046– Bradford Shellhammer of Bezar – Liberace Rising: Master Connector, Design Scout and Neon Hoarder – Part 1

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A marketplace for modern design…

Bradford Shellhammer (Founder/CEO of the members-only online modern design marketplace Bezar) joins Pavan Bahl (OS Fashion), Rob Sanchez (Manufacture New York / Ralph and Remington [Episode 22]) and Marc Raco (The Hope Is Project and Monkey Radio), in studio. A quick background on Shellhammer and Bezar, and a round of FashInvest Investment News about Yahoo’s acquisition of Polyvore leads to discussions of salad, inspiration boards, the masculinity of Fancy, the acquisition of Of a Kind by Bath Bed and Beyond, and the challenging change in media consumption for established brands.

Shellhammer reviews connecting and curating people, generating revenue via connections, the opportunity for emerging designers to present their wares in a controlled environment and where people can see great things they haven’t seen before, how designers become considered for the platform, and how he gets exposed to new things. He touches on the mission and ethos of the Bezar brand, eliticsm in the design world, the need to make ecommerce fun, success vs. mechanisms, the importance of “the little guy”, the significance and history of Bezar’s quirky name, the secret of the platform’s color scheme, how his companies match his own style, outlook and penchant for colors, creating a brand with meaning, and the truth about how Bezar’s founder decorates his own home. And — an offer to claim colors on the Bezar platform.

Feed the Animals involves two pink boxes of iconic cupcakes from Shellhammer and creepy cupcake-eating criticism. A discussion on the stylistic balancing act, strategies and motivation for Bezar’s categories, target customers, what’s being launched and scaled back, urgency to buy, inventory risk and what will be changing at Bezar. Shellhammer reveals his perspective on the value of lean and slow-growing staffing, the working culture at Bezar, why zest for life matters in hiring considerations, and the meaning of a Chinese ladybug and “spirit gays”.

Plus, how Pharrell Williams plays into measuring Shellhammer’s level of success, and Mike Tyson’s email.

Part 2 of this interview will premiere on 08/20/15

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