The Glossy Podcast

Glossy

The Glossy Podcast is a weekly show on the impact of technology on the fashion and luxury industries with the people making change happen.

  1. Sep 11

    Inside Uniqlo's US expansion strategy with head of marketing Nico Cessot

    Uniqlo has taken the U.S. by storm. The Japanese purveyor of affordable but high-quality basics has become a household name, particularly on the populous East and West Coasts of the country. But in the last year, Uniqlo has ratcheted up its expansion in the U.S. It has opened dozens of new stores across the U.S., with its 87th store opening in Washington, D.C. at the end of last month. Nico Cessot, head of marketing in North America for Uniqlo, joined the Glossy Podcast to talk about some of the expansion strategies Uniqlo has adopted to grow its American audience. According to Cessot, despite operating in the U.S. since 2005, Uniqlo still has plenty of room to grow its customer base and build awareness. "Our biggest priority is to continue to drive our brand awareness," he said. "Ultimately, we're still new in this market. This year is our 20th anniversary. So we're still pretty new. We want to continue to appeal to the U.S. customers. And how do we do this? Obviously, the store expansion is one thing, but the brand awareness and the discovery of who we are, what we stand for, what products we promote, I think that is also key for the success of Uniqlo moving forward." Ultimately, Uniqlo's goal is to reach approximately $19 billion in U.S. sales with nearly 200 stores in the next few years. Part of that strategy is to expand its store fleet beyond the coasts and into the middle of the country. "For many, many years, Uniqlo has been expanding in both the East Coast and West Coast," Cessot said. "New York is obviously a big market for us, but we also have California and L.A. locations. We recently opened in Texas — Dallas and Houston — Seattle in Washington state, Boston, D.C. and Chicago, where we recently also opened another local flagship store. But I think many, many customers still don't have acce

    Inside Uniqlo's US expansion strategy with head of marketing Nico Cessot
  2. Aug 28

    What Chloe Malle's first September issue means for Vogue

    The Vogue September issue is the most important issue of the year for the storied fashion magazine. And this year's edition is the first one published under the new direction of Chloe Malle, head of editorial content, who took over for the legendary Anna Wintour last September. On the Glossy Podcast this week, hosts senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and editor-in-chief Jill Manoff take a look at Malle's first September issue and break down some of the ways that both Vogue and the larger fashion media industry have evolved. Chief among those changes is that print magazines are no longer the primary source of style information for the vast majority of fashion enthusiasts. The September issue of old was a bellwether for trends, informing the public about what was in style now and coming down the pipeline. But print can't compete with the speed of online publishing, where much of that timely trend analysis has moved, meaning that print has to be more timeless. The result is a sometimes contradictory product, full of ads for brands that are hot right now, but with editorial content that feels detached from the fashion business. "It's interesting that Chloe Malle is coming from a digital background," Manoff said. "I was a Vogue subscriber for years, and I used to read things that were buzzy and new. This issue had stories about improving your mood with Botox or one about the dangers of clenching your jaw. I was just like, 'What am I reading here?'" "A lot of it doesn't feel very timely," Parisi said. "Part of that is that people are more likely to buy print magazines today as a collector's item, as a coffee table book. That's why you see so many of those commemorative issues of random magazines in the grocery store aisle. They're not meant to give you timely information, which has all moved online." The hosts also discuss the cover story, featuring Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere, two children of famous parents, and the connection to Chloe Malle, herself the daughter of actress Candice Bergen and filmmaker Louis Malle. The issue ties the theme of children of famous parents to the many designers who have taken over at legacy fashion houses in the last year. And the September issue would be nothing without the clothes. This issue continues a trend in fashion editorial of single-brand looks. "We've definitely moved away from the stylist-driven looks, which haven't been the norm for a while," Manoff said. "I like when you see 'stylist-owned ball cap' or 'vintage jeans' in the credits. It's unfortunate that that's gone, because that is very inspiring to me. When you see a head-to-toe look that's all one brand, you're not getting ideas on how to style it. Nobody dresses that way."

    What Chloe Malle's first September issue means for Vogue
4
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The Glossy Podcast is a weekly show on the impact of technology on the fashion and luxury industries with the people making change happen.

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