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On this NYFW edition of the Glossy Podcast, host Jill Manoff sits down with designer Jonathan Cohen and CEO Sarah Leff, the creative and the business mind behind the 14-year-old Jonathan Cohen brand.
On Sunday, Jonathan Cohen showcased its fall 2025 collection in a presentation at Rockefeller Center that also incorporated inspiring women and new collaborations with accessories brands.
On the podcast, Cohen shares why the show’s format made sense for the business. And Leff discusseds how she and Cohen balance business and creative priorities. Highlights from the episode, below, have been lightly edited for clarity.
Throughout New York Fashion Week, from February 6-11, check back for more daily podcast episodes featuring influential fashion insiders, from brand CEOs to designers.
Finding a co-founder at Parsons
Leff: “I studied design and management at Parsons with the goal of understanding the creative industry from a business [point of view]. Jonathan and I met freshman year — he was in fashion, and I was in business — and we would always chat. We both interned since day one, and we would brainstorm and share each other’s experiences, like what we were studying in classes and what we were doing on our internships. I always loved the creative process, but I always looked at the business behind it and [aimed to] understand the mind that went into it and how to translate that into a business.”
Business vs. creative?
Cohen: “It’s always been a push and pull [of creative and business priorities] and finding a balance between those two because both are very important to us. We grew up in very business-minded households, but also, fashion and art were always my creative escapes. So, I’m very protective of that, as well — and more so as I’ve gotten older and the world’s gotten crazier. But we’re always having those conversations about how we stay creative and push the boundaries, while also creating pieces that people want to buy and really invest into.”
Leff: “Our relationship is very yin and yang. I understand what his development status is and when to interject myself or to let his brain flow. And it always comes to a great conclusion, [incorporating] what we need for the business and allowing us to tell the creative vision. There are always those pieces you need to include in a collection that [allow you to] story-tell and dream. We may not intend to produce 10-20 units of them, but the one person who’s going to buy the custom version of them is so important.”
