Coming off the heels of its 30th anniversary,  Anthropologie has no plans to slow down. Anthropologie celebrated its 30th anniversary in late September and, in step, produced an interactive installation at the New York Academy of Art called “By Hand, By Heart.” The installation, which ran from Oct. 1-2, showcased the brand's rich history and decades' worth of eye-catching storefront art. The company also published its first coffee table book with Rizzoli, titled "Art of Anthropologie," which celebrates Anthropologie's roots and creative accomplishments. At the helm of the heritage brand is Tricia Smith, who took on the role of global CEO in April 2021. From a very young age, Smith knew she was passionate about retail and serving customers. Though Anthropologie's reputation for keeping the customer front and center was one of the biggest draws for Smith, it was an unforgettable experience while visiting Anthropologie's Soho, NY location over 20 years ago that piqued her interest in the brand. "I remember the way the store made me feel. I distinctly remember that it was the first time that I, as a young woman, felt inspired by a retail experience," Smith shared on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "It was the thoughtfulness of the curation of products, from apparel to candles and home accessories, all celebrated with these amazing and incredible visual installations. It inspired this sense of discovery in me that Anthropologie was the first to create." Since assuming the role as global CEO, Smith's biggest goal has been to invoke that same feeling of inspiration and creativity in customers. "When the opportunity was presented to me to join as the CEO, yes, it was exciting. But it was a bit of a pinch-me moment," Smith added.

Nate Checketts, CEO and co-founder of men's apparel and activewear brand Rhone, has mastered the art of building a premium brand at a comfortable pace. Rhone, Checketts' 8-year-old brand based in Connecticut, has gone through its fair share of growing pains. Checketts owes its ability to power through the tough times to quality products and smart strategies.  "Part of the ethos and emphasis of Rhone has always been marrying aesthetic and function," Checketts said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. Activewear, or as the brand categorizes it "performance lifestyle," has been a key driver of Rhone's business. The category performed incredibly well in 2019, but like every other brand, Rhone was not prepared for the year that followed. "[The year] 2020 was an enormous challenge for us because the interest swung into active and lounge[wear], and we could not keep those products in stock. We were chasing inventory," Checketts said. "Not only [were we] not able to get enough inventory to keep up with demand in a typical calendar year, but now, you have supply chain challenges and countries shutting down, too." Checketts said the sudden increase in demand and new challenges the team faced helped shape Rhone's business strategy from there. "As we thought about 2021, we had to start making calculated decisions as to when we thought lifestyle [apparel] was going to come back," Checketts said.