search
Glossy Logo
Glossy Logo
Subscribe Login
  • Glossy+ homepage
  • My account
  • FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Log out
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Glossy+
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Pop
  • Shop
search
Glossy Logo
Subscribe Login
  • Glossy+ homepage
  • My account
  • FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Log out
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Pop
  • Glossy+
  • Events
  • Podcasts
  • Newsletters
  • Shop
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • instagram
  • email
Fashion

On the Glossy Podcast: Timo Weiland and Steven Kolb

By Glossy Team
Jul 5, 2016  •  2 min read
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher

Digital pressures on the fashion industry — a new show cycle and a more complicated logistics process — have trickled down to the designers themselves. A string of high-profile departures from creative directors last year were caused, say observers, by the increasing “designer burnout” in the industry.

In this week’s Glossy Podcast, we brought on Timo Weiland, co-founder of his eponymous brand, to discuss how a relatively new designer gets affected by an industry in turmoil. Joining him is Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which hopes to be the guiding light for many of these designers.  

Edited highlights below.

Too many people want to be designers
The saturation in social media and an increased pop cultural interest in fashion has convinced too many people that they can be designers, said Kolb. “It’s this notion that if you like fashion you become a creative director,” he said. There are exceptions: The Row, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s company, did well because the designers put aside their actress careers to the side, he said. “It’s about learning, not just slapping your name on something.”

And that means more pressure for successful designers
Weiland, who said his work is all about simple, wearable and classic designs has found that establishing an identity becomes harder because of the increased competition and saturation. He makes efforts to go to seminars and hire many interns. But he’s turned off by how distracted so many of them seem. They say, “’I’m interested in PR and design’,” he said. “And I just say ‘no’.” The problem becomes one of lack of focus amid too much excitement.

See-now buy-now isn’t the big change everyone thinks it is
Designers are “directly impacted” by the shift in fashion calendars, said Weiland, who said he’s paying more attention to forecasting and data — and creating a more cohesive “signature look.” But Kolb said that people make the shift more complicated than it needs to be. So if a designer is showing a Spring collection in September, he can still show to editors and buyers and embargo the images, or release a smattering of them as a “preview” before showing Fall clothes to consumers at the same time. So things are actually pretty much business as usual, just on a smaller scale. “There is an argument because this is a bad idea because trends won’t evolve,” he said. “But that’s not true because it is happening just in a smaller way.”

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
Related reads
  • Fashion
    With 95% of NFTs worthless, luxury fashion is finding other uses for web3
  • Fashion
    Resale companies embrace faster shipping, streamlined returns
  • Fashion
    Op-ed: The real TikTok threat is in Shops and cross-border commerce
Latest Stories
  • Member Exclusive
    Beauty & Wellness Briefing: Miranda Kerr’s Kora Organics enters a new phase of growth
  • Fashion
    With 95% of NFTs worthless, luxury fashion is finding other uses for web3
  • Pop
    Hailey Bieber’s makeup artist launches a brand offering the dewy look
logo

Get news and analysis about fashion, beauty and culture delivered to your inbox every morning.

Reach Out
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram
  • Threads
  • Email
About Us
  • About Us
  • Masthead
  • Advertise with us
  • Digiday Media
  • Custom
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
©2023 Digiday Media. All rights reserved.