It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with Susan Fang, founder of her namesake fashion brand, which will be debuting its spring collection during this season's London Fashion Week. With headquarters in China and the U.K., the brand — best known for pastel ruffled gowns — moved its focus to the Chinese market when China's lockdowns last year left the designer stranded. Now, the brand is back to its international outlook with a renewed focus on sustainability and technology. Ahead of her show, Fang discusses why she prioritized AI, and why balancing technology and creativity is a challenge for designers. She also talks about her collaboration strategy, having teamed with brands including Nike, Zara and Crocs.

It’s a new era for fashion month, where designer collections are just one piece of the pie. As brands across price points and specialties aim to compete in the increasingly competitive retail landscape, more are taking advantage of the opportunity and approaching it strategically. They’re cutting through the noise with innovative marketing tactics, introducing new commerce plays and leveraging advanced digital capabilities to best showcase their products. In this podcast series, running throughout Fashion Month Spring 2024, Glossy and influential leaders are breaking down the evolution of the experiential event. In this episode, we sit down with Hanako Maeda, the founder, CEO and creative director of the luxury fashion brand Adeam. Made in Maeda's home country of Japan, Adeam's clothes have been a favorite of Asian and Asian-American celebrities like Harry Shum Jr. and Naomi Osaka. Maeda talks about how ballet shaped her latest collection, how brands can make the most of a slot at NYFW, and how a fashion show can benefit a brand in ways that lookbooks and Instagram posts can't. This episode was recorded in the midst of NYFW at Showfields' store in NoHo. Related reads: NYFW designer Hanako Maeda on testing ‘the limits of digital’ during the pandemic Are fashion week parties really worth the expense?