OMONDI Presents: The Cutting Room Floor

S02 E010: Tibi: An Evolving Identity Feat. Amy Smilovic

Amy Smilovic, the founder of Tibi, took a lifelong passion and created a burgeoning fashion label. Listen in as she relates why she took the leap into creating fashion, why she later made a major pivot in her brand, and what it has taken to keep everything moving and evolving in the ever-changing world of fashion. Amy is completely transparent about what it took to create Tibi as well all the twists and turns she’s navigated throughout the past 20 years since its creation. You won’t want to miss this in-depth look at a paragon of the fashion industry. TIME STAMPS   (00:19) Welcome back to the last show of 2019 with the founder of Tibi, Amy Smilovic.     (02:06) Learn about the competitors of Tibi before the rebrand.     (03:00) Amy shares the meaning behind the name and her early inspiration.     (04:45) The birth of Tibi, the first collection, and the gap the brand filled.     (08:02) Why did Amy’s designs turn in to a labor of hate?     (10:30) When did Amy decide to make a change?     (13:33) How did she get her staff on board with the new direction?     (15:47) Amy chats about the birth of 4.collective and how it funded the new Tibi.     (18:39) How was the original Tibi initially funded, built, and promoted?>     (24:16) Hear how Amy’s husband’s opinion of Tibi has changed over the years.     (27:43) Learn how Amy’s marketing background helped propel Tibi into American stores.     (31:14) After four years Amy and her husband relocated to the U.S.     (33:21) Amy reminisces over the terrors of shipping guidelines and having her mom ship products.     (35:49) Sustainability was important from the beginning as was keeping the local feel.     (38:52) Amy’s dad’s advice led to the true establishment of Tibi in Soho.     (43:54) Hear how that same advice helped her to let go of her need to be recognized by the establishment in fashion.     (45:17) Learn how the lack of coverage on the Tibi brand in U.S. fashion publications speaks to the country’s opinion of women as designers.     (52:18) When should the leaders in the establishment pass the baton to the next generation?     (53:53) Amy shares two of her proudest accomplishments with her business.     (57:53) How social media has helped keep Tibi and Amy relevant in today’s world.     (1:01:30) Amy chats about the imposter syndrome she’s deaith for 20 years.     (1:04:18) Connect with Amy.     Links & Resources:  OMONDI OMONDI on InstagramOMONDI on Twitter OMONDI Newsletter TibiTibi on InstagramTibi on FacebookTibi on PinterestTibi on TwitterAmy on Instagram What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School by Mark McCormack Acquired Podcast Jack Ma The Indx Song: Hell N Back by Bakar

S02 E009: The Afterlife of Clothing Feat. Liz Ricketts

What happens to our clothes once we get rid of them? Sustainability encourages that we ask *how* our clothes are made but few ask where they go at the end of their life cycle. Recorded at the University of Cincinnati, we sit down with former DAAP educator Elizabeth Ricketts about the clothing waste crisis, the invisible world of the second-hand clothing economy as seen in Accra, Ghana.    [00:24] Learn more about The Indx   [00:57] Intro: Liz’s Back Ground   [02:02] Today’s Topic: The Afterlife of Clothing   [02:51] What is sustainability and what it's not   [05:08] We are past the point of conferences   [05:37] Extracting finite resources   [06:57] Start with Waste   [07:47] Dissonance: Clothing as Waste   [08:33] Waste: Assumed Part of the Business   [09:19] Abundance vs Excess (Grocery Store)   [11:42] Recycling New Savior   [13:15] Deficit Myth   [14:20] Not “Goodwill” Deficit Statistics   [16:30] Research in Ghana: Landfill or Donate?   [19:35] Went to Ghana with 3 Questions   [21:17] Kantamanto and Ghana’s independence   [24:40] The Value of Clothing Bails   [26:04] The Importers and the Retailers   [27:24] What are Selections?   [29:00] Waste-Streams in Ghana   [30:29] Asana’s story   [34:29] Why Katamanto represents the future of fashion.   [36:03] How do we get people to care?   [38:32] The future is local   [41:52] Knowledge is Experience - and how this applies to fashion   [45:03] Age and dissonance   [46:23] What you can do today to understand the waste crisis.   [50:12] Why single-use t-shirts are killing the industry.   [52:54] Connect with Liz: @theorispresent, @SFI_cincinnati, deadwhitemansclothes.org   Links & Resources:  OMONDI The Indx The University of Cincinnati - DAAP School of Design Burberry Clothing Fire Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough

S02 EP008: Live at A/D/O feat. Nesli Danisman

Live at the Brooklyn design studio A/D/O we listen in as Nesli Danisman, founder of Angora Group, shares how she became an expert in sourcing materials around the world. Starting in as an assistant to Ralph Lauren and sourcing for nearly a decade for Marc Jacobs, Nesli describes her mission with Angora Group to help companies develop the best products with the best factories around the world. We close it out with some heavy-hitting questions from the audience that you won’t want to miss.

S02 EP007: Live at Notre feat. Ava Nope

Live at Notre Shop in Chicago, Ava Niuri (@avanope) is head of special projects at Marc Jacobs. We discuss her Australian upbringing, her work on the rebrand of Helmut Lang, the bootlegs that amassed her insta-following and what she describes as "catfishing" of the creative brain.    TIME STAMPS         (0:39) @avanope         (1:12) Ava’s Background         (2:22) Fashion in Australia         (4:00) Fashion Writing         (5:00) Opening Ceremony         (6:37) Bootlegs         (12:33) “Entering the Fashion Industry”         (13:45) Instagram & Hiring         (14:27) Helmut Lang         (16:42) Marc Jacobs         (19:19) Collabs         (20:00) Marc Jacobs Sweatshirt         (21:42) Women in Streetwear         (23:36) Keanu Reeves Project         (29:33) Ken Park Project         (32:50) Fashion before the internet         (34:45) Vetements         (35:51) DIY Culture         (36:56) Questions         (40:00) Magazines (Dazed and Confused)         (42:00) Sustainability/ ethical brands         (43:00) Regionalism

S02 EP006: Intro to Denim ft. Tiia Richardson

The Cutting Room Floor by OMONDI sits with Tiia Richardson and talks everything denim. She is a denim specialist with over twenty years of experience that has worked with the likes of Calvin Klein, RRL, and Tommy Hilfiger. She tells us why the best have studied at the house of Levi's and educates us on denim terminology. Stay tuned for more amazing guest we have lined up for this  season!