Episode Details

Ever wish a retail insider would just explain what's really going on behind your favorite brands? Meet Sarah Shapiro, the former fashion merchant-turned-reporter behind the Substack, Private Label.

This week, Nan sits down with Sarah to decode how retail actually works: what "private label" really means, what buyers and merchants do all day, which brands are on the cusp of getting big, the collaborations she's watching, and the art of the "channel check." If you love to shop, this episode is a crash course in understanding what’s really happening behind the brands you buy.

Find links to everything mentioned on our Substack: https://nanphilip.substack.com/t/noteworthy-with-nan-podcast

Stay tuned for more Noteworthy with Nan episodes on Thursdays. 

Timestamps

00:00 Introducing Sarah Shapiro

00:43 From Buyer to Retail Reporter

06:58 What is a "Private Label" 

09:37 What is a “Fashion Merchant”? 

13:46 Brands on the Cusp & Others Missing the Mark

17:37 Recent Fashion Collaborations of Note

27:45 Gap Body, Brandy Melville and the Tweens

31:23 Making Time for Hobbies 

45:06 Sarah's Noteworthy Tips

55:43 Sarah’s Life Motto(s)

Follow Sarah

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retail.diary/

Substack (Private Label): https://www.privatelabel.ltd/

Follow Nan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nan.philip/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nan_philip

Follow the podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noteworthywithnan/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@noteworthywithnan

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoteworthyWithNan

Credits

Host: Nan Philip

Executive Producer: Julia Aubuchon

Technical Director: Drew Downing

Guest: Sarah Shapiro