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Building a fashion media and commerce company with Clique Media Group…
Katherine Power, CEO Clique Media Group (CMG) (the media and commerce company behind the three popular websites: WhoWhatWear.com, Byrdie.com, and MyDomaine.com, as well as the omni-channel social content brand, Obsessee. These platforms feature shoppable fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content for Millennial and Gen Z females – (bio)), joins Liz Bacelar (global expert in the intersection of fashion and technology) for this installment of TopTalk and an in-depth interview presented by Fashion Is Your Business on location at Shoptalk 2017 in Las Vegas.
Inspiration to innovate, finding the right partner, and taking on risk
Power discusses the genesis of CMG, when she found she has nowhere to get content and easily shop what she liked. She wanted to innovate the way women shop the Internet, and teamed up to start WhoWhatWear, originally as a daily email using DailyCandy as a model. What gave her courage to step out of the bubble, thinking if they wanted it others would, wanting to create a friendly voice in fashion. How this fueled them and kept them going. Deciding if this was a business that can last, and whether they thoughts about failure. Being very comfortable with risk, and so sure of need and content, and organic quick growth, and such a demand, that believing that the money would come. Finding the right cofounder, launching dedicated to fashion and making style accessible to women everywhere in 2006, then launched Byrdie.com as a fashion line, then making a natural expansion into home décor lifestyle with MyDomaine, then Obsessee for Gen Z, then they acquired College Fashionista for college aged girls. Now at 25 million women/month, sharing content and a shoppable product. Then building a big media team and business, then using data to develop strategic lines, and then an apparel line for WhoWhatWear.
The guiding light of data, The Career Code, and dancing for Austin Powers
A look at how to manage all the pieces within the brand, luring executive level talent for the journey, and building positions around them. The guiding light of big data and the output of the data to the functions of the business, being small and nimble enough to apply the data actively, and the art of using data for taste-making. Mentorship executive needs, leaning on friends in similar positions and fantastic investors. The push to be creating your own world, having a fire in your belly, and finding so much missing from traditional educations process and internships. So many things not taught except experience. How they took everything learned in their own careers and put into an applicable guide to getting the career you want in the book “The Career Code”. Why they published three books, how Power was a serious dancer, why she knew it wouldn’t be a career even being in opportunities like the “Austin Powers” opening dance scene. And the importance of just getting something out there. A “Top List” quick-fire segment covers a top goal, Russian Blues, favorite designers, learning about venture deals, and every show on Bravo, drowning, and Power’s personal motto.
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