New designers, even if they’ve had some early buzz and success, often face a chicken or egg problem as they try to get to the next level.
They need more of everything — especially money, exposure and talent — to fuel their budding businesses. But then they need a bigger, more established business to generate the money, gain the exposure and attract the talent.
Now there’s a new solution.
Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, founder and chief executive officer of the House of Vanderbilt family office, and Michaela Seewald, founder and CEO of V24 Media, which publishes Vogue Czechoslovakia, have launched Vanderbilt & Seewald Global Studio to give fashion designers a leg up.
V&S, a cross between a fashion accelerator and a commerce innovation platform, is targeting designers with sales in the $2 million to $10 million range, offering connections, business support and, eventually, money.
To kick things off, Vanderbilt Costin and Seewald will debut an “AI-enabled contextual commerce and ‘click-to-buy’ runway integration” with a New York Fashion Week show at Grand Central Terminal, which was first established by Cornelius “the Commodore” Vanderbilt, the railroad titan who built the Vanderbilt fortune.
The show will be held in Vanderbilt Hall, of course, and will feature V&S’ first three designer partners, including:
- Dustin Glickman of DSTN, a Stockholm-based fashion brand with a “dark cowboy” aesthetic.
- Lorena Saravia, a contemporary designer from Mexico.
- Nabil Hayari from Hayari Paris, a made-to-measure Parisian house.
The show’s AI-enabled click-to-buy and livestream shopping will be powered by a creator social network built by SohoMuse, which Vanderbilt Costin cofounded.
The show serves as introduction and example of the platform V&S is building.
Seewald said smaller designers “need the guidance and access to a different world, and big world, where it’s all happening” and can make use of V&S’ “access, support [and] guidance on the business side and good PR connections.”
“New York remains one of the world’s most influential fashion and financial capitals,” Seewald said. “So where else to launch this beautiful platform, if not during New York Fashion Week where the designers are in front of the media, buyers, investors and strategic partners? So that’s what we do. And in the beautiful Grand Central Vanderbilt Hall.”
In her work in Eastern Europe, Seewald said she’s seen a “ gap in the fashion industry.”
“There is a lot of creative talent here, very independent designers, but they’ve never become a scalable business here whenever they try to do something in Central Eastern Europe. So a lot of creativity, but always a lack of access to capital, operations, distributions and, of course, experienced business leadership.”
V&S has raised $1 million to get started and is in the process of securing another $10 million and will then look at a $100 million round to support its growing enterprise.
“Because we have different expertise in different markets, we’re being presented with so much talent, which is so extraordinary,” Vanderbilt Costin said. “And we’re like, ‘Where can we come in and really help to support you?’ We are offering a slew of different services and service providers.”
The idea is that designers can build with V&S.
“On the premium services, we get paid for those services, whether it’s PR, whether it’s social media, whether it’s marketing,” Vanderbilt Costin said. “And then for the companies we’re taking equity in, we are either investing into them or we’re building those services on the back end of it. And then also with our technology, we make money from the sales.”
Additionally, V&S is looking to open doors on the back end of the business, where small designers often find high costs.
“Where could they manufacture and have that cheaper for them?” Vanderbilt Costin said. “On the distribution side, rather than just retail, what are the other outlets? And just really understanding how all creatives work together. We’re being very smart about not only involving athletes, involving entertainers, involving musicians. So there are touch points on every single angle of what we’re doing.”
