FSW Conversations

In this third installment of FSW Conversations en Été, Bryce and Jessica speak with Laura Lanteri, a strategist, creative director, and filmmaker with nearly 20 years of experience in fashion, luxury, and tech. She talks in depth about her latest project, a documentary exploring beauty, capitalism, and freedom of expression in America, using film to challenge and reshape harmful narratives in fashion and culture.

In this episode, Suad Fakih, a luxury data and insights expert and writer of the popular Substack Suad's Gems chats with Bryce and Jessica about what luxury brands are up against in today's uncertain economic landscape. This enlightening and deep-ranging conversation touches upon key issues luxury brand decision-makers face every day in navigating the financial challenges of stagnating consumer purchasing, tariffs, and overall global uncertainty. Suad outlines practical approaches brands can take, along with concrete examples of luxury brands with standout strategies.

In this episode, Jessica and Bryce speak with Mario Lang, Executive Director of Global Retail Technology at The Estée Lauder Companies.Global retail, fashion, and luxury brands face many challenges to stay relevant and to anticipate and cater to changing consumer needs across key demographics.Mario speaks of the need for contextualized, meaningful applications of retail technology, including AI, DPPs, and other innovations. He emphasizes the importance of technology as a tool that can augment human discovery, bring operational efficiencies, and contribute to better, more consumer-centric retail experiences, rather than just innovation for innovation’s sake.  We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected].  To discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com.

Hello and welcome to FSW Conversations en Eye, brought to you by Fashion Strategy Weekly. Hosted by me Jessica Quillin. And me, Bryce Quillin, co-founders of FSW & as well as It's A Working Title, the luxury strategy agency. FSW Conversations brings together fashion and luxury leaders, creatives, and makers to discuss practical, strategic, and research-based insights to help you, our listeners, keep on top of our fast-moving sector.   We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to contact us via the show notes. Plus click follow in your podcast app to be the first to hear our latest bi-monthly episodes, so now on to our special summer edition.

In this episode, Bryce speaks with Sanja Bećirović, Regional Sales Manager EMEA & APAC at Centric Software, a leading market intelligence & pricing firm. Against the backdrop of President Trump’s ’reciprocal’ tariff plan & the threat of an imminent global trade war, pricing dynamics have taken on a renewed importance for consumer & luxury brands. During her conversation with Bryce, Sanja explains the factors influencing luxury pricing across markets, including taxes, import duties, exchange rates, market perception & purchasing power.Sanja also explores how consumer interest in paying a premium for more sustainable products fluctuates & explains why true dynamic pricing has not yet been widely adopted within the luxury sector. Alongside pricing strategies, Sanja also shares the non-price tools that luxury brands employ to maintain exclusivity, including selective distribution, personalized customer experiences & controlled supply. We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected].  To discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com. 

In this episode, Bryce speaks with Chiara Marconi, founder of the B Corp-Certified Italian lingerie brand Chitè Milano. Chiara was inspired to co-launch her brand to provide sustainable lingerie to women who had experienced insecurities & help them embrace their bodies. Chiara shares with Bryce how Italy’s enduring reputation for craftsmanship & luxury gave the brand an initial platform to build upon. Chiara also explains the importance of building close relationships with manufacturing partners & demonstrating your sustainability credentials to build trust with customers. To succeed in fashion, Chiara highlights the importance of balancing creativity with business acumen, especially when it comes to understanding finance & the operational aspects of running a business. We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected]. To discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com. 

In this episode, Jessica hears from Michaela Leitz-Aslaksen who founded her consultancy, Confidence & Style, to drive change in the fashion industry by helping brands embrace size inclusivity, authenticity & diversity. Having struggled to find directional, on-trend plus-size clothing, Michaela began documenting her experience on Instagram to highlight the untapped demand for plus-size clothing. Michaela shares with Jessica her insights into how fashion brands can increase the size of their target market & unlock the spending power of plus-sized customers by providing designers with more education on sizing & fitting techniques. Given the importance of reducing overconsumption in the fashion sector, Michaela also explains how on-demand production models & live shopping events can help reduce waste by ensuring that clothing truly accommodates the customers it is aimed at. We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected]. To discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com. 

In this episode, Jessica is joined by Tom Marchant, Co-Founder of Black Tomato, a leading luxury travel company creating bespoke experiences for its discerning clients. Influenced by an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, Tom set out with his co-founders to build truly unique travel experiences that deeply inspire & delight travellers across the world. Tom shares with Jessica how Black Tomato leverages storytelling to communicate the emotionally fulfilling & authentic aspects of their experiences & how they contrast with traditional notions of luxury. Tom also shares that while technology is vital in generating efficiencies, it shouldn’t overshadow the authentic storytelling & in-person experiences that build long-term client relationships in the luxury sector. We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected] discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com. Edited & produced by Juliet Fallowfield, 2025. 

In this episode, Jessica hears from Heidi Svane Pederson, Head of Digital at Lifestyle & Design Cluster, Denmark’s leading organisation for promoting sustainability & innovation in the fashion, interior & lifestyle sectors. With the global fashion industry responsible for nearly 10% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, it’s clear that innovative solutions are required to reduce this environmental harm. Heidi shares with Jessica how technologies including AI & blockchain can be leveraged to minimise overproduction & waste while also creating circular business models. While Heidi acknowledges small & medium-sized businesses face challenges in transitioning to sustainable practices, she stresses how vital this is for tackling global environmental challenges. To create more sustainable fashion & lifestyle sectors, Heidi highlights the importance of education & collaboration to create digital tools & processes which allow customers to understand the sustainability credentials of the goods they purchase. We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected] discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com. 

In this episode, Jessica speaks with Michael Spicher, PhD, an independent consultant & speaker who co-founded Aesthetics Research Lab in 2016 to explore the impact of aesthetics. Michael’s work explores how aesthetics influence our everyday lives & how moments of beauty impact identity & societal well-being. Michael shares with Jessica his insights into how luxury brands can leverage aesthetics in brand identity, storytelling & product design to create memorable experiences & build emotional connections with clients. Given the important role aesthetics plays in building compelling luxury brands, Michael highlights how luxury brands should build aesthetics into their offering right at the start & ensure they remain a key element of the brand’s internal & external narratives. We would love to hear your thoughts on the episode: email [email protected]. To discuss the episode with fellow subscribers and access bonus episodes, visit fashionstrategyweekly.com. FSW conversations is edited & produced by Fallow, Field & Mason in 2025.