Decode Sessions

Anna Anderson
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Decode Sessions: the world's number one marketing podcast for fashion and culture. Hosted by Anna Anderson, this is where fashion, culture and business collide. We decode what's happening across culture and marketing, and turn it into clear, actionable insights that brands and marketers can use immediately. Anna is the fashion and luxury marketer who has a track record of working with the most influential brands in the world: a former Condé Nast editor across Vogue and GQ London, with career roots at H&M Sweden, she spans mass market to luxury editorial. A sought-after speaker at Web Summit, IMS London, and eTail EU, she brings sharp cultural insight and strategy that brands of any size can put to work. She offers 20+ years of fashion & luxury experience. One perspective, one mic, no filter.

  1. 14h ago

    The Brand Taking on Skims

    Underdays didn't start with a business plan, it started with a disappointing trip to a lingerie sample sale. Five years later, co-founders Oria Mackenzie and Amelie Sala have built a wellness-driven underwear brand with a cult UK following, a skincare-infused fabric line, and a US expansion that's growing faster than either of them expected. We talk about why underwear has been the most overlooked category in wellness, how they built loyalty from sticker drops and grassroots gifting long before they had a marketing budget, and why they've never chased "newness" the way most brands do, colour drops that sell out in 36 hours have done the job instead. Oria and Amelie get into the data behind the brand, the different customer personas they've mapped out, and what it actually takes to build trust without shortcuts. We also dig into UNDERskin™, their first bra collection, and what's fuelling their US growth. It's a founder story about patience and research in a category built on quick fixes, and a look at what it takes to carve out space in a market Skims has dominated. [04:18] From Fashion Industry Career to Founding an Underwear Brand [11:39] Content Strategy: Posting 50 Times a Week to Educate Customers [16:47] Influencer Gifting and Finding Your Ideal Customer [19:31] Building Brand Loyalty Through Real Community, Not Quick Fixes [24:03] Using Customer Data to Build a Stronger Brand [28:30] Driving Hype With Colour Drops and Limited Editions [32:36] Wellness Innovation and Expanding a Brand Into the US Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

  2. Sep 9

    111SKIN, Gucci & Balenciaga: Michael Edelmann on Building Modern Luxury

    We sat down with Michael Edelmann, CMO of 111SKIN, to talk about modern luxury marketing, from Harry Styles and celebrity influence to TikTok, K-beauty, and the loyalty that keeps a community coming back. Drawing on a career across Gucci, Balenciaga, Business of Fashion and Dr. Barbara Sturm, Michael brings a rare outside-in view to a category obsessed with ingredient claims and quick wins. We get into why a global brand strategy only works if it's willing to look different in every market it enters, from a single Alo Yoga activation in New York that ended up shaping 111SKIN's approach across London, Paris, Dubai and China. We talk about why an unlikely partnership with TaskRabbit turned into one of the brand's smartest cultural moments, and why Michael thinks beauty's loyalty problem can't be solved with virality or price, only with proof. We also trace the brand back to its roots in a Harley Street surgical clinic, and the discipline of staying true to the audience that built you, even when a louder, younger one is calling. It's a conversation about what modern luxury marketing actually looks like when culture moves faster than any brand strategy can keep up with. [04:45] The Story Behind 111SKIN and Its Harley Street Origins [09:00] What Fashion Marketing Can Teach the Beauty Industry [14:00] Why Experiential Marketing Is Core to 111SKIN [17:30] Building a Global Luxury Brand with Local Relevance [25:45] Rethinking Exclusivity in Luxury Marketing [31:00] TikTok, Gen Z and Knowing Your Core Consumer [39:15] Why Great Marketing Can't Save a Bad Product Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

  3. Aug 13

    Did Heartbreak Make Phlur A Leader In The Fragrance Industry?

    A single TikTok about grief scented perfume made people cry and buy a fragrance they'd never smelled. Three years later, Phlur is doing $100M+ a year and just sold to private equity. We break down how Chriselle Lim turned a divorce into "Missing Person," why fragrance layering and wardrobing are rewriting how Gen Z buys scent, and the quiet operator behind The Center, Ben Bennett, who's run this exact playbook with Naturium and Saltair. Then: can you sell volume and stay desirable? [02:54] Phlur's origin story: DTC launch to acquisition [04:42] Chriselle Lim's Missing Person: born from a divorce, sold out in 5 hours [06:36] The TikTok that made it viral [13:43] The layering trend and fragrance wardrobing [30:31] Ben Bennett and The Center's playbook (Naturium, Saltair, Phlur) Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

  4. Jul 28

    M&S Just Humiliated Every "Cool" Brand

    Marks & Spencer went from British High Street staple to sold-out viral moments, a live shoppable Ibiza runway show, and a Formula One takeover. In this episode of Decode Sessions, we break down exactly what changed at M&S. The leadership shift, the Gillian Anderson campaign, the 600-account TikTok infrastructure, and the F1 partnership, and unpack why it's landing so hard with Gen Z. Five clear takeaways for any brand trying to reconnect with a younger audience without losing its heritage. [2:11] The Numbers That Prove It's Not Hype [3:02] The Ibiza Show That Changed Everything [5:30] The Gillian Anderson Masterstroke [6:36] M&S Takes Over Formula One [8:12] 600 TikTok Accounts. One Empire. [11:21] The Playbook Every Brand Needs to Steal Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

  5. Jul 21

    Reformation's Glow Up Had a Very Unglamorous Ending

    "Brand loyalty and virality are not the same metric. Reformation built one of the most talked about retail concepts in fashion, and then forgot that the experience is not the content." This week Anna talks about how she walked into Reformation in Sloane Square on a random Friday and left with more questions than purchases. What she found was one of the most fascinating fashion brand strategy case studies in retail right now: a brand that built genuine cultural relevance through sustainability, quality and innovation, then accepted private equity investment and watched every metric of brand equity go down while every metric of brand growth went up. In this episode Anna decodes what Reformation actually built, what went wrong, what private equity does to a fashion brand and what every founder needs to know before they take the money. [02:00] What Reformation actually built. From vintage LA store to one of fashion's most culturally powerful brands. [03:40] Retail X and the viral fitting rooms. Why virality and brand loyalty are not the same metric. [12:30] The private equity acquisition and what happened to Reformation's brand equity after 2019. [16:05] Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the human connection that technology cannot replace. [17:35] How to take investment without losing your brand. The structural protections every founder needs to know. Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

  6. Jul 15

    The Fútbol Jersey Is the New IT Bag

    "A fútbol jersey is no longer just something worn for 90 minutes on the pitch. It is a fashion statement, a collector's item, a symbol of cultural identity and one of the smartest luxury fashion brand strategy tools available right now." Football shirts stopped being sportswear years ago. Now they are cultural currency and the luxury fashion brand strategy opportunity they represent is one of the most significant in the fashion and beauty industry right now. From Nike's multi-million dollar sponsorships to Loewe dressing Spain, Jacquemus collaborating with France and independent designers putting national cultural identity front and centre. The FIFA Women's World Cup has become as much about luxury fashion brand strategy as it is about fútbol. In this episode Anna and Caitlin decode why luxury fashion is investing so heavily in sport and cultural marketing, how fútbol became one of luxury fashion's most valuable cultural touchpoints, why authenticity matters more than expensive sports sponsorships in luxury fashion brand strategy, and what every fashion and beauty brand should learn if they want luxury sports collaborations to last beyond the final whistle. [02:30] Why the FIFA World Cup has become one of luxury fashion and beauty marketing's biggest cultural brand strategy opportunities. [06:00] From Loewe to Palace. The luxury fashion brand collaborations proving sport has become luxury fashion's newest cultural playground. [12:15] Identity over sponsorship. Why DR Congo and Mexico created some of the tournament's most memorable luxury fashion brand strategy and cultural marketing moments. [18:30] The Messi effect: How nostalgia, collectability and resale are changing the value of fútbol fashion and luxury fashion brand strategy. [24:45] Why younger fashion-conscious fútbol fans are reshaping luxury fashion marketing and sports brand partnerships. [31:40] Beyond the jersey: What fashion and beauty brands need to do if they want luxury sports collaborations to create lasting cultural relevance and fashion brand strategy impact. Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands. Brands and Collaborations Mentioned: Loewe x Spain Women's National Team — https://www.loewe.com/eur/en/pd/stories-projects/spanish-national-football-team.html Jacquemus x France National Team — https://www.jacquemus.com/en_gb/jacquemus-nike-team-france-collection Palace Skateboards Football Collection — https://palaceskateboards.com/range/adidas-palace-juventus Nike FIFA Women's World Cup Collection — https://www.nike.com/gb/w/national-team-football-1gdj0zav9de DR Congo National Kit Cultural Fashion Moment — https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/cgev7n0ydzro Mexico National Kit Cultural Fashion Moment — https://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/2026-fifa-world-cup-fashion-moments

  7. Jul 9

    How Alo Read the Room

    "Most brands chase trends. Alo chased a woman. They followed her from the yoga studio to the street, from the street to the airport, from the airport to the wellness club, from the wellness club to a superyacht in Cannes." A catalogue arrived in the post. Beautifully produced, heavy in the hand, unbranded on the outside. What happened next is a masterclass in luxury athleisure brand strategy. A seamless ecosystem that pulled one loyal customer deeper into the Alo world without her ever feeling marketed to. In this episode Anna breaks down exactly how Alo built one of the most sophisticated fashion and beauty brand ecosystems of the last decade, why their luxury athleisure brand strategy worked when so many others failed, and the one question their Summer Atelier ready-to-wear collection still needs to answer. Key Moments: [02:00] The catalogue that started everything. How Alo's luxury athleisure brand strategy works on a real consumer [05:40] Why Alo's brand strategy succeeded where Nike and Lululemon could not. The cultural gap they spotted first [09:20] The Alo Wellness Club. The cleverest luxury athleisure brand strategy move nobody is talking about [10:50] Category expansion without brand confusion. How Alo kept their identity while growing into new markets [12:45] The travel uniform. How Alo became the de facto luxury athleisure brand for the aspirational woman [18:00] The Alo Atelier collection The ready to wear question the brand still needs to answer Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

  8. Jun 23

    Clubbing Is Dead. Wellness Killed It.

    "Clubbing is out. Vitamins are in. The wellness economy has built a better version of the nightclub, and the fashion and beauty brands that understand this will win Gen Z." The wellness economy is the fastest growing consumer trend reshaping fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands in 2026. In this episode Anna and Caitlin decode why 37% of UK nightclubs have closed since 2020, why 24% of UK adults abstained from alcohol completely in 2025 and what the explosive growth of the wellness economy, from run clubs and reformer Pilates to coffee raves and sauna raves, means for fashion and beauty brand strategy right now. If your brand wants to reach Gen Z consumers in 2026, understanding the wellness economy is no longer optional. This is the fashion and beauty brand strategy episode that decodes exactly where Gen Z is spending their time, their money and their identity. [01:00] Is Wellness the New Nightclub? The Wellness Economy Trend Reshaping Gen Z Consumer Behaviour. [02:15] Wellness Economy Statistics: 40% of the UK's Fastest Growing Businesses are Wellness Related in 2026. [05:35] Why Gen Z is Choosing Wellness and Lifestyle Experiences Over Alcohol and Nightclubs. [15:00] Soft Clubbing: the Biggest Gen Z Social Trend of 2026 Decoded [22:30] How the Cost of Living Crisis is Directly Funding the Wellness Economy [27:15] What the Wellness Economy Means for Fashion Beauty and Lifestyle Brand Strategy Brands and Resources Mentioned: Tramp Wellness Members Club London — https://www.tramp.co.uk Soho Farmhouse Ibiza Wellness Events — https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/soho-health-club/connect/soho-retreats Daybreaker Sober Wellness Events — https://www.daybreaker.com Adonola Athleisure and Wellness Fashion Brand — https://adanola.com Every Skin Aesthetics and Wellness Clinic — https://everyskinclinics.co.uk Never miss an episode, subscribe to the Decode Sessions newsletter and follow us on Instagram and Tiktok for weekly industry insight. Connect with us: Website & Newsletter Instagram & Tiktok Decode Sessions explores the strategies, consumer behaviors, cultural shifts, and industry trends shaping the future of fashion, beauty, retail, and luxury brands.

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5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Decode Sessions: the world's number one marketing podcast for fashion and culture. Hosted by Anna Anderson, this is where fashion, culture and business collide. We decode what's happening across culture and marketing, and turn it into clear, actionable insights that brands and marketers can use immediately. Anna is the fashion and luxury marketer who has a track record of working with the most influential brands in the world: a former Condé Nast editor across Vogue and GQ London, with career roots at H&M Sweden, she spans mass market to luxury editorial. A sought-after speaker at Web Summit, IMS London, and eTail EU, she brings sharp cultural insight and strategy that brands of any size can put to work. She offers 20+ years of fashion & luxury experience. One perspective, one mic, no filter.

Information

  • Creator
    Anna Anderson
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Decode Sessions