The Andrew Coelho Show

When it comes to Italians, their reputation for quality, ingenuity, and innovation is par for the course, and today’s guest is no different.

Guest Bio

My guest today is Luca Finotti, an Italian creative and film director who has directed fashion films for the likes Nike, Versace, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, to name a few.

He’s also been dubbed by Forbes as “The Film Director Behind Fashion’s Viral Videos”

In 2018, he won Best Director at Cinemoi Film Festival and his project entitled #WeBelieveInThePowerOfLove for Nike was screened and awarded in more than 25 Film Festival awards across the globe.

This guy is not short on accolades, but surprisingly enough, one thing I quickly learned about Luca is that he isn’t short on humility either. His energy is positive with a great perspective on success, so it’s not surprising he’s been able to rub shoulders with some of the industry’s most notable designers and brands.

Let’s jump into the episode to hear about how Luca built his network, his experience working with Lady Gaga and how he continues to produce viral fashion films time after time.

About this podcast:

The Andrew Coelho Show is the world’s best fashion podcast dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and professionals in the fashion industry. Tune in to get the advice, insights, tips and tricks from some of the industry’s most respected moguls.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

When it comes to working with denim, there is nobody better than today’s guest, Ben Viapiana.

Inspired by his father, who was a lifetime tailor himself, Ben spent his formative years learning about patterning, cutting and sewing by simply spending time at his dad’s shop, where he recounts doing many of his childhood chores.

His exposure to the tailoring world, to machinery, to making, was something that carried through to early adulthood where he decided he wanted to continue on with his father’s legacy, but with his own twist and his own direction, which as you’ll learn later on, was a tad out of spite, but more so out of passion.

His love affair with denim would start to take shape while he lived in Thailand for 10 years, hanging out at denim factories and making friends with local industry people.

Eventually, he would return home to open his own studio, with a focus on creating a unique experience for his customers and taking the art of making jeans to a whole new level.

Today’s episode features local Toronto maker Ben Viapiana. We kept it super simple on this morning episode talking all about Ben’s upbringing, his passion for denim and machines, and some of the basic lessons he wishes he knew as a young entrepreneur.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

One of the most common questions I hear from emerging designers, and entrepreneurs in general, is how do I scale my business from $0 to $1,000,000, and this week’s episode features the perfect person to walk us through how he built his multi-million dollar brand from scratch.

Born in Slovakia, today’s guest had a difficult start to his life. He was a young immigrant to Canada, arriving with his mom at the age of 7 with very little money and nothing but a future full of hope.

Like many immigrants, his childhood wasn’t easy, growing up in government housing for much of his life, where the circumstances of his environment placed negative pressures on him, causing him to struggle in school and eventually drop out.

But this didn’t stop the young entrepreneur from trying to achieve his dreams, in fact, as you will learn from this podcast, he’s actually been able to use his upbringing as an advantage which has allowed him to create a business that has changed his life.

His namesake clothing brand is now a multimillion-dollar company that has been worn by the likes of Shawn Mendes and Steph Curry, just to name a few, and has been featured in GQ, Complex magazine and many other media outlets.

To me, it’s inspiring stories like that of today’s guest that truly provides hope to other aspiring designers that anything is possible with hard work and perseverance.

But I know what you are all thinking...how the heck did he achieve such success?

Tune in this two-part series with my man David Kollar where he spills the beans on his entire fashion journey including key mistakes he made that you need to avoid, how to manage the everyday stresses of building a business, and other key tactics to help you replicate his success like influencer marketing strategies, running Facebook ads, and more.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

It’s often said that you are the product of the 5 most people that you spend your time with, and if I had to redraft my top 5, my guest would definitely be part of that group

This dude is truly inspiring, encouraging, and super positive, and his attitude towards building a business is one that everyone should try and embody.

It’s not everyday someone can quit their job at a top real estate investment fund and turn out a successful full-time career as an artist. His path is definitely an unconventional one, which just goes to show you that if you put your mind to something and put in the work, that your dreams can definitely come true.

This Toronto-based artist has curated large-scale artwork and clothing for notable celebrities such as Demi Lovato, Bad Bunny, Post Malone and Shaq and has collaborated with major brands such as Disney and Adidas.

My guest today is my guy Anthony Ricciardi. He joined me on the pod to chat about fatherhood and its impact on his mindset, how he built his brand from scratch, and how he randomly ended up on stage with superstar rapper Post Malone.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

If you guys are anything like me, shopping for jeans can be a real pain in the you know what.

I experienced this recently when I ripped my favorite pair of selvedge denim right up and middle, and had to go on the hunt for a replacement pair.

Finding the perfect pair of denim was no easy task, especially when you're a picky consumer like me who is very specific with regards to quality, manufacturing, and most importantly, fit.

Thankfully, today’s guest set out with her co-founders to solve the problem of ill-fitting jeans at scale.

Her start up, Unspun, automates the generation of custom-fit patterns from 3D body scans so that when you order denim from them, they fit to the exact mold of your body.

Talk about solving a huge problem with one foul swoop!

My guest today is the super smart Beth Esponnette, Co-Found of Unspun. Beth joined me to talk about how Unspun’s tech is the new way of buying perfect fitting jeans, the launch of their newest product, and how their dissolvable stitching is streamlining the upcycling process that will create a circular model moving forward.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

When most people get into the fashion business, the goal always seems to be MORE. More styles, more inventory,  more sales, more growth. But today’s guest, along with his co-founder, are actually on the pursuit of less.

Their brand, ASKET is Swedish menswear company on a mission to end overconsumption and restore value in the apparel industry which they achieved so far by stepping away from seasonal churn and instead focusing on a permanent collection.

It’s a simple concept in theory but one that has proven to unlock a radical new way of working. Their new methodology has resulted in zero end of season overproduction, which means there’s no need for discounting, ultimately reducing snap-shopping decisions that contributes to the issue of overconsumption.

This slow approach to retail is super refreshing and affords them the time to become accountable for their supply chain, which by the end of summer, will be completely transparent through what they call the Impact Receipt, which will outline the environmental impact of every single garment in their collection.

On this episode of The Andrew Coelho Show, I'm joined by August Bard Bringeus, Co-Founder of Asket. We chatted about some pretty cool topics like the best time to raise growth capital, how to build out a solid PR plan, and the long-term vision he sees for the fashion and apparel industry at large.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

Have you ever lost everything you owned to the point where you can carry it all around in a duffel bag? This week's guest did just that and actually ended up living out of a 24 hour Starbucks for a month.

His story is truly inspiring and although not related to fashion in the slightest, his perseverance and rigour is the true essence of entrepreneurship, no matter what the industry.

He started his career as a volunteer with NGOs, providing disaster relief in developing countries, and it was his work in that field led him to  job as a  consultant where he helped create innovative projects to build wealth, jobs, and opportunities in new markets within the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

Despite his efforts to make good, the mix of extended international travel, stress, and commitment to marathon training took a toll on his health. After the recession of 2008 he hit max burnout and went from what felt like being on top of the world to becoming homeless and living in a 24 hour Starbucks in New York City.

After shaking off the pain of failure he took a sabbatical to teach spinning in a high-end studio and it was during his time reflecting where he too notice to the mental and physical health issues that fellow road warriors faced while traveling, and the idea to create a health studio in an airport was formed.

Despite that initial project not taking off, no pun intended, he pivoted his focus to his new venture "CENTRED Wellness”  the first app-based membership program dedicated to helping travelers focus on their wellness and overcome the ravages of travel during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Today I’m hanging out with Brian Chappon to chat about his incredible entrepreneurial journey and how he was able to battle through adversity to parle his passions into something impactful and meaningful.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

One of the greatest joys I get from hosting this podcast is meeting some incredibly inspiring people, with the goals and ambitions that can reshape our industry.

Today’s guest is one of those people. A North London native, his first break in fashion occurred in Australia where was an accessories designer for Crumpler. Upon graduating with a BA Honours in furniture and product design, he relocated to Vancouver, Canada where he spent eight years as a technical bag developer for Mountain Equipment Co-op, and most recently as the accessories lead for one of Canada’s most accelerated start up fashion brands TenTree.

During his time at TenTree, his role gave him the opportunity to visit factories overseas. On his travels to Vietnam and China, he had a meeting that would change the course of his career. And more importantly, change the way in which Chinese factories will operate in the future.

What was supposed to be a routine factory audit, became an opportunity to take over a factory to implement a new manufacturing model that builds on sustainability, transparency, and raising consciousness.

My guest today is Joey Pringle, the founder of Veshin Factory. He joined me all the way from the UK to talk about how he’s transitioning with his new life changing decision, his plans to help rebuild a sustainable manufacturing culture, and uncovering the misconceptions of Chinese manufacturing.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

Did you know that the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world?

While many brands are making efforts to be more sustainable, the fact still remains that the industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water yearly and about 20% of the world’s waste water can be traced to fabric treatment. Around 90% of fibers used for clothing are incarcerated or put into landfills. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of carbon emissions.

My guest today stopped by to chat about how we as brand owners, consumers and human beings can make small adjustments to our everyday lives to help flatten the curve when it comes to the environmental impact of the fashion industry.

After nearly ten years writing about fashion and beauty for publications like the Marketplace, The Daily Mail, Poster Magazine and Re/Make, she made the switch to write for Paul Newman's Common Good to profile nonprofits promoting environmental causes close to heart

When the publication closed their doors just two months later in the summer of 2019, Lindsay combined her experience in digital media with her dedication towards living a more environmentally friendly life to launch The Wellness Feed, a digital media site dedicated towards helping others live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Since its launch, The Wellness Feed has cultivated a growing community of 30,000+ monthly readers who tune in to the 100s of interviews with brands and experts in the eco friendly space. From well-known industry players to startups, The Wellness Feed asks brands the hard questions about how they're putting the planet and people first.

Today, Lindsay took time to chat with me about a few of her favorite brands and what she has learned about being sustainable after interviewing 100+ of brands and experts.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

Louie talks with guest host Andrew Coelho, entrepreneur and co-founder of the luxury handcrafted travel essentials Canadian brand Monte & Coe. Key entrepreneurship tips from crowd funding and design to distribution and partnerships that strives to make morally responsible fashion decisions in a fast-fashion world.

Learn more about Andrew Coelho:

www.monteandcoe.com and www.andrewcoelho.ca

Podcast: The Andrew Coelho Show - Andrew interviews industry moguls and guides other fashion entrepreneurs, designers, and students from experience.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

Today’s guest is a true mogul when it comes to digital marketing. Frankly, I was surprised to steal some time from his schedule to get him on the podcast.

He is a New York Times Bestselling author, and The Wall Street Journal calls him a top influencer on the web.

Forbes says he is one of the world's top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies.

He was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations.

He’s helped Amazon, Microsoft, Airbnb, Google, Thomson Reuters, Viacom, NBC, Intuit, Zappos, American Greetings, General Motors, and SalesForce grow through marketing.

His marketing blog generates over 4 million visitors per month and his Marketing School podcast generates over 1 million listens per month, while his social media accounts combined boast over 2 million combined followers and subs.

For those of you who don’t know the term “millinery”, it is the art of creating women’s hats, and my guest this week is an iconic milliner recognized globally for her intuitive and colorful design style.

Since beginning her career in Fashion and Design in Hong Kong over 25 years ago, she has produced countless editorials and runway shows, executed a wide range of costume, wardrobe, and styling for film, television, print, commercial, and live performances.

While on this journey as a creative, she fell in love with the art of Millinery and in 2004 began her brand Jaycow Millinery.

Since then she has created hundreds of bespoke pieces by mixing and matching her extensive collection of over 400 hat blocks from all over the globe to create democratic shapes that break the rules and reveal the multiplicity of character.

Her brand Block Common is her fresh and contemporary take on popular common hat blocks from throughout the 20th century.

My guest today is Jay Cheng. She stopped by the pod to talk about her upbringing in Hong Kong, defying her parents to pursue her dreams, and how she serendipitously came to fall in love with Millinery.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

Spoiler alert - today’s guest is an absolute rockstar when it comes to street style, sneakers, and emerging brands.

With 17 years of commitment to his craft, he is known as the driving force behind one of menswears most notable publications focused on innovative lifestyle coverage.

It’s hard to believe that this progressive lifestyle journalist was on a path to becoming a pharmacist, when he quickly pivoted to pursue his interest in fashion, art and style.

Instead he launched a first wave podcast called The Weekly Drop, which was followed by notable listeners including UGK’s Bun B, and quickly became a go to source for long-form storytelling on the industries emerging designers, collabs, releases and the like.

Little did he know that this street fashion podcast would lead him to the next stage of his career where he would lead the North American expansion of Europe's leading menswear blog, HighSnobiety.

This week, I had the honor of chatting with the extremely interesting and creative Jeff Carvalho, Co-Founder of Highsnobiety.

He stopped by the pod to chat about his unlikely path to the fashion world, the importance of supporting true talent in a noisy and crowded industry, and what exactly new luxury is and who’s shaping it.

About this podcast:

The Andrew Coelho Show is the world’s best fashion podcast dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and professionals in the fashion industry. Tune in to get the advice, insights, tips and tricks from some of the industry’s most respected moguls.

Sponsor

Before I jump into this episode, I wanted to take a second to thank my sponsors at Bean Bundle, Canada’s newest coffee subscription.

Before I geared up for this interview I used my french press using beans they sent me from one of the dopest roasters from across the country.

Bean Bundle makes it so easy for people like me who drink tonnes of coffee every single day but love to try beans from different roasters.

Today’s guest is a branding expert turned self-taught designer who brings a fresh perspective and a humbling approach to the menswear scene.

As the co-founder of La Paz, he and lifelong friend Andre Texeira are key contributors in putting Portuguese manufacturing and design on the fashion map by focusing on simple designs, quality production and long-lasting durability.

Inspired by the sea, their brainchild La Paz embodies a sense of soul and positive spirit, which coupled with their humble and honest approach to business has landed them in over 100 retailers across the globe.

How did this little Portuguese company grow to be such a prominent player in the menswear world?

Join me as I chat with La Paz Co-Founder Jose Abreu as we chatted about their unexpected path to menswear, how tradeshows played a key role in their success and how he and his partner Andre have navigated the rough waters of the global crisis to keep La Paz afloat and thriving.

Today’s guest needs no introduction. It’s Jim Fucking Moore.

If you’re a menswear aficionado and that name doesn’t mean anything to you, then you’ve been living under a rock for the last 40 years because this dude has been one of the key contributors to helping you elevate your style from jeans and tee to trousers and a knit with what seems like the snap of his fingers.

After this interview, I can truly say that Jim is one of the coolest and most down to earth dudes I have ever met, which I wouldn’t have suspected from a top dog fashion editor who’s lived in NYC since he was 17.

But it’s true – his humble beginnings in Minnesota truly shine through.

With that said, It’s no surprise that this man has special relationships with the likes of Kanye West and has connected with the most incredible people to execute shoot after shoot with some of the planets most distinguished individuals.

Remember when you were in university and you fantasized about landing your dream job. You’d think to yourself, "how incredible life would be if I could just get paid to work in a field that you absolutely loved."

Well, this weeks guest had everything she could have wished for before becoming an entrepreneur. She spent 17 years as a  Divisional Vice President at Holt Renfrew where she travelled to the world's fashion capitals, bouncing from designer showroom to designer showroom to bring Holts customers the worlds latest handbags, shoes, jewelry and more.

But after 17 years something just wasn’t right. She left her dream job at Holts, and after taking some time to herself, she launched her own e-commerce brand selling shoes, and now handbags, jewelry and other accessories.

On this episode, I sat down with one of Toronto’s greatest fashion mentors. Inspired by her mom, she learned how to sew at the young age of 5, and by the age of 9 was operating the sewing machine on her own and making her own garments that she wore to school.