The Fashion Translator

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Cynthia Kim, Founder of Love Classic, about what it really takes to build a niche fashion brand from a single product — and grow it with intention. Cynthia started with thigh-high socks. Not randomly — but because she understood the product from the inside out: the fiber, the construction, the feel. That foundation is now informing how she...

For a long time, Paris was the plan. It made sense on paper. Fashion capital. Creative energy. The city that shaped so much of what I thought I knew about this industry. But life has a way of offering you something better than the plan you had. Dubai was not what I expected to choose. And then, it chose me — and everything shifted. Not because Dubai is more glamorous, But because it asked somethin...

Ariane and I have known each other for years — long before Lys Link, long before any of this made professional sense. What started as a friendship in Montréal eventually became something else entirely: a working relationship built on mutual trust, shared standards, and the kind of honesty that only comes from knowing someone well enough to tell them the truth. We are a flight apart. We have never...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Dario Markovic Ristic, CEO of Eric Javits, about leading a heritage accessory brand through D2C transformation, operational complexity, and the next layer of AI-driven growth. Eric Javits has been built over more than four decades, but the brand’s recent evolution reflects a very modern reality: even established fashion businesses cannot r...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , I spoke with Joseph Alexander Rein, Founder and CEO of LW PEARL and LW PEARL Atelier, about building a fashion business at the intersection of luxury craft, textile development, digital product workflows, and retail expansion. Joseph brings a rare perspective into the conversation: one shaped by couture-level garment work, embroidery, luxury, and the...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Janice Tam, Co-Founder & CEO of TrueToForm, about how body scanning, 3D fit prediction, and sizing data are reshaping the way apparel brands approach fit online. Fit is often treated as a size chart problem. But for apparel brands, it sits much deeper — inside customer confidence, e-commerce conversion, product development, return rates, a...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Cayla O’Connell Davis, CEO & Co-Founder of Subset, about the operational reality behind sustainable fashion — and why material standards, certifications, chemical safety, and supply chain decisions are becoming impossible to separate from brand credibility. This conversation goes far beyond marketing claims. From organic cotton sourcing an...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Martin Engster, Founder of Engsta Rides, about building a brand rooted in automotive culture and translating that passion into apparel. What began as a personal connection to cars — shaped by early exposure, environment, and experience — gradually evolved into something broader. Not just clothing, but a way to express identity through what...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , I spoke with Jaclyn Brautigam, Founder of Fordham Fashion, about the operational blind spots that prevent emerging designers from turning strong creative work into viable businesses. Many designers are trained to develop products — but not to sell them. They are often left navigating wholesale, pricing, margins, and distribution without a clear roadma...

Most people ask about price and lead time. I look at something else first. Most people ask about price and lead time. I look at something else first. When a brand asks, “Can you recommend a factory?” they usually mean capacity, pricing, and lead times. I look for something else first. I look for how the factory thinks when something goes wrong. Because in production, something always goes wrong: A...

🎙️ In this special author feature of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Romain Liot, fashion entrepreneur and author of Reset Fashion , about why sustainability in fashion needs to move beyond intention, image, and simplified consumer narratives. Drawing from his experience building Adore Me and navigating the operational reality of fashion from the inside, Romain brings a direct and sometimes b...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , I spoke with Nathan Trafford, Founder of Trafford Watch Co., about how product meaning is actually built over time—through use, memory, and personal context. In a category shaped by heritage and craftsmanship, the real question becomes:not just how a product is designed, but how it lives with the customer . From structuring design between function and...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Kiefer Cohen, Co-founder of Sad Eyewear, about building an independent eyewear brand at the intersection of subculture, product discipline, and multi-channel growth — including their expansion into a first flagship retail space in Costa Mesa, CA, USA. From subculture-driven design to disciplined product focus, the conversation highlights h...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Elif Akaydin, Founder of Patent of Heart, about building a fashion brand where product, craftsmanship, and social impact are structurally interconnected — not just conceptually aligned. What starts as a handbag brand quickly reveals a much deeper system: one that connects women artisans across India, Lebanon, and Turkey, while funding educ...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , I spoke with Sophia Pervez, Founder of Formanova, to explore what it actually takes to build AI tools that can operate within the precision demands of the jewelry industry. While generative AI has rapidly expanded across fashion and content creation, jewelry exposes a critical limitation: accuracy. From gemstone color to millimeter-scale proportions,...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Aleksandra Sivokoneva, Creative Director of Mana Fashion, about building a functional fashion ecosystem in Miami — through infrastructure, access, and community. Most fashion conversations focus on visibility, branding, and product. But none of that sustains without the systems behind it. In emerging markets like Miami, the real challenge...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys speaks with Mitchella Gilbert, Founder of OYA Apparel, about designing clothing for real conditions — where performance is directly tied to environment, health, and function. Most apparel is developed within controlled parameters, optimized for appearance or perceived performance. But for individuals operating in high-intensity environments...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Darren Seigel, Chief Business Development Officer at TONA Activewear, to explore how performance apparel can support mental well-being, confidence, and community — without compromising on fit, function, or comfort. Born from a deeply personal mission around mental health and suicide prevention, TONA set out to create what many...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, Claire Lys sits down with Brita Jackson, Founder of Arquette Agency, to explore the unseen work behind talent representation and long-term career development in the fashion industry. From guiding models through demanding international careers to prioritizing mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, Brita shares what responsible talent management actu...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , Claire Lys sits down with Kevin Massar , co-founder and CEO of The Field Dream — a design-led soccer culture brand helping clubs build their identity through uniforms, fanwear, and community-first experiences. From his transition out of global corporate roles into a startup, to the realities of building grit, systems, and authentic growth — Kevin shar...

🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , Claire Lys sits down with Elma Madzar, Founder of Fashion My Way, to explore how technology-enabled customization is reshaping the fashion industry — from the fitting room experience to on-demand production and data-driven design. Drawing on over 20 years of retail experience, Elma explains why the future of personalization lies in intentional design,...

What if most product errors weren’t design problems — but communication failures? 🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , Claire Lys sits down with Laura Zwanziger, Founder of Fit For Everybody , to unpack why apparel development breaks down long before production — and how clearer systems can dramatically reduce waste, cost, and confusion. From tech packs and sizing inconsistencies to fact...

What does it take to build a children’s brand that parents genuinely connect with — beyond trends and mass-market sameness? 🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , Claire Lys sits down with Dinah Chapman , Founder of Little Trouble , to unpack how a deeply personal idea turned into a fast-growing kidswear brand rooted in creativity, community, and design integrity. From navigating early mot...

What if clothing wasn’t designed around speed — but around connection, care, and longevity? 🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , Claire Lys sits down with Megan Krajco , apparel designer and former Design Director at PAKA, to explore what it truly means to design apparel from source to story. From time spent with Peruvian weaving communities to material-first design decisions, Megan shar...

What does it take to stay relevant in one of the most competitive corners of the apparel industry? 🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator , Claire Lys speaks with Milissa Gibson , Sales Director at Lane Seven Apparel , about building lasting relationships, reading trends ahead of the market, and balancing technology with human connection in sales. From wholesale blanks and brand positioning...