In 2019, just ahead of the pandemic, Raph Peck joined Southern California-based Brixton as the hat brand’s CEO. Prior, Peck had spent five years as president of sports apparel brand Fanatics, and he’d also held leadership roles at Oakley, Under Armour and Adidas. According to Peck, the draw to Brixton was the unique challenge of making something large out of a smaller-scale company. At the time, the brand was 15 years old.   “Brixton is, in some ways, smaller than most of the challenges I’ve taken on in my career, but it’s much more complex,” Peck said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “It has a much narrower consumer focus, an underdeveloped direct-to-consumer channel — both in physical retail and in e-commerce — and a diverse product set, with headwear being nearly half of our revenue.”  Along with further developing Brixton’s existing sales channels and product categories, Peck saw the opportunity to expand the brand to new markets. “Such a large percentage of our overall sales come from California,” he said. “So we [want to] take a company that's built a tremendous following regionally, and see if we can grow it in the United States and then, ultimately, globally.” Of course, Covid and its lingering business effects have proven a disruption to most businesses’ plans. Peck shared how the pandemic has impacted his growth targets for Brixton, plus why profitability and lengthened dwell times are among his current goals. 

Fashion designer Michael Costello came onto the scene by way of "Project Runway" in 2010. Now, his namesake brand, best known for glamorous, sexy dresses and inclusive sizes, is sold at Saks Fifth Avenue. Plus, he's behind Revolve's best-selling brand.  "I have the best of both worlds," he said, regarding designing for both his namesake brand and Revolve. "I get to create fantasy and high-end glamour, and really live out the things that come into my mind and that I dream about, which is the couture and over-the-top, gorgeous gowns. But I also get to make things that everyone can wear, [for Revolve]," he said. Costello has sold at Revolve for the past six years, creating 120-180 exclusive pieces for the retailer per month.  And in 2022, his brand was picked up by Saks, which he calls his “I made it” moment. In September, Costello will be participating in New York Fashion Week, after stepping away for three seasons before taking part in Revolve Gallery in September 2022. He plans to leverage a more intimate show format than in seasons past, to cater to long-term customers and buyers. "We want to see the impact this time. Before it was all for fun," he said.