Eileen Fisher: Eileen Fisher (2017)

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz | Wondery

Business

4.8 • 31.1K Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2019

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1983, Eileen Fisher signed up for a fashion trade show with no experience, no garments, no patterns or sketches – nothing but a few ideas for a women's clothing line focused on simplicity. Within three weeks, she came up with 12 pieces, a logo, and a name: Eileen Fisher. Today, the Eileen Fisher brand is still known for its elegant and minimalist designs, but it has grown to more than 60 locations and makes over $300 million in annual revenue. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with Glenn Auerbach who invented nICE mug, a container made entirely from ice that keeps drinks cold. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime members, you can listen to how I built this early and ad-free on Amazon Music.
0:07.0	Download the app today.
0:09.0	New years is here, and with it brings the possibility of change.
0:13.0	As one behavioral scientist put it, first starts are really powerful.
0:17.0	So as you head into 2023, LifeKit is a great resource to help you plan your life and tackle changes, both big and small.
0:24.0	Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR.
0:27.0	So today's story isn't just about a clothing brand that's had a huge influence on fashion and the business of fashion.
0:34.0	It's actually a story about overcoming fears and deep personal insecurities.
0:40.0	Because back in the early 80s, Alene Fisher was extremely introverted and even terrified at the idea of speaking to buyers and customers about her clothes.
0:51.0	How she overcame that? It's a pretty cool story. It first ran in 2017, and I hope you enjoy it.
0:58.0	I was so freaked out. The first day I literally couldn't speak. I just stood there.
1:08.0	People would ask me questions like, how much does it cost? What's the style number? And I like froze.
1:16.0	Other people in my booth would help me out and say, you know, oh, you don't want to come back tomorrow. I'll help you out.
1:23.0	I was like, a deer in headlights.
1:32.0	From NPR, it's how I built this. A show about innovators, entrepreneurs, idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built.
1:41.0	I'm Guy Raaz, and on the show today, how an introverted interior designer got over her stage fright to launch Alene Fisher, a multi-million dollar clothing company for women.
1:57.0	So if you know a little bit about the clothing industry, the giants, especially for women's apparel, are brands like Chanel and Versace and Prada and of course, H&M and Zara.
2:09.0	So given that Alene Fisher does about $300 million a year in revenue, it's comparatively small, but in women's fashion, the brand is also incredibly influential.
2:21.0	And not just for the designs, but how Alene Fisher started her company.
2:26.0	To be precise, with just $350, she never took a dime from outside investors, and she still owns about 60% of her company.
2:36.0	Her employees own the rest. Now if you've seen the clothes, you'll know that they're pretty spare and minimalist.
2:43.0	Low key, but also elegant, which is sort of how you might describe Alene Fisher.
	...

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