Fashion & Founders The Podcast
Fashion & Founders is a media platform exploring how fashion is actually built. Hosted by Victoria Smith, the show sits at the intersection of fashion, technology, and capital spotlighting the founders, investors, and operators shaping the industry’s next era.
Through long-form conversations, we go beyond trends to unpack fundraising, manufacturing, resale, AI, sustainability, career, and the evolving business of fashion. This is where fashion’s builders speak, share, and connect.
Fashion & Founders The Podcast
Rebecca Minkoff: Building a Household Name Fashion Label
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In this episode, Victoria sits down with designer and founder Rebecca Minkoff to break down what it really takes to build a fashion brand and keep it alive through industry curveballs. Rebecca shares how an internship led to her first break, the celebrity moment that helped launch her label, and why success is a slow build of momentum over time. They dive into the business realities fashion school doesn’t teach like costing, pricing, profitability, and why she believes founders should bootstrap before raising money. Rebecca also pulls back the curtain on the true cost of Fashion Week, navigating fast fashion copycats, using AI to pitch and work smarter, and the resilience required to play the long game.
Follow Fashion & Founders:
Podcast IG: @fashionandfounders
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Podcast Website: fashionandfounders.com
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Podcast LinkedIn: Fashion and Founders
Podcast YouTube: Fashion and Founders
Podcast Links: Shop My
Victoria Pickle Closet: @victorias
Follow Rebecca Minkoff:
IG: @rebeccaminkoff
IG: @beckyminkoff
Her book Fearless
Fashion Career Playbook HERE
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Thanks for listening!