RADIOHEAD
THE VOICE
After decades in fashion as an executive at PVH and LVMH, Mark Weber is taking his expertise outside the office with Always in Fashion. The radio talk show on WABC-AM touches on everything from how to dress to building a brand to general life success. Time to tune in! BY KRISTEN HEINZINGER
FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M
Such as? Jerry Storch, the CEO of Hudson Bay Canada, Lord & Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Recently, Tim Gunn talked about design and being in control of your life. I had Michael Gould, the former CEO of Bloomingdale’s, for an episode called “Fashion Week Is Business Week.” I’ve had Roland Herlory, the CEO of Vilebrequin, a French luxury swimsuit and activewear company, as well as Dana Telsey, one of the foremost experts on Wall Street. Designer Joseph Abboud talked about how to dress for various hypothetical situations, like a first date, a second date, and making an impression at the office. So, what brings you to Coterie this season? I’ve been active in trade fairs over the course of my career. Coterie believes that having me there for interviews with top industry people will add value for attendees and exhibitors. It’s good for Coterie because it becomes an event, and it’s good for my guests to be seen in that light. Can you give us a taste of what you’ll discuss? I am an expert at getting to the root of what is on people’s minds and understanding people, particularly after having made so many hires over the course of my career. How did you become you? What were the mistakes you made? What are the great things you did? What do you think about “I MAKE A your company? Interviewing for VERY STRONG entertainment DISTINCTION is very BETWEEN FASHION different from AND CLOTHES. WE interviewing NEED CLOTHES. for business, WE DON’T NEED and that’s the adjustment I’m FASHION.” making along —TIM GUNN, on being in control of your life the way. ß
Mark Badgley and James Mischka
Michael Gould WEBER’S COTERIE PANEL LINEUP INCLUDES DESIGNERS BADGLEY MISCHKA AND KIMORA LEE SIMMONS.
Kimora Lee Simmons
Tim Gunn
G E T T Y I M A G E S ( 4 ) ; PAT R I C K M C M U L L A N . C O M
Mark, what inspired you to head to radio? I have driven to work my entire career, and during my drive, music stopped interesting me, and I turned to talk radio. I became enamored with it, and after years of listening, I thought I might have something to contribute about business and my experiences. I had been the CEO of PVH and LVMH’s U.S. subsidiary, sat on its executive committee in Paris—I felt I had the credentials. Which radio DJs did you listen to growing up? When I was young, I was listening to WPLJ for rock ’n’ roll, and WABC or WORR. They had the best talk radio people, starting with Bob Grant. And I can’t forget about Howard Stern! Which topics does your show cover? The main thrust of the show is teaching people how to find success, and that packaging yourself is as important as the products you package. I make it clear that it might not be fair, but people judge you by the way you look. So how do you present yourself in such a way that’s good for business? My overriding principle is this: If you want to be successful, it’s not enough to be good at the discipline you’re focused on. I began as a designer, and I realized that other people were going to edit my work. It became clear that if I wanted to be in control of my ideas, I needed to understand the other disciplines that surrounded design. It wasn’t just about being creative, it was understanding your cost, the marketplace, and your competitors. What episodes have aired so far? I did a show called “Common Sense Is Not So Common,” and another called “Negotiations Are Nonnegotiable,” about how negotiating follows you through your life. I give examples from my life and my business career that either led to success or failed, and what I learned from those failures. I tell stories, I give practical examples, I take phone calls. Now that my hours are in prime listening time, I’ve started taking guests. I’ve had some interesting people on in the past several weeks.