Fashion & Founders The Podcast

Victoria Smith
  • 4.8 (24)
  • FASHION & BEAUTY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Fashion & Founders is a media platform exploring how fashion is actually built. Hosted by Victoria Smith, the show sits at the intersection of fashion, technology, and capital spotlighting the founders, investors, and operators shaping the industry’s next era.Through long-form conversations, we go beyond trends to unpack fundraising, manufacturing, resale,  AI,  sustainability, career, and the evolving business of fashion. This is where fashion’s builders speak, share, and connect. 

  1. 4D AGO

    NYFW isn't "dead," but it is too expensive

    New York Fashion Week isn’t dead, but it is changing. In this solo NYFW recap, Victoria breaks down what felt different this season and how Fashion Week is getting too expensive. From major brands like Ralph Lauren and Marc Jacobs showing off-schedule, Thom Browne showing in San Francisco, brands giving away show tickets leading to how NYFW could be evolving into an “Art Basel”-style citywide experience. She also shares the fashion tech + retail innovation that caught her eye, the behind-the-scenes realities of how outfits (and glam) actually happen during Fashion Week, and the pop-ups + community events that proved NYFW is increasingly about access, culture, and connection not just runway invites. Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: ⁠@fashionandfounders⁠ Podcast Substack: ⁠Fashion and Founders⁠ Podcast Website: ⁠fashionandfounders.com⁠ Podcast TikTok: ⁠@⁠⁠fashionandfounders⁠ Podcast LinkedIn: ⁠Fashion and Founders⁠ Podcast YouTube: ⁠Fashion and Founders⁠ Podcast Links: ⁠Shop My⁠ Glamsquad: Code: ⁠FASHIONANDFOUNDERS ⁠for $20 off Rent the Runway: Code: ⁠RTRXVSMITH50⁠and get 50% off your first month! Rebecca Minkoff episode on fashion week being to expensive ⁠HERE⁠ Thanks for listening!

    23 min
  2. Ganni Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Bartley

    FEB 15

    Ganni Chief Sustainability Officer Lauren Bartley

    In this episode, Victoria sits down with Ganni’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Lauren Bartley. They discuss how the brand approaches sustainability and design, as they set trends rather than following them. Lauren unpacks Ganni's transparent approach to sustainability reporting, its investment in next-generation material innovation, partnerships in resale and repair, and how the brand balances trend-setting design with long-term environmental strategy. They also explore Scandinavian sustainability culture, the importance of consistency over perfection, and why innovation is key to moving fashion forward. Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Follow Ganni: IG: @ganni Shop HERE The Ganni Playbook Follow Boii Studios: IG: @boiistudios Shop HERE Rent the Runway: Use code: RTRXVSMITH50 and get 50% off your first month! Thanks for listening!

    36 min
  3. Copenhagen Fashion Week Trends and Takeaways

    FEB 8

    Copenhagen Fashion Week Trends and Takeaways

    In this episode, Victoria recaps her experience attending Copenhagen Fashion Week from street style and behind-the-scenes access to the sustainability frameworks shaping the future of fashion. She breaks down what makes Copenhagen different from other fashion capitals, why transparency and public access matter, and how brands are rethinking design through the lens of weather, function, and real life. Victoria also shares insights from industry panels, a Substack hosted dinner, standout designers, and why she believes climate-adapted fashion and functional pieces are the next major shift in the industry. Plus a back stage interview with designers Marie and Julie Skall of Skall Studio.  Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Find the Brands mentioned on: Substack and ShopMy Rent the Runway: Use code: RTRXVSMITH50 and get 50% off your first month! Thanks for listening!

    28 min
  4. COVID Side Hustle to the Red Carpet: Undone by Kate

    JAN 25

    COVID Side Hustle to the Red Carpet: Undone by Kate

    In this episode, Victoria sits down with Kate March, founder and designer of Undone by Kate. She shares how a pandemic project became a made-in-New-York bespoke, bridal, and special occasion brand. Kate shares her path from celebrity styling to teaching herself how to sew on YouTube, creating her first upcycled tees that sparked demand, and the influencer moment that drove $10K in Shopify sales in one day. They talk bootstrapping on unemployment checks, learning pricing the hard way, building a local contractor network, and why made-to-measure is both the new luxury and true size inclusivity. Plus: a last-minute Selena Gomez VMAs dress pivot, bridal trends, and Kate’s best advice for breaking into fashion. Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Victoria Pickle Closet: @victorias Follow Undone by Kate: IG: @undonebykate Shop Custom Looks HERE Fashion Career Playbook HERE Brand Spotlight: Aven Atelier  Rent the Runway: Use code: RTRXVSMITH50 and get 50% off your first month! Thanks for listening!

    35 min
  5. Marina Larroudé: Reinventing the Footwear Business Model

    JAN 18

    Marina Larroudé: Reinventing the Footwear Business Model

    In this episode, Victoria sits down with Marina Larroude, founder of Larroudé, to unpack how she built one of fashion’s fastest-growing footwear brands by rewriting the rules. Marina shares her journey from interning at Condé Nast to leading fashion at Barneys, and how those experiences revealed the white space that inspired Larroudé. They dive into why footwear is one of the hardest categories in fashion, how vertical integration and pre-orders became a growth engine, and why the brand chose profitability over “growth at all costs.” Marina also offers sharp career advice for early builders, the truth behind “good taste,” what fashion school doesn’t teach, and why progress done daily compounds over time. Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Victoria Pickle Closet: @victorias Follow Larroude: IG: @marinalarroude IG: @larroude Website Fashion Job Board HERE Rent the Runway: Use code: RTRXVSMITH50 and get 50% off your first month! Thanks for listening!

    39 min
  6. Rebecca Minkoff: Building a Household Name Fashion Label

    JAN 11

    Rebecca Minkoff: Building a Household Name Fashion Label

    In this episode, Victoria sits down with designer and founder Rebecca Minkoff to break down what it really takes to build a fashion brand and keep it alive through industry curveballs. Rebecca shares how an  internship led to her first break, the celebrity moment that helped launch her label, and why success is a slow build of momentum over time. They dive into the business realities fashion school doesn’t teach like costing, pricing, profitability, and why she believes founders should bootstrap before raising money. Rebecca also pulls back the curtain on the true cost of Fashion Week, navigating fast fashion copycats, using AI to pitch and work smarter, and the resilience required to play the long game. Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Victoria Pickle Closet: @victorias Follow Rebecca Minkoff: IG: @rebeccaminkoff IG: @beckyminkoff Female Founder Collective Superwoman Podcast Her book Fearless Fashion Career Playbook HERE Rent the Runway: Use code: RTRXVSMITH50 and get 50% off your first month! Thanks for listening!

    37 min
  7. Cynthia Rowley: How to Make it in Fashion in NYC

    JAN 3

    Cynthia Rowley: How to Make it in Fashion in NYC

    In this episode, Victoria sits down with Cynthia Rowley, CFDA award winning designer, to talk about building a fashion career the scrappy way. Cynthia shares how she got started making clothes, her accidental path to New York, and what it really takes to sustain a long-term career in fashion. She breaks down the realities behind runway shows, navigating changes in the global fashion industry, and why small wins, consistency, and risk-taking matter more than chasing instant success. Cynthia also offers advice for breaking into the fashion industry without a traditional background, moving to New York, and balancing creativity with the business side of fashion. Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Victoria Pickle Closet: @victorias Follow Cynthia Rowley: IG: @cynthiarowley Website HERE Fashion Career Playbook HERE Rent the Runway: Use code: RTRXVSMITH50 and get 50% off your first month! Thanks for listening!

    42 min

  8. JAN 2

    Fashion Career Playbook

    Fashion Career Playbook to break into fashion in 2026. How to break into the fashion industry in 2026. Part One out now on Substack. Link Here: https://fashionandfounders.substack.com/p/the-fashion-career-playbook-part Follow Fashion & Founders: Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders Podcast Substack: Fashion and Founders Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com Podcast TikTok: @fashionandfounders Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders Podcast Links: Shop My Thanks for listening!

    7 min
See All (85)

4.8
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Fashion & Founders is a media platform exploring how fashion is actually built. Hosted by Victoria Smith, the show sits at the intersection of fashion, technology, and capital spotlighting the founders, investors, and operators shaping the industry’s next era.Through long-form conversations, we go beyond trends to unpack fundraising, manufacturing, resale,  AI,  sustainability, career, and the evolving business of fashion. This is where fashion’s builders speak, share, and connect. 

Information

  • Creator
    Victoria Smith
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    85
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fashion & Founders The Podcast
  • Show Website
    Fashion & Founders The Podcast

You Might Also Like