October 31, 2024 • 45 mins
Stacy Igel, the visionary behind the brand Boy Meets Girl, takes us on an exhilarating journey through her impressive career in fashion. Discover how Stacey's entrepreneurial spirit was kindled at a young age, from helping her mother at trade shows to achieving top seller status at the Gap while still in school. With resilience and a mission-driven approach, she discusses how the events of 9/11 influenced her decision to champion diversity and sustainability, offering listeners a glimpse into the balance of professionalism and personal connection that fueled her brand's success.
As fashion trends shift and evolve, Stacy reveals the power of platforms like TikTok in rekindling nostalgia and bringing vintage vibes back into the spotlight. Her brand has navigated the ebbs and flows of digital technology, maintaining authenticity through a clear vision and adapting to trends like Web3. We delve into the fascinating intersection of online gaming and fashion, exploring how Boy Meets Girl is connecting with young audiences on platforms like Roblox, and partnering internationally, such as with Finland's Prisma SOK, to spread its core values globally.
Join us for tales from the entrepreneurial frontlines, where Stacy shares her experiences from a successful book tour, and reflects on meaningful collaborations with industry icons such as Wyclef Jean. From a serendipitous encounter in the park to a memorable performance with Natasha Beddingfield, Stacy's journey is filled with gratitude and innovation. This episode promises to inspire, offering a blend of professional triumphs and personal stories, and providing rich insights into the world of fashion entrepreneurship.
Biography:
Stacy Igel is the founder and creative director of Boy Meets Girl®, a global fashion brand known for its iconic double-silhouette logo and contemporary athleisure wear. With over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry, her journey began with internships at top designers like Donna Karan and Elie Tahari, eventually leading her to launch Boy Meets Girl in 2001. Stacy’s designs have graced celebrities like Rosario Dawson and Kendall Jenner and are sold at major retailers such as Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue and at retailers globally.
A proud alumna of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in retailing with concentrations in design and merchandising, Stacy credits her education with providing the foundation for her success. Her brand, Boy Meets Girl, carries a strong message that confidence and courage are trends that never go out of style.
Stacy is an accomplished author. Her book, "Embracing the Calm in the Chaos," published in 2023, offers insights into building a successful business while navigating life's challenges. Her book tour has taken her across the globe, sharing her journey and inspiring others. Stacy is also the co-creator and co-host of the podcast #MOMSGOTTHIS, recognized by Forbes as a must-listen women-created podcast. She has collaborated with organizations like the Young Survival Coalition, Human Rights Watch, and BullyBust to make a positive impact through her work.
Stacy’s contributions to fashion and philanthropy have been featured in numerous publications, including InStyle, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Allure, PEOPLE, Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Women’s Wear Daily, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Her partnerships extend to exclusive fashion collaborations with Paris’s Colette, Roots Canada, and NBA’s Chicago Bulls, among others. Stacy continues to influence and inspire through her innovative work and commitment to positive social impact.
Contact/Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacyigel/
https://linktr.ee/stacyigel
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank you.
(02:25):
Thank you, we are thrilled towelcome Stacey Eagle to the
program today.
Stacey is the founder andcreative director of the global
fashion brand Boy Meets Girl,known for its iconic double
silhouette logo and contemporaryathleisure wear Sounds
comfortable.
Her extensive career in fashionspans over two decades, during
which she has built an impactfulbrand that champions confidence
and courage.
Stacey has collaborated withmajor retailers like Saks, fifth
(02:48):
Avenue and Target, and herdesigns have been worn by
celebrities across the globe.
She's the author of Embracingthe Calm and the Chaos, a book
that offers a realistic look atbalancing entrepreneurship and
personal life For thoseinterested in Stacey's inspiring
journey and contributions tofashion, her full biography is
available on our show list.
Stacey welcome to RetailRelates, so excited to have you.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I'm so excited to be here.
Thank you so much, and I knowRich from way back when, so
thank you for having me, andnice to meet Gotham and Paula.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You've got an impressive background, and Paula
gave just a little hint of it.
But what we'd like to startwith is if you think back
through your entire career, whatwould you say are three of the
most pivotal moments that haveled you to where you are today?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
There's many pivotal moments, but I would say that
there's three that are top ofmind.
Which is growing up?
My mom was an entrepreneur.
She was a physician assistantand she created a lumbar support
called the back machine.
So I went in Chicago to themerchandise market and all the
places that she had trade showsand I was selling and learning
(03:56):
the art of selling with her.
And the lumbar support had onecolorway, one price point.
But I learned that you know,here's this product, here's how
to sell, here's how to work withthe buyer at a really young age
.
And then I was fascinated byfashion.
So that led me to my secondpiece of grind through that and
(04:19):
I worked at the Gap when I wasin middle school, which
everyone's like you sure, thatwas that age that I say.
Yes, it was like seventh grade,which I don't think is legal,
but I did and I was like I lovedworking with the customer.
Again, this is now in retailand not at a trade show with the
buyer, but the same kind ofidea of working and selling and
(04:43):
styling the customer.
That came in.
And one day I was in the cafearea, the small little room, and
every week they would have thetop dog seller on the wall and I
just really wanted it.
And one day I just looked upand there was my name.
My maiden name is StaceyMorgenstern.
So it was like up there, a topdog.
And I was just like, oh my God,this is the most amazing moment
(05:07):
.
So that really like I rememberthat stuck with me like
throughout my journey, and sothat was like you know, the
beginning being with my momworking in retail which I've
worked in many retail storesthroughout my career and then
starting my brand.
So I was supposed to have myfirst trade show the week of
9-11.
As we know, you know, this wasa terrorist attack that happened
(05:29):
to New York City.
I was a young girl who wasabout to have my first trade
show, surrounded by friends inthe city, friends who lost their
friends, and you know, we justwanted to help and we just
wanted to be on the ground floorfor people at that time, and so
I thought about if I were toactually go into fashion after
(05:51):
that.
You know I mentioned that mymom was a physician assistant
and no family members in fashion.
I just didn't know how I couldthen be in fashion after this
had happened in our city afterthis had happened in our city.
And so when I did have thatfirst trade show, which was at
the Chelsea Market with 60 otherdesigners me, peter Sam, gary
(06:13):
Graham, some of the greats,rebecca Minkoff I ended up
proceeding to do that show.
But I said I will only do thatshow if I lead with impact.
I knew that I would want to bean impactful brand and a mission
led brand over time.
But out of the box, I donatedto the Miracle Miracross from
victims of 9-11 and theirfamilies and that was how I
(06:36):
could continue to sell whateverI was selling.
If I was selling a pencil, youknow my Boy Meets Girl logo
t-shirts, my streetwear vibes itwas my first show was like
everything was like out of myhead.
They're hippie, flowy tops withembroidery, like ribbon cinched
.
That had americana happened tobe that I had americana in my
line because I was designing forjuly delivery.
(06:57):
I had this product thatresonated with the consumer who
was coming to the store, thebuyers who were coming to the
store, because the spirit atthat time was everyone wanting
to be there to participate, fromall over the world to support
New York City.
So I was like a booming boothamongst my designers in that
(07:18):
show.
So that was a very pivotal ofdeciding to actually do this in
the midst of a really hard timein our world.
Clearly the past 20 years ithasn't changed much.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
You know you talked a lot on a bunch of different
themes and thank you for takingus through that journey because
it's absolutely fascinating.
Right and looking back, youknow hindsight is 2020.
What would you say if you'dlike to share?
What would you say is yourbiggest failure and what lesson
did you learn from that?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I would say it happened more starting the
business.
I started the business at 23years old.
I was a manager of employeeswho are my age and also a lot
older, like my pattern makers,my sample makers.
And being a manager at a youngage and taking classes business
classes in college doesn'tnecessarily prepare you to be
(08:08):
this boss, and so I learned overtime how to be a better manager
and effective boss.
But at the early onset I wantedto be their friend which I have
a lot of friends who areex-employees and some who are
employees but not to be going toconcerts with them.
(08:32):
You know, this is like I was 23, just graduated college like
two years after, so being amanager was really difficult for
me, and then also like findingfinancing for the company.
So if you think about talkingabout being a manager, oh, why
didn't she have a CEO or CCOright away?
I was a lot of times wanting tofind it so that I could keep
(09:09):
going and sustain, and sorushing into a partnership
because of that financialposition was.
I learned a lot from what not todo and what to do.
I'm on partner D.
In my brand that I've had for20 years, I say there's series A
, b, c and D, which you do in VCand private equity.
(09:30):
I did partner A, b, c and D,which is my version of that,
which is more industry playersthat are my partners, and so
that was a very lonely,difficult road to be on when you
are a creative and you have abusiness savviness.
(09:51):
But you, you're up against.
You know, when I talk about thatfirst show, I, my first buyer,
was Erdrich Goodman, so I wasput on the map in the eyes of
the fashion industry and thepress right away out of the box.
And then I'm, you know, likescrambling to produce and find
and finance.
And so you're in this positionwhere you have to really make,
(10:13):
do the best you can and find theright things as you go.
So I was learning much more asI was going, and which was my
way of learning.
We look at some of the bestentrepreneurs out there and
that's how they createdincredible companies, right,
they didn't have all the toolsat the beginning.
Would I have liked to have thatpartner, that business partner,
(10:36):
right away?
Maybe, but maybe I wouldn't bewhere I am today.
So those are two main bigpieces for me of the highs and
lows.
I definitely failed on both ofthose accounts.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
The main thing of our audience is that age and
something you talked about wasmanaging up or managing not
(11:09):
managing up, but managing peoplethat are decades.
You're senior and I've had todo that.
I've talked to other peoplethat've had to do that and I
feel like we all fail.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
I mean I remember my pattern maker, sample maker was
invited to my now husband'sbirthday party, like you know,
and like was partying with us inthe dance floor.
I mean like it's just like mindboggling to me.
You know certain things youjust wouldn't, you can't do,
right?
I mean you can have a holidayparty and I can't.
I'm not saying to be like asergeant, and, but it is really
(11:45):
hard.
If we look at youngentrepreneurs today and
designers, it's like they're inthe same spot.
I was in right In terms of likenetworking and going out and
schmoozing and like wanting toconnect and and and having that
cocktail or that event with yourcolleague and.
But there's certain, I think,places and ways you can be and I
(12:05):
think, as a young entrepreneur,you don't know that.
You learn that over time.
I have some of my bestemployees who might not work for
me anymore or freelance for me.
I have such a greatrelationship, knowing that
boundary now and understand theyrespect me more, and that was
the question too, is how do youknow that boundary Right?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
So there are some things, and the hard rules are,
like you know don't drink withthem until 4 am.
If you've got to manage themthe next day, learn the hard way
.
But what are some moreboundaries you think we should
also suggest for people thathave to manage people older than
them?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I think the boundaries come like with an
employee manual.
I talk about that in my book.
You know, having a like theguidelines of your office, your,
your holiday schedule, yourpaid leave, your non, you know
all that like being reallystructured in within a small
business, like having that sothat you're protected.
(13:06):
You know you don't have to havea huge HR team but you are
protected in how you set thecourse of what you do, from
vacation to sick days.
All that, I think, creates anaura of oh, I'm coming into this
smaller team and they actuallyhave a structure to what they do
.
They're acting professional inthose pieces of how they run
(13:31):
their and conduct their businessand I think that is seen from
whether you're 23 and you have a25-year-old employee or a
19-year-old intern, like theysee that they respect you for
that.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Stacey, let me ask you a question that relates to
the growth of your brands, right?
So when you talk about whatneeds to be a successful
entrepreneur, you talk aboutfinancing, you talk about social
, effective management.
But to grow, your customer baseis critical, and I see many
companies as they build theirbrands, they reposition
(14:06):
themselves many times.
So what's the secret toattracting customers and keeping
them with you?
So what's the secret toattracting customers and keeping
them with you, especially giventhat you have umpteen different
companies trying to start abrand, especially a fashion
brand?
Right, and I know my students.
If you ask them, oh, I want tobe a fashion entrepreneur,
that's the first thing they'llsay, but how do you know what it
(14:27):
is for?
What's the secret?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
It's a big loaded question.
I actually had a conversationwith someone today about that.
I continually to become popularagain because of tiktok.
Um, because you know, the 90sfashion is very cool now, and
vintage and thrifting and allthe things that I did in 2000,
in the 2000s like when I startedto grow the brand that I didn't
have the digital piece toshowcase that the human side of
(14:56):
growing a brand in thosefactories in Union City, in the
Garmin Center, vintage shoppingto make my vintage bags out of
denim, you know, likere-recycled denim and upcycling,
like all the things that yousee now.
So it's funny because I've beenon a lot of TV shows that were
very popular, that are back inlike 2000 to 2015, that there
(15:19):
was no social media and noweverybody's tick tocking it,
like Gilmore Girls, nina Dobrevwho's wearing my shirt and a
mugshot before she gets onVampire Diaries Everyone loves
that those mugshots, you know.
So they make me relevant again.
But you know, to go back to whatyou said about a mission-led
(15:39):
brand, I think for any fashionentrepreneur to have an idea you
have to really stick with theidea and so a lot of times you
know, talk about partner A, b, cand D and maybe partner A,
didn't believe in where I wasgoing with that mission and I
stuck with no, I'm going to havediversity in my runway.
I'm going to have it in thesizes that we offer.
(16:00):
I want to do recycled, you know, tensile fabric with urban
outfitters when they didn't eventhink about it, like all these
things.
But and I'd be questioned sothere's a lot of naysayers why,
why, why, why do you want to dothat?
That doesn't make sense.
Let's produce here.
It's cheaper, you know, let'smake this so.
But if you don't continue tobelieve in the mission you set
out, you're going to fail.
And you're going to fail toowhen there's naysayers.
(16:22):
But if you have, like, there's100 people and 30 people believe
in what you're doing, you'regoing to succeed.
But you have to have, there'sgot to be value to what you're
offering.
It has to resonate with someone.
What's the why?
You know, for me it's Boy MeetsGirls logo is about bringing
people together and sharingstories.
We continued, continually didthat from the day I started, and
(16:46):
that was through impact andthrough working with nonprofits
and organizations and bringingstories to the forefront,
working with activists anddesigners and artists and
musicians and sharing stories,and we kept to that vision.
If anyone is to start a brandand wants to, you know as a
student who's really excitedabout it, you have to think
about how is that going toresonate with my consumer?
(17:08):
Is 30 out of the 100 peoplereally like it?
It's OK if 70 people don't likeit, but they'll talk about it
then and you know.
So those are the things that Ithink kept me relevant over 20
plus years.
I started in 2001,.
So we're at almost 25 years.
But the change and the workingwith the different audience and
(17:30):
working being attuned to digitalmedia that was coming in, or
gaming, or Web3, like all thedifferent things that you have
to think about as a brand andyou don't have to be in it but
you have to be aware of it.
So you know, I look at myselfas a working with retailers,
licensing, you know, directconsumer on our website.
(17:54):
We have many pillars of.
We're not just working one way.
You can't work one way anymorein this world in retail.
I mean, we looked, what do wesee?
Recently we talked about Ithink it's Amazon wants to buy
Sachs, who buy Neiman's.
Like you know, I said this, Ithink, on another podcast
recently is that there wouldalways be one bank, one retailer
(18:17):
, one designer.
That's where the world's going,and so how are we going to
differentiate ourselves from allof that and not be in that, so
that the future entrepreneurscan succeed?
The youth culture has such agreat place to be in because of
digital, even though we look atit sometimes not as a great
(18:38):
thing, but for business, itcould be really great for them.
But by having that point ofview and I think that's how
we'll see new designers and newgreat entrepreneurs succeed and
we're seeing that along and to avery big question.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
But it's a great answer and actually it made me
think of something and youtalked about.
Your brand is seeing somewhatof a resurrection, or I don't
know if that's the right word.
If you think about when youwere starting and what you were
doing and what you wereexperiencing, and then take it
to, if you were starting thatbrand today with the technology
(19:18):
and the instant communication,how different do you think it
would be?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
like millions more because they were.
The content that I had then wasis what we see like everyone
doing now, right, like it's sogood.
I love seeing young designersin the factory, you know, in the
(19:44):
beginning stages, and peoplelove that storytelling.
So I think that I'm in such agreat place but like digitally
or in social platforms wouldhave been like so much bigger.
You know I can share thosestories and go back in time.
But I now have factories aroundthe world and I'm not just in a
factory like I was in 2001 to2004,.
(20:06):
Like cutting the main labels, mymom was picking and packing.
You know we brought in otherpeople to pick up the fabric, to
drive.
They're like that is greatcontent for a young designer to
see that you're doing that.
I am bringing that content nowwith a collective I've hired in
Chicago with young students tobe showing exactly what I'm
talking about, to bring thatlike full circle as a brand.
(20:29):
It's just a different, you know, place from when I first
started and really likegrassroots doing it all Stacey
just following up on thatquestion that you answered that
you were just giving.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
On technology, there are quite a few winds of change
and your brand has thrived for20 years, right?
How do you see Web3 elementschanging?
How are you going toincorporate it?
And related to that, in myopinion, is how do you bring
about co-creation, right?
So as consumer trends changefaster, you have to rely more on
(21:04):
the consumer to help build abrand.
Can you share your perspectiveson both of these?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, so I have a partnership with Roblox, with a
company called Blueberry, so webrought Boy Meets Girls through
their programming to Roblox,which is part of, I think, like
Web3, has many components, right, so gaming is one of them.
What's fascinating about this,that world and that consumer
they're buying, like, a BoyMeets Girls t-shirt for 80 robux
(21:34):
right, it was essentially likeless than a dollar.
Then they're learning about thebrand, like they're going to
boy meets girls website and thenthey're taking it to youtube
and they're talking about howgreat this brand is, that
they've researched, but they aresharing and I have to send you
guys some of these youtubes thatthey're sharing that this brand
does anti-bullying.
(21:54):
It's like they've researchedthe brand and they found it on
Roblox but didn't know aboutthat.
So it's like this other vehiclewhere they're just liking what
they see, but they're actuallycoming this other way to come to
the website to learn about thebrand or Google it, and then I
have this new consumer that'scoming, you know, so it's
amazing from like online gamingto the website, to offline, and
(22:18):
then they're sharing also thattheir product can be worn on
many sizes on an avatar, likethey're actually resonating with
what we've done on an avatar.
So that's just mind bogglingand there's a lot of YouTubes on
that.
And then Web3, I think isfascinating, considering I've
been part of being a youngdesigner and the struggles of
(22:42):
getting the product out thereand understanding every step
from like the rolling my bag onthe Lower East Side getting it
into a store to going to L LAdoing the same thing, to then
building it with biggerretailers and all those steps
and what it means and hiring asales rep and the percentage
that they have to take.
And then this person and thatperson and all that stuff that
(23:04):
comes with being a entrepreneurartist.
And so in Web3, I find itfascinating that artists can
have ownership of their designs,illustrations, graphic art,
products they make.
There's so many things in thisother world that we're seeing
(23:24):
and the collaborative piece ofit is amazing.
And so, over COVID I was, 12different artists design their
photography, their illustrationwithin the Boy Meets Girl logo.
(23:59):
I always have collaborated withan artist or a brand or a
company with the logo, but Inever put an artist meeting an
artist within the logo and thatto me, is Web3.
It's collaborative and that'show you build in a whole other
community.
And so the artists that Iworked with on this are people
from all over the world.
(24:19):
They met through thecollaboration, so their artwork
is paired with each other andthey got to fuse it together and
it was just team building andamazing.
So I think the Web3 piece ofwhere we're going AI AI is a
whole nother tier that I amlearning, but I'm not fully.
(24:40):
I understand AI for chat, gpt,which Rich and I have talked
about on a while, and now fullyunderstand much more AI fashion
I have a lot of friends in.
I think it's fascinating.
I think what's really greatabout certain pieces of this is
that I'm all about how can we bemore sustainable?
And so the fact that you canshow a piece of clothing on an
(25:04):
AI figure before you actually goto produce it maybe sell it
beforehand and then go toproduction I think all those
pieces are so helpful for ourfuture.
You know, it's all.
It's like the beginning of.
I talked about having socialmedia for the first time and
Facebook pages and Instagram andTwitter and how.
Look where we are now with that, and so I think that where
(25:26):
we're headed with Web3 and AIand gaming, it's all.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Surrey and AI and gaming.
It's all.
We're all.
It's on our radar for all of usto be in it.
So I'm going to take you to amore global perspective and I
have two questions in one.
The first part is your brandhas been, you've collaborated
with retailers across the world.
How is building a brand,developing a brand, promoting a
brand different in globalmarkets as compared to the US
(25:58):
market?
And the second part is in yourtravels, have you seen global
retailers that you think arejust really absolutely doing a
great job that we should bepaying attention to?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Okay, I'll give you a piece.
I have a director retailerlicensing deal in Finland with a
company.
So my last year on the deal itwas a three-year licensing deal
that went into a seven-year dealwith a company called Prisma
SOK which is the biggestretailer in Finland.
And so they I think I guess toanswer your question on an
(26:32):
international retailer bringingan American brand I find that
they're following what you'vedone and built Right.
So I don't see an Americanbrand that's not an established
brand going to license direct toretailer.
Like when we think about directretailer, it's like Massimo to
Target, right.
So I, I, boy Meets Girl.
(26:54):
They have the rights in Finlandfor seven years of the Boy
Meets Girl brand in differentcategories and so they came in
to do the commercial and to doall the collateral with their
teams from Finland with moodboards of what I'd done for 15
years, like.
The stylist came in and it wasall my models on her mood board.
(27:17):
So did they create a new lookfor the brand?
No, they followed what BoyMeets Girl has been building and
doing and bringing the messageof what we stood for to that
retailer.
So anti-bullying, pride, cancer, awareness, like all these
things they brought to theirstore for the first time through
(27:39):
Boy Meets Girl.
So did they do it differentlyfor their market?
I think they followed our leadto bring it to market which was
so exciting for me on a massivescale.
Like they had billboards onfarmlands of Boy Meets Girl with
our FBully shirts, which waslike a huge deal for them to
(28:01):
come out with a statement likethat within Finland.
But then there's leaders likeColette, who was around for 20
years, who I did partnershipswith.
They closed in 2019 or 18.
It's where Karl Lagerfeld and Imean the greats like I mean so
many designers like partneredwith Sarah, from Collette and
(28:24):
she has been, her and her motherwere like leaders to trinkets
in the middle of the store, sosort of like a.
(28:47):
I guess my first store Ilaunched in, which was Bergdorf
Goodman, which had like high-endand mid-tier price point and
then like jewelry on the bottom,and then they have a restaurant
.
Not necessarily as she couldlike Colette got a little bit
cheaper in her products likeerasers and tote bags, but so it
was.
I think that model has beenadapted in America for a lot of
(29:12):
stores to have different thingsin the store whether you have a.
I was just in a store onbleaker two days ago.
That is this cute little storethat has masks, has dresses, has
, you know, tote bags, has, um,you know, like your cell phone
cover.
So it's more this idea of highto low, and I think that the
(29:34):
stores need that, um, and theyand, and the consumer wants to
come in and find little thingsthat, like, make them happy, but
also might buy a more expensivedress or a sneaker.
So I think that conceptingwe're seeing more and more in
America, modeled from, I think,colette in Paris.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Yeah, and I want to pivot a little bit and talk
about community and being awoman.
So in your book you talk a lotabout collaboration and
community, and on your websiteit's very apparent and you've
said it too that these arethings, values that you've held
from the beginning and are verypassionate about.
I am a first time mom, I'm alsoan entrepreneur and I my kid,
(30:19):
is just one, and I just don'tknow how I'm going to do it.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
I do.
So how did you find thatcommunity as an entrepreneur and
a mom and how?
how did you make that work?
It's a great question andcongratulations to your one year
.
I struggled in the beginningbecause I wasn't a mother who
(30:52):
could go in the mom groups andmeet for lunches and breakfasts
and walk in the park and it wasso beautiful and I applaud all
mothers of all types.
And I don't know if I was atthat time like that.
I was like a little jealous,but I loved what I did and so
when I had Dylan you know, theminute he was born, I was like
working on a project withNordstrom's and but I made sure
that I was remote at that time,like for at least those three
(31:15):
months before I went back tooffice.
But I think, similar to likebeing a manager at a young age,
like learning that over time youcan give yourself that as an
(31:36):
entrepreneur and a mother andyou can step away and take your
child to a class, and then thatmeeting will always be there,
that fashion show like there's.
There's pockets of times whereyou have to be all hands on deck
, but I made sure that I wasalways present when I wasn't
working and so that I can bethere for those milestones.
Covid, to be honest, like youknow I feel very privileged that
I was in a place where I can beremote.
(31:57):
My business was 20 years.
I had set up the models to belicensing my brand, having low
inventory levels at a factory.
I was in a place as a companyand a designer to be remote and
not needed to be somewhere elseso I could be there for my child
in homeschool and in that timeperiod I really learned that you
(32:23):
have to give yourself like timefor you, and so it's.
You know there's so many layersof it, but you have to step back
and I think that tribe, whetherit's mothers, whether it's
entrepreneurs, whether you knowit's a, you know, a male friend.
In business like that, you havethose that tried to help you in
(32:44):
times that you really need itand feel a little lonely in
being a mother and entrepreneur.
And so I found that I found alot of those people along the
way as I was building and as Iwas a mother.
I also started a podcast duringthe time that I was feeling all
these things called Moms Gotthis and like a year or two
(33:06):
after I had Dylan, so I couldtalk to fellow mothers and
entrepreneurs about being aparent while running aid while
running SACS, while runningTarget, while building your
company, and that was also liketherapy for me in the process.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
When did you decide to embrace writing a book?
What inspired you to write it?
I'll ask one more.
You've been doing a book tour.
Is there one interaction thatyou've had that just has blown
you away?
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Okay, so I've journaled my whole life, I
journaled my whole career.
It was my form of reallyunderstanding that meeting that
person, that great person, thatnapkin on the subway, like
getting all the notes out, and Iknew that eventually I wanted
to share how a woman in business, a mother, can build something,
(33:57):
stay, be in business, give backand be there for their family.
And I think that over time Ibuilt Boy Meets Girl University,
where I have students aroundthe world come to sit with us
and talk about the business andhelp underprivileged students
from the Lower East Side GirlsClub shadow us during New York
Fashion Week and give theseopportunities.
And I love helping the nextwave of entrepreneurs.
(34:19):
So I knew that, that thatcombination I was, it was time
to do it.
And it was the only time that Iwasn't on a plane at a trade
show doing a fashion week show.
You know, being in a hundredmeetings was, you know, during
lockdown.
And so at that point I decidedI think it's time, as I'm
homeschooling, as I'm stillrunning a business, keeping it
(34:41):
afloat, let's write a book.
And so that's when I reallydecided to put it all together
and do it.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
And the second question what has been the most
engaging reaction that you'vehad, as you've done the book
tour, something that's justblown you away.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I think what blows me away is the first book event I
did was at Bloomingdale's, so Ibrought it back to a retailer.
It was for Women's HistoryMonth and I think like my back
went out because I was like, isanyone going to come and buy my
book?
Like I know I've had a brandand I've launched in stores and
(35:18):
they come for that.
But I was like you know, thisis like a whole new world for me
.
That first book event was, Iremember the CEO or the CMO of
Bloomingdale's came and they'relike you can do an event here
anytime you want.
It was like around the cornerPeople are there to buy the book
and I didn't know if, likethose people would come, whether
(35:41):
it's friends, family, your NewYork Fashion Week clients, like
buyers, all of it.
They all came and I've been onlike 20 different places on this
tour or 30 over the course ofthe year and people show up and
there's a lot of authors I'vemet on this road who say
(36:03):
sometimes they don't, sometimesthey're sitting there with three
of their family members, somefamous authors, and I just feel
really fortunate that people areinterested and they're
supporting on this journey.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
And I feel like there's so much gratitude for
that, and you don't always getthat as an author, but there are
also people along the way whogot you to come to that powerful
advice.
Who do you think are thosepeople?
The mentors who got you towhere you are and what stands
out to you?
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I've been a woman.
Her name's Kathy Savitt.
She was the CMO of Yahoo.
She owned a business calledLockers.
She raised $500 know, $500million from Kleiner, perkins
and many other people VCs andprivate equity and at the time
we met she was like the firstbig leader female woman, like
powerhouse, that I had met in mybusiness or around my.
(37:19):
She was more in tech that trulybelieved in me, because I was
always in meetings surrounded bylots of men and not many high
powered women, and so she endedup ultimately licensing my brand
for her company called Lockersat the time, which is where you
would watch a video, you wouldget earned points and you can
(37:41):
buy product.
She ended up selling it to aChinese company a few years
after.
But what I noticed about her isthat she created concepts and
can go to places, whether it wasworking as a CEO of a plane
company that's going to be thefastest plane to Europe soon, or
being the CMO of Yahoo, torunning this company that she
(38:02):
built on her own.
How she sort of ran throughthings in a certain like a way
with authority and also givingme confidence as a woman in my
business.
I remember leaving her leading,leaving the meeting we already
talked about licensing the brandfor her website and she said I
(38:23):
believe in you, I've got youbecause she knew, like sort of
where I was or who was in myorbit and could feel like, okay,
this will work.
So, as she was someone who Iremember like being like do you
know what Instagram is?
Because I was like you've gotto do this.
You know, it was the beginningof so many things.
We did a great fashion weekshow together.
Wyclef Schaum performed withother artists.
(38:44):
I created it, I co-created itwith him, and then we had Buy
Now Wear Now off the runwaythrough her platform.
We had Tumblr come in.
It was before we had this toBuy Now, wear Now.
There was no Instagram.
So I did some really cool thingswith her in the very beginning
of all of this and she believedin what I wanted to do, which is
(39:06):
, you know, half the battle tohave someone who really believes
in what you do.
He has believed in the brand,has the validity to license
(39:31):
globally, that it stands forsomething and that it can be an
international success, and sothat belief also.
We have the same vision.
It took me many partners to getaligned with someone who
understood really where I wantedto grow the brand.
He is someone who takes a lotof walks in the park that I do
now too and takes care ofhimself, but has a global
sourcing company and so havingagain that belief and letting me
(39:54):
do my thing, whatever I do, andwho I partner with, believing
that's the right thing and doingthe other piece of the business
that I talked about in the verybeginning of the podcast, that
I didn't have in the beginning,which is great.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
There's so many good nuggets in there, and especially
for anybody entrepreneurs,minority people, first-time moms
, people with all stages.
Let's do the fun part here.
We're gonna do a rapid fire.
First thing that comes intoyour mind.
It's gonna to be threequestions Are you ready?
I'm ready.
Number one what is your go-tocomfort food?
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Doritos, why I'll have to send you a picture of me
holding a Doritos bag when Iwas like four.
I don't know.
I just love the taste and it'sso bad for you.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
The ingredients are so bad, but there is like a
nostalgia and since we'rerevealing our go-to foods, I
will say strawberry shortcake ismy weakness I'll have to send
you a strawberry shortcakecollaborative tweet which, by
the way, I just have to throwthis in.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
This is really fascinating.
What happened to me thismorning?
I did not have my phone.
I have a dog.
I was walking my dog last nightvery late at night.
I had shown my sister and oneof my best friends who was in
town, some new concepting I'mdoing for a new drop for back to
school at Strawberry Shortcakeand I'm walking down in the park
I'm the only one there and thisguy walks towards me and he's
(41:21):
in a strawberry shortcake oldvintage tee and I was like no
way, this is not like cause.
I was like this is unisex, guyscan wear it for sure.
And he fully had like thevintage look.
And I stopped him and I said,oh my God, I I'm working on some
new collab designs with themand he is a advert.
(41:43):
He sold his advertising company.
It was 200 people people.
Now it's 900 people.
I said look me up.
I like had to go, but it was sosorry.
Strawberry sugar cake.
I have a great collaborationwith them right now, but I was
like fascinated that this guywas wearing a strawberry sugar
cake sure, so it's a good thing,as in very, very good for let
me tell you I eat it every week.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
Let me ask you something related to rapid fire
what's your walk-on music ortheme song?
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Train Nix.
It's a Beautiful Day, featuringsome other people in that.
I just think there's not a lotof times we are thankful and
have gratitude for what we'vebuilt and the people around us,
and so I just that's one of my,my favorites right now.
I do also have one more Roar byKaty Perry.
(42:30):
I won't play it right now, butyou know, it's so good.
It's so good.
I have so many genres.
My son is named after Bob Dylan.
Like you know, I go from likereggae, hip hop, rap, old school
, but there's my mix.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
All right, so I'm going to have to do this.
What is the best lip syncperformance you have seen ever?
Speaker 2 (42:55):
It's Rich, honnable.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
We do have to at least get on record that I
should have won that competition.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
We met at a CMO club with Pete Kranich.
I was a judge, you were verygood and I don't remember who
won, but I remember yourperformance, so you should have
won.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
Full on Sandra Dee blonde wig I still have it and
maybe for the last podcastepisode I'll wear it.
So I will ask the last questionIf you could immediately
transport yourself to anywherein the world for one day,
instantly get there, instantlycome back, where would you go?
Speaker 2 (43:28):
I've never been to Portland Oregon.
Phil Knight, nike collaboration2029.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
So amongst the musicians you work with, who was
the one that stands out to you?
Speaker 2 (43:40):
Wyclef was really cool because I went into the
studio with him three monthsbefore the show and I came in
and I played Joe Baez's slowestrendition of Forever Young and
(44:03):
there was a whole group ofpeople in the studio.
I was like, oh my God, this islike so embarrassing, this is so
slow.
But the idea of that show wasForever Young.
It's a young story of Joe Baezand Bob Dylan and how Joan was
really the famous one but Bobsort of went under coattails and
became more famous.
But so that was the whole showpremise and so he goes, got it,
(44:27):
and I was like, well, he's likecome on in, so we go back to
this other, like other part ofthe studio and he's like, okay.
And then we had two artistsChris Cab and Drana DeMarco were
younger artists who wecollaborated on this and he's
like, okay, we're going to dothis or do this.
And he's like, okay, we'regonna do this or do this because
he was the musical genius here.
But it was just like he justunderstood me.
So that was fascinating.
And I also love like thecomeback, like Natasha Benefield
(44:52):
performed with me in my show, Ithink like 2011.
And she had like sort of beenaround and had her high.
Like you know, her song wasknown in different things,
(45:28):
no-transcript, but how they workand think and how fast it is
for them to think it's like cool, only because they saw it in
like a random movie.
It's so interesting.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
Stacey.
Thank you, that was awesome.
I am going to have to have yousend me one of the clips so we
can play it on the podcast.
This has been phenomenal.
I appreciate you taking thetime to spend with us.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
(02:25):
Thank you, we are thrilled towelcome Stacey Eagle to the
program today.
Stacey is the founder andcreative director of the global
fashion brand Boy Meets Girl,known for its iconic double
silhouette logo and contemporaryathleisure wear Sounds
comfortable.
Her extensive career in fashionspans over two decades, during
which she has built an impactfulbrand that champions confidence
and courage.
Stacey has collaborated withmajor retailers like Saks, fifth
(02:48):
Avenue and Target, and herdesigns have been worn by
celebrities across the globe.
She's the author of Embracingthe Calm and the Chaos, a book
that offers a realistic look atbalancing entrepreneurship and
personal life For thoseinterested in Stacey's inspiring
journey and contributions tofashion, her full biography is
available on our show list.
Stacey welcome to RetailRelates, so excited to have you.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
I'm so excited to be here.
Thank you so much, and I knowRich from way back when, so
thank you for having me, andnice to meet Gotham and Paula.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
You've got an impressive background, and Paula
gave just a little hint of it.
But what we'd like to startwith is if you think back
through your entire career, whatwould you say are three of the
most pivotal moments that haveled you to where you are today?
Speaker 2 (03:34):
There's many pivotal moments, but I would say that
there's three that are top ofmind.
Which is growing up?
My mom was an entrepreneur.
She was a physician assistantand she created a lumbar support
called the back machine.
So I went in Chicago to themerchandise market and all the
places that she had trade showsand I was selling and learning
(03:56):
the art of selling with her.
And the lumbar support had onecolorway, one price point.
But I learned that you know,here's this product, here's how
to sell, here's how to work withthe buyer at a really young age
.
And then I was fascinated byfashion.
So that led me to my secondpiece of grind through that and
(04:19):
I worked at the Gap when I wasin middle school, which
everyone's like you sure, thatwas that age that I say.
Yes, it was like seventh grade,which I don't think is legal,
but I did and I was like I lovedworking with the customer.
Again, this is now in retailand not at a trade show with the
buyer, but the same kind ofidea of working and selling and
(04:43):
styling the customer.
That came in.
And one day I was in the cafearea, the small little room, and
every week they would have thetop dog seller on the wall and I
just really wanted it.
And one day I just looked upand there was my name.
My maiden name is StaceyMorgenstern.
So it was like up there, a topdog.
And I was just like, oh my God,this is the most amazing moment
(05:07):
.
So that really like I rememberthat stuck with me like
throughout my journey, and sothat was like you know, the
beginning being with my momworking in retail which I've
worked in many retail storesthroughout my career and then
starting my brand.
So I was supposed to have myfirst trade show the week of
9-11.
As we know, you know, this wasa terrorist attack that happened
(05:29):
to New York City.
I was a young girl who wasabout to have my first trade
show, surrounded by friends inthe city, friends who lost their
friends, and you know, we justwanted to help and we just
wanted to be on the ground floorfor people at that time, and so
I thought about if I were toactually go into fashion after
(05:51):
that.
You know I mentioned that mymom was a physician assistant
and no family members in fashion.
I just didn't know how I couldthen be in fashion after this
had happened in our city afterthis had happened in our city.
And so when I did have thatfirst trade show, which was at
the Chelsea Market with 60 otherdesigners me, peter Sam, gary
(06:13):
Graham, some of the greats,rebecca Minkoff I ended up
proceeding to do that show.
But I said I will only do thatshow if I lead with impact.
I knew that I would want to bean impactful brand and a mission
led brand over time.
But out of the box, I donatedto the Miracle Miracross from
victims of 9-11 and theirfamilies and that was how I
(06:36):
could continue to sell whateverI was selling.
If I was selling a pencil, youknow my Boy Meets Girl logo
t-shirts, my streetwear vibes itwas my first show was like
everything was like out of myhead.
They're hippie, flowy tops withembroidery, like ribbon cinched
.
That had americana happened tobe that I had americana in my
line because I was designing forjuly delivery.
(06:57):
I had this product thatresonated with the consumer who
was coming to the store, thebuyers who were coming to the
store, because the spirit atthat time was everyone wanting
to be there to participate, fromall over the world to support
New York City.
So I was like a booming boothamongst my designers in that
(07:18):
show.
So that was a very pivotal ofdeciding to actually do this in
the midst of a really hard timein our world.
Clearly the past 20 years ithasn't changed much.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
You know you talked a lot on a bunch of different
themes and thank you for takingus through that journey because
it's absolutely fascinating.
Right and looking back, youknow hindsight is 2020.
What would you say if you'dlike to share?
What would you say is yourbiggest failure and what lesson
did you learn from that?
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I would say it happened more starting the
business.
I started the business at 23years old.
I was a manager of employeeswho are my age and also a lot
older, like my pattern makers,my sample makers.
And being a manager at a youngage and taking classes business
classes in college doesn'tnecessarily prepare you to be
(08:08):
this boss, and so I learned overtime how to be a better manager
and effective boss.
But at the early onset I wantedto be their friend which I have
a lot of friends who areex-employees and some who are
employees but not to be going toconcerts with them.
(08:32):
You know, this is like I was 23, just graduated college like
two years after, so being amanager was really difficult for
me, and then also like findingfinancing for the company.
So if you think about talkingabout being a manager, oh, why
didn't she have a CEO or CCOright away?
I was a lot of times wanting tofind it so that I could keep
(09:09):
going and sustain, and sorushing into a partnership
because of that financialposition was.
I learned a lot from what not todo and what to do.
I'm on partner D.
In my brand that I've had for20 years, I say there's series A
, b, c and D, which you do in VCand private equity.
(09:30):
I did partner A, b, c and D,which is my version of that,
which is more industry playersthat are my partners, and so
that was a very lonely,difficult road to be on when you
are a creative and you have abusiness savviness.
(09:51):
But you, you're up against.
You know, when I talk about thatfirst show, I, my first buyer,
was Erdrich Goodman, so I wasput on the map in the eyes of
the fashion industry and thepress right away out of the box.
And then I'm, you know, likescrambling to produce and find
and finance.
And so you're in this positionwhere you have to really make,
(10:13):
do the best you can and find theright things as you go.
So I was learning much more asI was going, and which was my
way of learning.
We look at some of the bestentrepreneurs out there and
that's how they createdincredible companies, right,
they didn't have all the toolsat the beginning.
Would I have liked to have thatpartner, that business partner,
(10:36):
right away?
Maybe, but maybe I wouldn't bewhere I am today.
So those are two main bigpieces for me of the highs and
lows.
I definitely failed on both ofthose accounts.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
The main thing of our audience is that age and
something you talked about wasmanaging up or managing not
(11:09):
managing up, but managing peoplethat are decades.
You're senior and I've had todo that.
I've talked to other peoplethat've had to do that and I
feel like we all fail.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
I mean I remember my pattern maker, sample maker was
invited to my now husband'sbirthday party, like you know,
and like was partying with us inthe dance floor.
I mean like it's just like mindboggling to me.
You know certain things youjust wouldn't, you can't do,
right?
I mean you can have a holidayparty and I can't.
I'm not saying to be like asergeant, and, but it is really
(11:45):
hard.
If we look at youngentrepreneurs today and
designers, it's like they're inthe same spot.
I was in right In terms of likenetworking and going out and
schmoozing and like wanting toconnect and and and having that
cocktail or that event with yourcolleague and.
But there's certain, I think,places and ways you can be and I
(12:05):
think, as a young entrepreneur,you don't know that.
You learn that over time.
I have some of my bestemployees who might not work for
me anymore or freelance for me.
I have such a greatrelationship, knowing that
boundary now and understand theyrespect me more, and that was
the question too, is how do youknow that boundary Right?
Speaker 1 (12:25):
So there are some things, and the hard rules are,
like you know don't drink withthem until 4 am.
If you've got to manage themthe next day, learn the hard way
.
But what are some moreboundaries you think we should
also suggest for people thathave to manage people older than
them?
Speaker 2 (12:43):
I think the boundaries come like with an
employee manual.
I talk about that in my book.
You know, having a like theguidelines of your office, your,
your holiday schedule, yourpaid leave, your non, you know
all that like being reallystructured in within a small
business, like having that sothat you're protected.
(13:06):
You know you don't have to havea huge HR team but you are
protected in how you set thecourse of what you do, from
vacation to sick days.
All that, I think, creates anaura of oh, I'm coming into this
smaller team and they actuallyhave a structure to what they do
.
They're acting professional inthose pieces of how they run
(13:31):
their and conduct their businessand I think that is seen from
whether you're 23 and you have a25-year-old employee or a
19-year-old intern, like theysee that they respect you for
that.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Stacey, let me ask you a question that relates to
the growth of your brands, right?
So when you talk about whatneeds to be a successful
entrepreneur, you talk aboutfinancing, you talk about social
, effective management.
But to grow, your customer baseis critical, and I see many
companies as they build theirbrands, they reposition
(14:06):
themselves many times.
So what's the secret toattracting customers and keeping
them with you?
So what's the secret toattracting customers and keeping
them with you, especially giventhat you have umpteen different
companies trying to start abrand, especially a fashion
brand?
Right, and I know my students.
If you ask them, oh, I want tobe a fashion entrepreneur,
that's the first thing they'llsay, but how do you know what it
(14:27):
is for?
What's the secret?
Speaker 2 (14:33):
It's a big loaded question.
I actually had a conversationwith someone today about that.
I continually to become popularagain because of tiktok.
Um, because you know, the 90sfashion is very cool now, and
vintage and thrifting and allthe things that I did in 2000,
in the 2000s like when I startedto grow the brand that I didn't
have the digital piece toshowcase that the human side of
(14:56):
growing a brand in thosefactories in Union City, in the
Garmin Center, vintage shoppingto make my vintage bags out of
denim, you know, likere-recycled denim and upcycling,
like all the things that yousee now.
So it's funny because I've beenon a lot of TV shows that were
very popular, that are back inlike 2000 to 2015, that there
(15:19):
was no social media and noweverybody's tick tocking it,
like Gilmore Girls, nina Dobrevwho's wearing my shirt and a
mugshot before she gets onVampire Diaries Everyone loves
that those mugshots, you know.
So they make me relevant again.
But you know, to go back to whatyou said about a mission-led
(15:39):
brand, I think for any fashionentrepreneur to have an idea you
have to really stick with theidea and so a lot of times you
know, talk about partner A, b, cand D and maybe partner A,
didn't believe in where I wasgoing with that mission and I
stuck with no, I'm going to havediversity in my runway.
I'm going to have it in thesizes that we offer.
(16:00):
I want to do recycled, you know, tensile fabric with urban
outfitters when they didn't eventhink about it, like all these
things.
But and I'd be questioned sothere's a lot of naysayers why,
why, why, why do you want to dothat?
That doesn't make sense.
Let's produce here.
It's cheaper, you know, let'smake this so.
But if you don't continue tobelieve in the mission you set
out, you're going to fail.
And you're going to fail toowhen there's naysayers.
(16:22):
But if you have, like, there's100 people and 30 people believe
in what you're doing, you'regoing to succeed.
But you have to have, there'sgot to be value to what you're
offering.
It has to resonate with someone.
What's the why?
You know, for me it's Boy MeetsGirls logo is about bringing
people together and sharingstories.
We continued, continually didthat from the day I started, and
(16:46):
that was through impact andthrough working with nonprofits
and organizations and bringingstories to the forefront,
working with activists anddesigners and artists and
musicians and sharing stories,and we kept to that vision.
If anyone is to start a brandand wants to, you know as a
student who's really excitedabout it, you have to think
about how is that going toresonate with my consumer?
(17:08):
Is 30 out of the 100 peoplereally like it?
It's OK if 70 people don't likeit, but they'll talk about it
then and you know.
So those are the things that Ithink kept me relevant over 20
plus years.
I started in 2001,.
So we're at almost 25 years.
But the change and the workingwith the different audience and
(17:30):
working being attuned to digitalmedia that was coming in, or
gaming, or Web3, like all thedifferent things that you have
to think about as a brand andyou don't have to be in it but
you have to be aware of it.
So you know, I look at myselfas a working with retailers,
licensing, you know, directconsumer on our website.
(17:54):
We have many pillars of.
We're not just working one way.
You can't work one way anymorein this world in retail.
I mean, we looked, what do wesee?
Recently we talked about Ithink it's Amazon wants to buy
Sachs, who buy Neiman's.
Like you know, I said this, Ithink, on another podcast
recently is that there wouldalways be one bank, one retailer
(18:17):
, one designer.
That's where the world's going,and so how are we going to
differentiate ourselves from allof that and not be in that, so
that the future entrepreneurscan succeed?
The youth culture has such agreat place to be in because of
digital, even though we look atit sometimes not as a great
(18:38):
thing, but for business, itcould be really great for them.
But by having that point ofview and I think that's how
we'll see new designers and newgreat entrepreneurs succeed and
we're seeing that along and to avery big question.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
But it's a great answer and actually it made me
think of something and youtalked about.
Your brand is seeing somewhatof a resurrection, or I don't
know if that's the right word.
If you think about when youwere starting and what you were
doing and what you wereexperiencing, and then take it
to, if you were starting thatbrand today with the technology
(19:18):
and the instant communication,how different do you think it
would be?
Speaker 2 (19:22):
like millions more because they were.
The content that I had then wasis what we see like everyone
doing now, right, like it's sogood.
I love seeing young designersin the factory, you know, in the
(19:44):
beginning stages, and peoplelove that storytelling.
So I think that I'm in such agreat place but like digitally
or in social platforms wouldhave been like so much bigger.
You know I can share thosestories and go back in time.
But I now have factories aroundthe world and I'm not just in a
factory like I was in 2001 to2004,.
(20:06):
Like cutting the main labels, mymom was picking and packing.
You know we brought in otherpeople to pick up the fabric, to
drive.
They're like that is greatcontent for a young designer to
see that you're doing that.
I am bringing that content nowwith a collective I've hired in
Chicago with young students tobe showing exactly what I'm
talking about, to bring thatlike full circle as a brand.
(20:29):
It's just a different, you know, place from when I first
started and really likegrassroots doing it all Stacey
just following up on thatquestion that you answered that
you were just giving.
Speaker 4 (20:42):
On technology, there are quite a few winds of change
and your brand has thrived for20 years, right?
How do you see Web3 elementschanging?
How are you going toincorporate it?
And related to that, in myopinion, is how do you bring
about co-creation, right?
So as consumer trends changefaster, you have to rely more on
(21:04):
the consumer to help build abrand.
Can you share your perspectiveson both of these?
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, so I have a partnership with Roblox, with a
company called Blueberry, so webrought Boy Meets Girls through
their programming to Roblox,which is part of, I think, like
Web3, has many components, right, so gaming is one of them.
What's fascinating about this,that world and that consumer
they're buying, like, a BoyMeets Girls t-shirt for 80 robux
(21:34):
right, it was essentially likeless than a dollar.
Then they're learning about thebrand, like they're going to
boy meets girls website and thenthey're taking it to youtube
and they're talking about howgreat this brand is, that
they've researched, but they aresharing and I have to send you
guys some of these youtubes thatthey're sharing that this brand
does anti-bullying.
(21:54):
It's like they've researchedthe brand and they found it on
Roblox but didn't know aboutthat.
So it's like this other vehiclewhere they're just liking what
they see, but they're actuallycoming this other way to come to
the website to learn about thebrand or Google it, and then I
have this new consumer that'scoming, you know, so it's
amazing from like online gamingto the website, to offline, and
(22:18):
then they're sharing also thattheir product can be worn on
many sizes on an avatar, likethey're actually resonating with
what we've done on an avatar.
So that's just mind bogglingand there's a lot of YouTubes on
that.
And then Web3, I think isfascinating, considering I've
been part of being a youngdesigner and the struggles of
(22:42):
getting the product out thereand understanding every step
from like the rolling my bag onthe Lower East Side getting it
into a store to going to L LAdoing the same thing, to then
building it with biggerretailers and all those steps
and what it means and hiring asales rep and the percentage
that they have to take.
And then this person and thatperson and all that stuff that
(23:04):
comes with being a entrepreneurartist.
And so in Web3, I find itfascinating that artists can
have ownership of their designs,illustrations, graphic art,
products they make.
There's so many things in thisother world that we're seeing
(23:24):
and the collaborative piece ofit is amazing.
And so, over COVID I was, 12different artists design their
photography, their illustrationwithin the Boy Meets Girl logo.
(23:59):
I always have collaborated withan artist or a brand or a
company with the logo, but Inever put an artist meeting an
artist within the logo and thatto me, is Web3.
It's collaborative and that'show you build in a whole other
community.
And so the artists that Iworked with on this are people
from all over the world.
(24:19):
They met through thecollaboration, so their artwork
is paired with each other andthey got to fuse it together and
it was just team building andamazing.
So I think the Web3 piece ofwhere we're going AI AI is a
whole nother tier that I amlearning, but I'm not fully.
(24:40):
I understand AI for chat, gpt,which Rich and I have talked
about on a while, and now fullyunderstand much more AI fashion
I have a lot of friends in.
I think it's fascinating.
I think what's really greatabout certain pieces of this is
that I'm all about how can we bemore sustainable?
And so the fact that you canshow a piece of clothing on an
(25:04):
AI figure before you actually goto produce it maybe sell it
beforehand and then go toproduction I think all those
pieces are so helpful for ourfuture.
You know, it's all.
It's like the beginning of.
I talked about having socialmedia for the first time and
Facebook pages and Instagram andTwitter and how.
Look where we are now with that, and so I think that where
(25:26):
we're headed with Web3 and AIand gaming, it's all.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Surrey and AI and gaming.
It's all.
We're all.
It's on our radar for all of usto be in it.
So I'm going to take you to amore global perspective and I
have two questions in one.
The first part is your brandhas been, you've collaborated
with retailers across the world.
How is building a brand,developing a brand, promoting a
brand different in globalmarkets as compared to the US
(25:58):
market?
And the second part is in yourtravels, have you seen global
retailers that you think arejust really absolutely doing a
great job that we should bepaying attention to?
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Okay, I'll give you a piece.
I have a director retailerlicensing deal in Finland with a
company.
So my last year on the deal itwas a three-year licensing deal
that went into a seven-year dealwith a company called Prisma
SOK which is the biggestretailer in Finland.
And so they I think I guess toanswer your question on an
(26:32):
international retailer bringingan American brand I find that
they're following what you'vedone and built Right.
So I don't see an Americanbrand that's not an established
brand going to license direct toretailer.
Like when we think about directretailer, it's like Massimo to
Target, right.
So I, I, boy Meets Girl.
(26:54):
They have the rights in Finlandfor seven years of the Boy
Meets Girl brand in differentcategories and so they came in
to do the commercial and to doall the collateral with their
teams from Finland with moodboards of what I'd done for 15
years, like.
The stylist came in and it wasall my models on her mood board.
(27:17):
So did they create a new lookfor the brand?
No, they followed what BoyMeets Girl has been building and
doing and bringing the messageof what we stood for to that
retailer.
So anti-bullying, pride, cancer, awareness, like all these
things they brought to theirstore for the first time through
(27:39):
Boy Meets Girl.
So did they do it differentlyfor their market?
I think they followed our leadto bring it to market which was
so exciting for me on a massivescale.
Like they had billboards onfarmlands of Boy Meets Girl with
our FBully shirts, which waslike a huge deal for them to
(28:01):
come out with a statement likethat within Finland.
But then there's leaders likeColette, who was around for 20
years, who I did partnershipswith.
They closed in 2019 or 18.
It's where Karl Lagerfeld and Imean the greats like I mean so
many designers like partneredwith Sarah, from Collette and
(28:24):
she has been, her and her motherwere like leaders to trinkets
in the middle of the store, sosort of like a.
(28:47):
I guess my first store Ilaunched in, which was Bergdorf
Goodman, which had like high-endand mid-tier price point and
then like jewelry on the bottom,and then they have a restaurant
.
Not necessarily as she couldlike Colette got a little bit
cheaper in her products likeerasers and tote bags, but so it
was.
I think that model has beenadapted in America for a lot of
(29:12):
stores to have different thingsin the store whether you have a.
I was just in a store onbleaker two days ago.
That is this cute little storethat has masks, has dresses, has
, you know, tote bags, has, um,you know, like your cell phone
cover.
So it's more this idea of highto low, and I think that the
(29:34):
stores need that, um, and theyand, and the consumer wants to
come in and find little thingsthat, like, make them happy, but
also might buy a more expensivedress or a sneaker.
So I think that conceptingwe're seeing more and more in
America, modeled from, I think,colette in Paris.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Yeah, and I want to pivot a little bit and talk
about community and being awoman.
So in your book you talk a lotabout collaboration and
community, and on your websiteit's very apparent and you've
said it too that these arethings, values that you've held
from the beginning and are verypassionate about.
I am a first time mom, I'm alsoan entrepreneur and I my kid,
(30:19):
is just one, and I just don'tknow how I'm going to do it.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
I do.
So how did you find thatcommunity as an entrepreneur and
a mom and how?
how did you make that work?
It's a great question andcongratulations to your one year
.
I struggled in the beginningbecause I wasn't a mother who
(30:52):
could go in the mom groups andmeet for lunches and breakfasts
and walk in the park and it wasso beautiful and I applaud all
mothers of all types.
And I don't know if I was atthat time like that.
I was like a little jealous,but I loved what I did and so
when I had Dylan you know, theminute he was born, I was like
working on a project withNordstrom's and but I made sure
that I was remote at that time,like for at least those three
(31:15):
months before I went back tooffice.
But I think, similar to likebeing a manager at a young age,
like learning that over time youcan give yourself that as an
(31:36):
entrepreneur and a mother andyou can step away and take your
child to a class, and then thatmeeting will always be there,
that fashion show like there's.
There's pockets of times whereyou have to be all hands on deck
, but I made sure that I wasalways present when I wasn't
working and so that I can bethere for those milestones.
Covid, to be honest, like youknow I feel very privileged that
I was in a place where I can beremote.
(31:57):
My business was 20 years.
I had set up the models to belicensing my brand, having low
inventory levels at a factory.
I was in a place as a companyand a designer to be remote and
not needed to be somewhere elseso I could be there for my child
in homeschool and in that timeperiod I really learned that you
(32:23):
have to give yourself like timefor you, and so it's.
You know there's so many layersof it, but you have to step back
and I think that tribe, whetherit's mothers, whether it's
entrepreneurs, whether you knowit's a, you know, a male friend.
In business like that, you havethose that tried to help you in
(32:44):
times that you really need itand feel a little lonely in
being a mother and entrepreneur.
And so I found that I found alot of those people along the
way as I was building and as Iwas a mother.
I also started a podcast duringthe time that I was feeling all
these things called Moms Gotthis and like a year or two
(33:06):
after I had Dylan, so I couldtalk to fellow mothers and
entrepreneurs about being aparent while running aid while
running SACS, while runningTarget, while building your
company, and that was also liketherapy for me in the process.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
When did you decide to embrace writing a book?
What inspired you to write it?
I'll ask one more.
You've been doing a book tour.
Is there one interaction thatyou've had that just has blown
you away?
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Okay, so I've journaled my whole life, I
journaled my whole career.
It was my form of reallyunderstanding that meeting that
person, that great person, thatnapkin on the subway, like
getting all the notes out, and Iknew that eventually I wanted
to share how a woman in business, a mother, can build something,
(33:57):
stay, be in business, give backand be there for their family.
And I think that over time Ibuilt Boy Meets Girl University,
where I have students aroundthe world come to sit with us
and talk about the business andhelp underprivileged students
from the Lower East Side GirlsClub shadow us during New York
Fashion Week and give theseopportunities.
And I love helping the nextwave of entrepreneurs.
(34:19):
So I knew that, that thatcombination I was, it was time
to do it.
And it was the only time that Iwasn't on a plane at a trade
show doing a fashion week show.
You know, being in a hundredmeetings was, you know, during
lockdown.
And so at that point I decidedI think it's time, as I'm
homeschooling, as I'm stillrunning a business, keeping it
(34:41):
afloat, let's write a book.
And so that's when I reallydecided to put it all together
and do it.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
And the second question what has been the most
engaging reaction that you'vehad, as you've done the book
tour, something that's justblown you away.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
I think what blows me away is the first book event I
did was at Bloomingdale's, so Ibrought it back to a retailer.
It was for Women's HistoryMonth and I think like my back
went out because I was like, isanyone going to come and buy my
book?
Like I know I've had a brandand I've launched in stores and
(35:18):
they come for that.
But I was like you know, thisis like a whole new world for me
.
That first book event was, Iremember the CEO or the CMO of
Bloomingdale's came and they'relike you can do an event here
anytime you want.
It was like around the cornerPeople are there to buy the book
and I didn't know if, likethose people would come, whether
(35:41):
it's friends, family, your NewYork Fashion Week clients, like
buyers, all of it.
They all came and I've been onlike 20 different places on this
tour or 30 over the course ofthe year and people show up and
there's a lot of authors I'vemet on this road who say
(36:03):
sometimes they don't, sometimesthey're sitting there with three
of their family members, somefamous authors, and I just feel
really fortunate that people areinterested and they're
supporting on this journey.
Speaker 4 (36:33):
And I feel like there's so much gratitude for
that, and you don't always getthat as an author, but there are
also people along the way whogot you to come to that powerful
advice.
Who do you think are thosepeople?
The mentors who got you towhere you are and what stands
out to you?
Speaker 2 (36:58):
I've been a woman.
Her name's Kathy Savitt.
She was the CMO of Yahoo.
She owned a business calledLockers.
She raised $500 know, $500million from Kleiner, perkins
and many other people VCs andprivate equity and at the time
we met she was like the firstbig leader female woman, like
powerhouse, that I had met in mybusiness or around my.
(37:19):
She was more in tech that trulybelieved in me, because I was
always in meetings surrounded bylots of men and not many high
powered women, and so she endedup ultimately licensing my brand
for her company called Lockersat the time, which is where you
would watch a video, you wouldget earned points and you can
(37:41):
buy product.
She ended up selling it to aChinese company a few years
after.
But what I noticed about her isthat she created concepts and
can go to places, whether it wasworking as a CEO of a plane
company that's going to be thefastest plane to Europe soon, or
being the CMO of Yahoo, torunning this company that she
(38:02):
built on her own.
How she sort of ran throughthings in a certain like a way
with authority and also givingme confidence as a woman in my
business.
I remember leaving her leading,leaving the meeting we already
talked about licensing the brandfor her website and she said I
(38:23):
believe in you, I've got youbecause she knew, like sort of
where I was or who was in myorbit and could feel like, okay,
this will work.
So, as she was someone who Iremember like being like do you
know what Instagram is?
Because I was like you've gotto do this.
You know, it was the beginningof so many things.
We did a great fashion weekshow together.
Wyclef Schaum performed withother artists.
(38:44):
I created it, I co-created itwith him, and then we had Buy
Now Wear Now off the runwaythrough her platform.
We had Tumblr come in.
It was before we had this toBuy Now, wear Now.
There was no Instagram.
So I did some really cool thingswith her in the very beginning
of all of this and she believedin what I wanted to do, which is
(39:06):
, you know, half the battle tohave someone who really believes
in what you do.
He has believed in the brand,has the validity to license
(39:31):
globally, that it stands forsomething and that it can be an
international success, and sothat belief also.
We have the same vision.
It took me many partners to getaligned with someone who
understood really where I wantedto grow the brand.
He is someone who takes a lotof walks in the park that I do
now too and takes care ofhimself, but has a global
sourcing company and so havingagain that belief and letting me
(39:54):
do my thing, whatever I do, andwho I partner with, believing
that's the right thing and doingthe other piece of the business
that I talked about in the verybeginning of the podcast, that
I didn't have in the beginning,which is great.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
There's so many good nuggets in there, and especially
for anybody entrepreneurs,minority people, first-time moms
, people with all stages.
Let's do the fun part here.
We're gonna do a rapid fire.
First thing that comes intoyour mind.
It's gonna to be threequestions Are you ready?
I'm ready.
Number one what is your go-tocomfort food?
Speaker 2 (40:29):
Doritos, why I'll have to send you a picture of me
holding a Doritos bag when Iwas like four.
I don't know.
I just love the taste and it'sso bad for you.
Speaker 4 (40:39):
The ingredients are so bad, but there is like a
nostalgia and since we'rerevealing our go-to foods, I
will say strawberry shortcake ismy weakness I'll have to send
you a strawberry shortcakecollaborative tweet which, by
the way, I just have to throwthis in.
Speaker 2 (40:58):
This is really fascinating.
What happened to me thismorning?
I did not have my phone.
I have a dog.
I was walking my dog last nightvery late at night.
I had shown my sister and oneof my best friends who was in
town, some new concepting I'mdoing for a new drop for back to
school at Strawberry Shortcakeand I'm walking down in the park
I'm the only one there and thisguy walks towards me and he's
(41:21):
in a strawberry shortcake oldvintage tee and I was like no
way, this is not like cause.
I was like this is unisex, guyscan wear it for sure.
And he fully had like thevintage look.
And I stopped him and I said,oh my God, I I'm working on some
new collab designs with themand he is a advert.
(41:43):
He sold his advertising company.
It was 200 people people.
Now it's 900 people.
I said look me up.
I like had to go, but it was sosorry.
Strawberry sugar cake.
I have a great collaborationwith them right now, but I was
like fascinated that this guywas wearing a strawberry sugar
cake sure, so it's a good thing,as in very, very good for let
me tell you I eat it every week.
Speaker 4 (42:01):
Let me ask you something related to rapid fire
what's your walk-on music ortheme song?
Speaker 2 (42:09):
Train Nix.
It's a Beautiful Day, featuringsome other people in that.
I just think there's not a lotof times we are thankful and
have gratitude for what we'vebuilt and the people around us,
and so I just that's one of my,my favorites right now.
I do also have one more Roar byKaty Perry.
(42:30):
I won't play it right now, butyou know, it's so good.
It's so good.
I have so many genres.
My son is named after Bob Dylan.
Like you know, I go from likereggae, hip hop, rap, old school
, but there's my mix.
Speaker 3 (42:48):
All right, so I'm going to have to do this.
What is the best lip syncperformance you have seen ever?
Speaker 2 (42:55):
It's Rich, honnable.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
We do have to at least get on record that I
should have won that competition.
Speaker 2 (43:01):
We met at a CMO club with Pete Kranich.
I was a judge, you were verygood and I don't remember who
won, but I remember yourperformance, so you should have
won.
Speaker 3 (43:13):
Full on Sandra Dee blonde wig I still have it and
maybe for the last podcastepisode I'll wear it.
So I will ask the last questionIf you could immediately
transport yourself to anywherein the world for one day,
instantly get there, instantlycome back, where would you go?
Speaker 2 (43:28):
I've never been to Portland Oregon.
Phil Knight, nike collaboration2029.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
So amongst the musicians you work with, who was
the one that stands out to you?
Speaker 2 (43:40):
Wyclef was really cool because I went into the
studio with him three monthsbefore the show and I came in
and I played Joe Baez's slowestrendition of Forever Young and
(44:03):
there was a whole group ofpeople in the studio.
I was like, oh my God, this islike so embarrassing, this is so
slow.
But the idea of that show wasForever Young.
It's a young story of Joe Baezand Bob Dylan and how Joan was
really the famous one but Bobsort of went under coattails and
became more famous.
But so that was the whole showpremise and so he goes, got it,
(44:27):
and I was like, well, he's likecome on in, so we go back to
this other, like other part ofthe studio and he's like, okay.
And then we had two artistsChris Cab and Drana DeMarco were
younger artists who wecollaborated on this and he's
like, okay, we're going to dothis or do this.
And he's like, okay, we'regonna do this or do this because
he was the musical genius here.
But it was just like he justunderstood me.
So that was fascinating.
And I also love like thecomeback, like Natasha Benefield
(44:52):
performed with me in my show, Ithink like 2011.
And she had like sort of beenaround and had her high.
Like you know, her song wasknown in different things,
(45:28):
no-transcript, but how they workand think and how fast it is
for them to think it's like cool, only because they saw it in
like a random movie.
It's so interesting.
Speaker 3 (45:45):
Stacey.
Thank you, that was awesome.
I am going to have to have yousend me one of the clips so we
can play it on the podcast.
This has been phenomenal.
I appreciate you taking thetime to spend with us.
Thank you so much.
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