Street Talk with Arthur Z

Jessica Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO of TrueFit, joins Street Talk to talk about what two decades of fit intelligence infrastructure means at the moment agentic commerce goes mainstream. TrueFit operates a network spanning 91,000 brands and hundreds of millions of shopper profiles. Now it's connecting that intelligence directly into AI shopping agents via MCP — placing fit data inside the agenti...

Adam Baruchowitz, co-founder and chief recycling officer at Return to Vendor, has spent 20 years inside fashion's waste stream. His company is building a circular materials platformanchored on monomaterial nylon design — and his argument for why circularity keeps failing is the clearest you'll hear. On this episode of Street Talk, Arthur Zaczkiewicz and Baruchowitz get into the economics of textil...

Newsletter signup CTA: Get the Street Talk newsletter — retail intelligence for C-suite decision-makers. Subscribe free:https://street-talk-studio.kit.com/ Angelica Reyes, Global CMO and US General Manager at Skeepers, joins Arthur Zaczkiewicz for a direct conversationabout why user-generated content has moved from marketing tactic to retail infrastructure. The traditional purchase funnel has coll...

David and Jodi Harouche, co-founders of Multimedia Plus, have spent 29 years building technology for one of retail's most underinvested assets: the sales associate. On this episode of Street Talk, they explain how their platform Insight turns in-between-customer time into competitive advantage — and why storytelling, not product specs, is whatseparates a great associate from a forgettable one. The...

Matt Maher, founder of M7 Innovations, joins Street Talk to cut through the noise around agentic commerce — separating what retail brands need to act on today from what remains a directional future. With 900 million weekly users on ChatGPT and 2.5 billion daily AI-first search queries, the search landscape has already shifted. But end-to-end agent transactions? Still early. Maher maps the consumer...

Marcelo Guimarães, co-founder and CEO of Fashinnovation,built one of fashion's most active global innovation communities from a single event in New York in 2018. It now operates across more than 100 countries. On Street Talk, he and Arthur get into the real frictionbetween fashion's creative culture and the tech world's operational logic, why most brands aren't ready for AI adoptio...

Jesica Elise Wagstaff, author of fashion theory newsletter A Sunday Journal on Substack, joins Street Talk to examine why brand identity has become retail's most underestimated problem. Drawing on theorists from Bourdieu to Baudrillard, she explains how the viral trend cycle has caused brands to abandon the cultural language consumers rely on — and why the mostinformed shoppers are already fil...

David Dorf, Global Head of Retail Industry Solutions at Amazon Web Services, joins Arthur Zaczkiewicz to break down what AI actually means for retail right now — and why most companies are thinking about it wrong. David introduces his two-part framework: agentic commerce (the AI-powered front-end experience) and the invisible AI reshaping back-end operations. He explains why retailers need to show...

Ward Kampf, President of Northwood Retail, has spent more than 30 years building retail environments that don't look like retail environments — and betting on founders before the market caught up. In this episode, he breaks down how Northwood evaluates acquisitions, why configuration now determines omnichannelsuccess, and what TikTok-born brands are doing to traditional tenant selection. He al...

This week on Street Talk, Arthur Zaczkiewicz sits down with Dora Lau — designer, president, and CEO of Dora L. International — for a conversation that spans Hong Kong opera stages, a debut fashion line that didn't sell a single garment, and the realities of building a global intimates business from scratch. Dora unpacks what it took to grow a 60-person, multi-continent operation serving specialty...

Five-time CEO and founder Terri Eagle has sat at the leadership table of some of the most recognizable names in luxury and beauty — Montblanc, David Yurman, F. Schumacher & Co. Now running her own advisory firm, she works with founder-led and family-owned businesses to build enterprise value, strengthen leadership, and prepare for succession. In this episode, Terri and Arthur dig into the real...

What does it look like to build a fashion brand entirely on your own terms — and walk away from Saks and Nordstrom when the terms no longer make sense? In this episode, Arthur sits down with Hadley Pollet, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of the Hadley Pollet brand — a women's accessories and lifestyle label she launched in 2002, inspired by the aftermath of 9/11, and has grown for over two...

Guest: Abraham Maslavi, co-CEO of Jovani Host: Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Director of Content, Corner of Fifth | (ex-WWD) In this conversation Abraham and Arthur discusses the evolution of the Jovani brand, its diverse collections, and the importance of accessibility in luxury fashion. He emphasizes the emotional connection with customers, the impact of technology and AI on fashion, and the commitment to...

Guest: Bruce Findlay, Managing Director at Landsec | (ex-Diesel, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger) Host: Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Director of Content, Corner of Fifth | (ex-WWD) This episode serves as a strategic masterclass for retail leaders navigating the "new normal." The conversation moves beyond the cliché of "retail is dying" and instead focuses on its scientific evolution. Findl...

Strategy over Survival Retail leadership is no longer just about managing inventory; it’s about mastering the intersection of technology and human-centric experience. On today's episode of Street Talk we sat down with Jay Hakami, President & CEO at SKYPAD, to dive deep into what is actually moving the needle for enterprise retail in 2026. Key takeaways for the C-Suite: Operational Agility: Why...

Edward Hertzman discusses his journey from the textile industry to founding Athletech, a platform focused on the fitness and wellness industry. He shares insights on the industry's evolution, the intersection of wellness with hospitality and beauty, and the launch of Hertzman Global Intelligence. Hertzman emphasizes the need for a new approach in sourcing and retail, highlighting the ongoing disru...

"Uncertainty is the new norm." From looming tariffs to escalating geopolitical tensions, the retail landscape is in a state of constant disruption. In this episode of Street Talk, Arthur sits down with Marguerite Le Rolland , Global Insights Manager for Fashion at EuroMonitor International , to unpack the data behind these shifts. We cover: The Tariff Effect: How supply chains are diversifying awa...

Max Ma discusses the challenges faced in the retail business, particularly focusing on the slim profit margins and the impact of technology on business growth. He emphasizes the need for innovation and the right technological tools to improve margins and overall business performance. And Arthur and Cass discuss this weeks headlines and Nike investing in innovation again.

Arthur Zaczkiewicz and Cass Spencer go over this week's retail headlines. Then Arthur and Noa Gafni—faculty at NYU and Columbia University and business adviser to C-Suite—explore the evolving landscape of business, focusing on the importance of clarity in leadership, the redefinition of success, and the need for resilience in the face of disruptions. They discuss the impact of AI on various indust...

In this episode of Street Talk , host Arthur Zaczkiewicz dives deep into the minds of Gen Z consumers. He welcomes three students from Indiana University to discuss their retail habits , must-have brands , and the process behind their purchasing decisions. Plus, Co-Founder, Creative, Producer, and Podcast Host Side-kick Cass Spencer joins Arthur to break down the latest headlines.

In this episode of Street Talk, host Arthur Zaczkiewicz welcomes Sandi Mines, Vice President of Corporate Engagement at FDRA, President of FFANY, as well as President and Chair of the FFCF. The topic? A footwear industry update. From innovation and technology to fashion finds and consumer preferences, Mines keys into all the latest news and trends.

Warren Shoulberg is a veteran journalist and home furnishings expert who has also served as editor-in-chief of several B2B publications. You’ll also catch him being quoted in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal .

Even with all the new digital tools and data out there, the heart of PR is still all about  relationships . In a recent episode of the  Corner of Fifth Street Talk  podcast, PR veteran Nataly Blumberg discusses her "new old school" approach and why it's more relevant than ever. We chatted about how the industry has shifted from focusing on traditional media to a more complex, data-driven world. Na...

In the latest Street Talk podcast, host Arthur Zaczkiewicz chats with Hillary Littleton, CMO of Fit:Match, about how the company’s groundbreaking 3D body scanning and AI technology is shaking up multiple industries. From solving the retail sizing puzzle to transforming athlete scouting and fitness training, Fit:match is a game changer. Key Highlights: ●     Retailers are cutting returns by 80% wit...

How can fashion, beauty, and retail brands truly embrace sustainability? 🌿 🌱 In the latest Corner of Fifth Street Talk podcast, Arthur Zaczkiewicz chats with Camillus Fitzpatrick, Climate & Nature Strategist at Earth Finance, to explore practical steps for building sustainable brands.  Camillus shares eye-opening insights on: ✨ Breaking "carbon tunnel vision" with holistic strategies ✨ Sup...