Looking back: Top 2023 interviews not to miss

This year has been a big one for executive shifts, sustainable movements
and creative revelations, as evidenced by the slew of notable interviews
that took place on the FashionUnited platform. Here, we have collected
those of managers, CEOs and founders to look back and, in many cases, look
forward to the year ahead.

Lena-Sophie Röper, Zalando’s director of Designer & Luxury

Zalando’s extensive offering has been curated to cater to a vast audience.
In this interview, Röper discusses how choices are made based on current
macroeconomic circumstances and the marketplace’s goal to become
increasingly gender-fluid.

Christian Wijnants, creative director of Maison Ullens

Months ahead of the untimely death of founder Myriam Ullens de Schooten
Whettnall, Maison Ullens had announced its newest creative director to be
Belgian designer Christian Wijnants. At the time of his appointment,
FashionUnited spoke to Wijnants on his collaboration with the brand, as
well as his vision of Belgian fashion and the luxury industry.

Gizem McDuff, founder of House of Blueberry

At a time when the future of the metaverse had come into question amid the
spiralling of associated big tech firms, digital fashion brands like House
of Blueberry were standing strong, continuing to resonate strongly with
their young consumer group in thriving virtual environments. Founder of the
brand, Gizem McDuff, spoke on how she incorporated inclusivity
authentically into the company’s operations and listened to the end user to
cement the Blueberry’s future.

Lisa Collier, Under Armour’s former chief product officer

Being a woman in a male-dominated environment, while initially presented as
a challenge, can actually come with a plethora of opportunities, as shown
by Under Armour’s – now former – chief product officer, Lisa Collier. In
her conversation with FashionUnited, Collier discussed the sportswear
brand’s product strategy, the use of data in design and the rapid
casualisation of garments in this field.

Robert Rodriguez, founder and creative director of Kolston

Amid the ongoing shifts in New York’s local industry, veteran designer
Robert Rodriguez rose from the ranks this year with the launch of his own
brand Kolston. Following the debut of the label’s first line at AW23 New
York Fashion Week, Rodriquez spoke on the current move towards smaller
scale production and how creative sectors are increasingly merging to
support one another during trying times.

Jody Plows, CEO of Nobody’s Child

Marks & Spencers-backed Nobody’s Child has been on the verge of a global
expansion this year, bolstering its sustainable image in order to appeal to
a wider audience. CEO Jody Plows discussed the steps of such growth, while
reiterating the brand’s commitment to circular adoption.

Erik Troost, director of corporate communication, engagement and
sustainability at L’Oréal

Even the largest multinationals have faced struggles with the integration
of actionable and efficient sustainability goals, and this remains true of
the beauty giant L’Oréal. For the company’s Erik Troost, however, a clear
strategy – largely revolving around rethinking our relationship with water
– is a good first step. The director shared his insight into L’Oréal’s
ongoing sustainable transformation following a presentation at the
company’s Benelux headquarters.

Matthijs van der Meulen, Sneakerness co-CEO

2023 made it clear that the sneaker market was a central player among the
fashion industry as a whole. Matthijs van der Meulen shared his perspective
on the opportunities that are arising for smaller brands as they become
more serious competition for the overarching giants in this category.

Javier Goyeneche, founder and president of Ecoalf

Spanish brand Ecoalf is continuing to push ahead with its global expansion,
alongside its efforts to become emission-free, two goals that founder and
president Javier Goyeneche discussed in this interview made ahead of its
first LA store opening.

Peter Graschi, Arena CEO

Swimwear specialist Arena took to Pitti Uomo in summer to share its latest
collaboration with Woolmark as part of its 50th anniversary celebration. At
the trade fair, CEO of the Italian brand Peter Graschi discussed the
current state of the swimwear market and shared plans on the future.

Valentina Visconti Prasca, Yoox managing director

The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) has been inescapable the past
year, yet it is rarely spoken on how the fast developing technology is
being implemented into the organisation of fashion brands. Yoox, however,
was among the few preparing to step into these uncharted waters, as
evidenced by the launch of its 8 by Yoox brand, which brings together both
AI and environmental values to define its storytelling.

Kirsty Koeghan, global general manager of Pre-Loved Fashion at Ebay
UK

One of the biggest fashion partnerships in the UK for the past two years
has been that between Ebay and reality TV show Love Island. It was the
first time such a series had adopted secondhand fashion into its norm, and
has contributed to a notable push towards circular shopping practices among
its large audience. Ebay’s Kirsty Koeghan discussed this impact and more
when speaking to FashionUnited.

Earl Pickens, Von Dutch creative director

Von Dutch made its return in 2020, just ahead of the resurgence in 2000s
fashion, an era in which its headwear held cultural prominence. The brand’s
return to the luxury market came with Parisian flair, taking up a base in
the city’s fashion week in order to leverage the European luxury market.
Creative director Earl Pickens talked on Von Dutch’s return, its plans and
consumer response so far.

William Pak, CEO of Esprit

In response to declining profits and waning consumer demand, Esprit has set
about taking a 180 turn on its strategy, preparing itself for a major
relaunch and a return to its ‘California cool’ heritage. The brand’s CEO
spoke on the company’s journey so far and what to expect from the renewed
Esprit.

Paul Dillinger, VP, head of global product innovation at Levi Strauss &
Co.

Levi’s 501 jeans are the epitome of iconic design, a signature part of the
Americana brand’s identity and a denim look that has remained relevant for
decades. Following the introduction of the ‘Plant-Based 501’, FashionUnited
spoke to the brand’s sustainability expert Paul Dillinger on future plans
to continue implementing sustainability into design.

Anonymous, archive manager at major Parisian fashion house

A luxury house’s archive manager is a mysterious job that rarely gets a
place in the spotlight, yet plays a large role in the reputation of such
brands and the cultural institutions it works with. The tasks and
responsibilities held by such individuals are unveiled in FashionUnited’s
interview with an anonymous member of a Parisian fashion house, who spoke
on her day-to-day life.

Anonymous, marketing manager of BAPE

BAPE has become an iconic name in streetwear, leading the way for 30 years
through notable collaborations and a backlog of cultural “moments”. It
celebrated the milestone year by returning to its birth city of Tokyo for
the annual fashion week, where it showcased an expansive collection that
provided a summary of all it has achieved so far.

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade, CEO of Ba&sh

Sustainability has been on the lips of every fashion professional this
year, as pressure on the industry to clean up its look begins to weigh
down. While the environment hasn’t always been at the core of French
fashion brand Ba&sh, CEO Pierre-Arnaud Grenade spoke at length of what is
being done within its operations to ensure that efforts are increasingly
accelerated.

Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko, CEO of Marimekko

As Marimekko’s 60th anniversary looms, the Finnish brand has been
leveraging its current exposure to bring forth a modernised take on the
brand that hopes to appeal to a wider audience. Evidence of such can
already be found in recent store openings and a cohort of collaborations,
with more yet to come, as outlined by CEO Tiina Alahuhta-Kasko.

Marc Maurer, On co-CEO

Leaning on the current strength of the sportswear market, On has set itself
ambitious growth targets for the next few years, planning out significant
expansions across multiple markets and bolstering its wholesale strategy to
secure various retail partners. Next to this, co-CEO Marc Maurer outlined
the importance of also establishing an efficient and effective circular
economy in order to cement fashion’s sustainable future.

Hanushka Toni, CEO and founder of Sellier

As resale platforms continue to detach themselves from the turbulent and
increasingly controversial fast fashion sector, questions have risen
surrounding the opportunities that come from banning such brands from their
offering. It is these opportunities that the CEO of Sellier, which has
since its inception solely emphasised high-end and luxury brands, touched
on in her interview, as well as what the possible implications are in the
realm of environmental considerations.

Todd Kahn, CEO and brand president of Coach

Despite the fluctuating interest in luxury seen among US consumers,
Tapestry is continuing to bet on this audience, particularly those located
on the west coast. In order to cater to this group, the luxury conglomerate
opened a new fulfilment centre in North Las Vegas, in the hope that closer
distribution and more efficient operations would help in capturing a larger
percentage of these individuals. Speaking on the opening, Coach CEO Todd
Kahn shared insights into how he believes this facility will bolster
Tapestry’s relationship with the consumer.

Markus Finke, New Era’s country manager for DACH and Denmark

While reporting what is said has been a “record year” for New Era, the
hatmaker has no plans to slow down in 2024, with the country manager for
DACH and Denmark sharing plans for the market and the brand’s current sales
strategy, both designed in a bid to continue the surge in sales.