesis, too. But it was all meant to be originally one fabric.
- [23:01]
A
And were they all one color?
- [23:03]
B
No. So it was a few different colors in one fabric and even a few different stitches. And we still very much that today we'll use, you know, one yarn and create a number of different fabrics from it with different stitches. I had friends over, one of whom is a. Is a well known and extremely talented stylist, the other of whom works with different brands. And, you know, I had them come and other friends who aren't in fashion at all come and try and play and just sort of look at the samples. And the pant was the thing that.
- [23:36]
A
Everybody kept coming back to, and did they have tweaks for it or was it perfect as is? Were they like, this is.
- [23:41]
B
It's pretty good, I must say. You know, you don't. You don't. You don't take four and a half years to make a good pant for nothing. So I will say it was. It was. By the time I brought it to market, it was a pretty good pant.
- [23:55]
A
Do you have an ultimate vision of what you Want High sport to be.
- [23:58]
B
Well, the goal posts are always shifting.
- [24:00]
A
Yeah.
- [24:01]
B
I mean, I think I would have said when I launched the brand, when we. When we really launched in 2021, you know, maybe I would have looked at where we are today and said this. You know, that is where I ultimately want to be. Now that I've seen what incredible potential we have and what the response has been to the brand, I think the sky's the limit. And, you know, I think from a product perspective, there's so much that we can do and we've really just touched the tip of the iceberg. In fact, you know, like I said, we have this great. I'm excited to share with you. We have this great holiday concept that we're shooting on Friday, and then we're working on spring right now, and that is a much more fully developed collection. So from a design perspective, there's so much. And I think that the brand is every bit as important as the product. And from a brand perspective, I really want to own this idea of, you know, sporty, elevated lifestyle. And I think that there's so much we can do with that.
- [25:04]
A
What are some of the challenges that you're facing as a founder as the business expands?
- [25:09]
B
Oh, my gosh. Well, you can probably relate to this.
- [25:11]
A
I can.
- [25:12]
B
Challenges. The challenges. You know, I said to my husband recently, I was like, God, being an entrepreneur, it's like. It's like one day you're having, you know, it's the lowest of lows, like this couldn't get out of any worse. And the next day you find out that you don't have to be EDI compliant to ship to Bergdorf and never been happier in your life. So it's really peaks and valleys. But what was the question?
- [25:40]
A
Well, I mean, you've got to have grit. I mean, I think you've got a really. You have to be really committed to it. Why do you think that's been so critical to your success?
- [25:50]
B
I think that grit has been. Maybe you feel the same way. I think that grit has been the single most important attribute in whatever success that I've had or we've had at high sport.
- [26:03]
A
And did you know you had it?
- [26:05]
B
Well, I'd like to think that I have had it.
- [26:08]
A
Yeah.
- [26:08]
B
But I don't think I've ever been faced with challenges like, you know, I've never had to. I've never had to find out.
- [26:14]
A
Yeah.
- [26:15]
B
But I mean, just the incredible grit that you need, you know, to make it through the day to day. And I just. That's the thing that keeps showing up for me and that, you know, allows me to move forward. I would say.
- [26:32]
A
There was a great quote that I read about you that you. That you loved Alison Krauss, that says the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing. I just love that.
- [26:43]
B
Yes. I think that speaks to me. I think that it's just incredible to be here and, you know, that helps me maintain a good attitude, you know. Yeah, it's. It's not always easy. In fact, most of the time, or at least half of the time, it's really challenging. But I remember that we're lucky to be here, playing in this game and sitting, Being in the stores that we're in. I mean, I could have only dreamed of being in a store like Capital. Yeah. And so, you know, to. To now be in the position where High Sports sold and sold successfully in your stores. You know, I feel incredibly lucky to be doing this.
- [27:22]
A
And tell me about your supporters. I mean, who have been the most critical supporters of your. Of this venture so far.
- [27:28]
B
Everybody. Everybody in my life has been, so. I could probably cry talking about it, but. And maybe you've had the same experience, but it's really pleasantly surprising in the unbelievable ways people show up to support you.
- [27:43]
A
Yeah, it is.
- [27:43]
B
But like I said, former colleagues that I called on when I started. I mean, now, five years later, I still call on them all the time with questions and considerations. And my family has been unbelievably supportive, and my friends have been supportive. And, you know, just everybody along the way has really just propped up this brand. And I'm so grateful.
- [28:09]
A
Well, let me ask you about that, because entrepreneurs ask me sometimes, I say, be really careful who you share your dreams with, because most people really won't be supportive. Even the people you love the most and the people you need to support you the most oftentimes won't because they don't want to see you get hurt. And so, you know, they have a lot of fear around these big dreams that you have. Did you share what you wanted this to be early on with anybody?
- [28:37]
B
Yes, And I think there's definitely an element of what you were saying. I mean, I had a friend who used to own a footwear brand, and.
- [28:43]
A
She was like, don't do it.
- [28:45]
B
Do this. Why are you doing this? You have a nice life. Don't do this to yourself. And she was right. But I am so glad I did it.
- [28:54]
A
Well, I think it goes back to that grit. Like, you sort of. You have to really have it. And really know that you want to do it no matter what anybody says around you? Like. Yes.
- [29:03]
B
And I had a very clear vision. I mean, I won't say that the vision doesn't evolve, because it does all the time, hopefully.
- [29:09]
A
Yeah.
- [29:09]
B
Yes, right, exactly. But I had a very clear vision, and I don't know that I was the best at communicating it then, and I don't know that I'm the best at communicating. Communicating it today. I think that at the end of the day, the product has to speak for itself, certainly far better than I can speak for it. But, you know, I believed 100 in what I was doing then and now. And I think you have to, Right or otherwise, you couldn't face this every day.
- [29:35]
A
Yeah. Because you do ultimately face it alone, kind of.
- [29:39]
B
Yes. It's very isolating, and you have to have really strong convictions. And there are naysayers. And to quote my favorite philosopher, Kris Kardashian, I think she said, if you hear no, you're going to the wrong place or something like that. I've heard no every step along the way. I've heard no people who went on to invest in the business. I've heard no from stores that went on to carry the product or friends that went on to wear it. I very much believe in that philosophy.
- [30:11]
A
You have three children.
- [30:13]
B
Yes.
- [30:13]
A
What do you think your children notice about you as an entrepreneur, and what do you think it means to them?
- [30:18]
B
Oh, my God. My kids are very proud of high sport, which is very sweet. I saw my daughter showing the website to her babysitter the other day, even though I tried to be. I tried to separate the two. But as an entrepreneur, it's hard. Right. One life bleeds into work, and work bleeds into life. Certainly as a woman and an entrepreneur, I should say. But I hope that they see me working hard and following my dreams and, you know, the strength and conviction I bring to what I do and my commitment and the way that I, you know, I think. I hope I'm a good mom, and I think I strike a pretty good balance the best I can. I travel a lot for work, but when I'm home, which is the preponderance of the time, I'm. I'm, you know, very present, or I try to be present. And I hope that at least my girls will probably face similar challenges as moms, and I hope that. That, you know, hopefully it's a good example for them.
- [31:29]
A
What did you wear to prom?
- [31:31]
B
Well, homecoming, and I was the homecoming queen.
- [31:34]
A
Nice.
- [31:34]
B
So please make sure that makes it in the final edit, definitely. I work. My friend, my best friend in high school worked at a store in Dallas called Ultimo.
- [31:44]
A
Yeah.
- [31:45]
B
You know that store? Yeah, it doesn't exist anymore. But I mean especially in Dallas. It didn't last long there because you.
- [31:51]
A
Know, she was a genius though a.
- [31:53]
B
Little bit forward maybe, but it was such a cool store. I wore so she bought for us 90% off. I remember she, she bought us each dresses and I wore a mint green knee length strapless Daryl K. Suede.
- [32:10]
A
What accoutrement? What did you like? Hair, jewelry, shoes.
- [32:14]
B
Oh my gosh, I don't remember. I probably wore my hair up with two tendrils hanging in the front. I had to guess. I don't know, you know what brands we were wearing then that, that Catione, Adeli.
- [32:29]
A
Yes. Love.
- [32:29]
B
Everybody always references those pants. I need to go back and tell look. But. But I remember. You know, it's interesting when you make a pant brand, people will come to you and tell you about all the pants that have been meaningful to them over the course of their fashion lives. And I did not. I never realized that that pants played such an important role in women's lives and closets and that has totally borne itself out. But.
- [32:55]
A
But they do because it's so rare to find a pant that fits and makes you feel. Feel good. It's really hard.
- [33:02]
B
I guess so. Well, I'm glad that you've done it. Yeah, I'm glad that we've done that. We can be a part of that lineage. But people have told me about, you know, over the years, Cationia, Deli, Chaikin and Capone. Yes, Joseph, yes.
- [33:17]
A
I carried all of them.
- [33:18]
B
Isn't that funny? And well, that's when I started to hear about it when buyers would come in and say, oh, this reminds me of, you know, a chicken and Capone we had in day or something like that. And it's interesting and you know, it underscores to me like pants are important to women. They allow women to move and do. And they are.
- [33:38]
A
And of the ones you mentioned, other than Joseph, which probably was designed by women also. Really? But they're all designed by women. I mean, Julie Chaykin, Darrel.
- [33:49]
B
That's interesting.
- [33:50]
A
Thank you, Alyssa, so much for doing this. I really, really appreciate it. What We Wore is produced by Capitol and Balto Creative Media. The original song Someone so Enchanting was composed and performed by Britt Drazda. Please follow us on Instagram hatweworepodcast for additional content and show updates queencitypodcastnetwork.com.