2023 was a big year for Harlem’s Fashion Row, the agency that launched in 2007 to connect brands and designers of color. To start, the company partnered with H&M, Tommy Hilfiger, Nordstrom, and Abercrombie & Fitch; launched the combined e-commerce site and Black and Latinx designer directory, HFR & Co.; and published a coffee-table book, “Fashion In Color.” Similarly, the company’s list of 2020 accomplishments was long.  “2020 was a pivotal year for us,” said Brandice Daniel, founder and CEO of Harlem’s Fashion Row, on the Glossy Podcast. “We started our nonprofit, Icon360; we got a million-dollar donation from the CFDA and Vogue; and Anna Wintour had me in her editor's letter in August. It opened up so many doors for HFR.”  During the episode, along with discussing fashion’s fluctuating prioritization of inclusivity over the last four years, Daniel shares her secrets to driving deals between emerging designers and mega fashion companies and her hopes for fashion’s future.

In 2018, after working as an advertising director for companies including Hearst and The Economist, among others, Dan Manioci joined luxury leather goods company MCM as vp of marketing and global performance. According to him, the five years since have served as a master class in luxury marketing. “You have this preconceived notion of what it's like [to work in-house at a luxury brand], but it's so much more work than I could have ever thought,” Manioci said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “On the publishing side, you have to understand how to manage a budget, so I had that [expertise] coming in. But you also need to understand what makes the consumer engaged, what makes them move and what the trends are. … And you need to understand consumer profiles; how the retail industry works, in fine detail; and who the key players are at the wholesalers. For example: Who are the merchandisers you need to be listening to? It's a true education. And I think that's what has also made me stay [at the brand] for as long as I have. I've been learning from all these amazing people.” At the same time, he’s led key moves that have worked to fuel the brand’s revenue and engagement. Over the last couple of years, those have included building marketing plans around buzzy brand faces including Billie Eilish and Cindy Crawford. And, more recently, he’s elevated MCM’s digital presence as part of a new strategic direction.  In 2023, MCM launched a company-wide plan that included updating the creative team and upping the focus on digital channels and young shoppers.  Manioci discussed the brand’s new focus, including how it’s resonating in the rapidly evolving luxury climate. He also shared the strategy behind MCM’s recent presence at men’s fashion week and the factors behind its increasing success in the ready-to-wear category.