Modern Fashion: Linda Schlesinger and David Schlesinger of skinnytees On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Be available to answer your customers’ questions. Brands are spending all this money on their products, and then they drop the ball when it comes to customer service. People want to ask questions and they want answers quickly to make sure they’re making a smart purchase. And, when they don’t get a response, they’re not going to buy your product.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need to Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Linda Schlesinger-Wagner, skinnytees CEO, and her son David Schlesinger.
Linda Schlesinger-Wagner was inspired to create a brand that filled a void she felt existed in the women’s apparel industry — launching skinnytees in 2009 with a single one-size-fits-most silhouette, the seamless camisole. She didn’t stop there and quickly rolled out a complete line of essential styles that helped redefine the smooth wear industry and offer a product for women of all sizes, all colors and all ages. She currently lives in West Bloomfield, Mich., and she continues to be the heart and soul of the skinnytees brand with a passion to make every woman feel special, gorgeous and accepted.
David Schlesinger has nearly two decades of experience across marketing, tech and fashion, and, at skinnytees, he has been instrumental in growing the brand into a multi-million dollar company. From “Best in Category” placement on QVC to vast celebrity and media exposure, he has rolled out exposure tactics that have helped make the brand a household name. He currently lives in Los Angeles and continues to drive the skinnytees brand toward the future with innovative and creative tech initiatives.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
Linda: My grandma taught me how to sew when I was a little, little girl, less than 10 years old. And my aunt went on to teach me that it’s better to be really great at one thing than to be okay at 10 things. So, I decided that fashion was my thing. I have always loved beautiful fabrics and beautiful fibers, and I talked my dad into letting me go to fashion school in Ohio. But, after my first semester, the school went bust and closed. So, I packed up, went home, and started working for my dad’s business in tool manufacturing. Even though tool and die was not what I wanted to do with my life, my dad taught me how to run a business, and it was probably the best education I could have ever received. I’m lucky to come from a family who taught me that women can do anything.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
Linda: In 1977, after getting married and having my son David, I had the idea to open up a children’s boutique in Birmingham. It was called Rainbow Lollipop — I asked David to name it when he was only 5 years old. And, a year and a half later, I got a call from Sam Frankel — the real estate developer behind Somerset Collection — about moving my store into the mall. Then, I decided to teach myself how to knit and hired a crochetier, and we started making these wonderful, whimsical vests for children that we would sell at the store. A fashion sales representative from California found out about this and called me to say she wanted to represent my line. So, I made a deal with her, and she took the vests to a kid’s fashion show in New York — and Neiman Marcus bought all 200 vests we had made. In my wildest dreams, I never thought that would happen. That’s what put me on the map, and this knitwear line — named Annie’s Antics after my daughter — went on to be featured in every high-end boutique in the United States.
So, I had Rainbow Lollipop, later called Kidz Kloz, from 1977 until around 1990, and Annie’s Antics from 1981 to 2005. That was around when I got divorced, and I wanted to start fresh. So, I got different jobs for the next four years, like being a respite worker for Jewish Family Services and working in party planning. Then the economy tanked, and I had to pay my bills and I wanted a more stable schedule. So, I decided I wanted to start a new business. And that’s how skinnytees came to be in 2009.
David: My mom and I had talked about working together forever, but there had never really been the right fit. Since the late 1990s, the internet and e-commerce have pretty much been my world. So, when my mom told me about skinnytees, it seemed like such a great business idea, and I knew I could attribute a lot of my talents on the marketing side. So, the day after my mom called me — telling me about her idea — I created a website for skinnytees. It was such a great business name that I didn’t think it would be available — but it was! skinnytees quickly became a very fertile platform for me. Our products can be used as workout wear, casual wear, intimate wear — it can fit into many buckets, so it’s not difficult to find an influencer who will wear it on their social media. We have a super loyal customer base and a really great product.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
David: Two or three years after we started skinnytees, I met a woman who was a legacy host on QVC. Her and I hit it off, and I told her all about skinnytees and what we were doing with the brand. And I introduced her to my mom, and they became best friends overnight. QVC receives hundreds if not thousands of pitches for different products each day, so they very rarely say yes. And we were able to get pushed to the top of their list. They paid attention, and they liked our product. And, with our first airing, we exceeded their expectations.
Linda: Everyone gets eight minutes to sell their line on QVC, and we sold out in three minutes. And that led to our next appearance and the next and the next. That’s when things really took off for skinnytees. That changed our lives. From that, we were approached by ABC, and, for the last five years, we’ve been featured in Good Morning America’s “Deals and Steals” and in the View’s “View Your Deal” segments. We’ve been featured 47 times now! It’s a magical story; it really is.
David: Another cool story was when I met Britney Spears at my 40th birthday party in 2012. She was dating one of my close friends from college. Afterward, she tweeted about skinnytees and was featured in People Magazine, wearing our stuff. Yeah, that was wild!
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Linda: *Laughs* I don’t know. What would you say for me, David?
David: I would say honesty, loyalty, and creativity. When you’re honest, people trust you. If they don’t trust you, they’re not going to see you as loyal partner. My mom goes above and beyond in treating people incredibly. And the creativity piece — it kind of goes without saying. If you’re not creative, how can you design a fashion line?
Linda: Thank you, David! And, you know, another thing, is being approachable. If we get a compliant or a question, I will respond to each one. And then they see CEO in my signature, and I can’t tell you how many people say, “I can’t believe you are taking the time to answer me personally.”
One woman emailed me, saying she was worried our shirts would be too snug on her. And I said, “They are snug; they’re body hugging. But they also hold you up and smooth you out. I’m 74, and I don’t even need to wear a bra with them.” And then I sent her a picture of me in the shirt so she could see. After I talked with her, she felt better, ordered our product, and then wrote me back, telling me she loved it and thanked me for taking the time to be honest. Without exception, I have always turned those disgruntled or skeptical people around because I’ll do anything I can to make our customers happy.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Linda: The name. People love the name. Where Spandex is “shapewear,” at skinnytees, we call ourselves “smooth wear.” Our clothes are 8% spandex. They’re comfortably snug, not uncomfortably. Our customers tell us it smooths out their lumps and bumps, and they’re cut a little longer so you won’t see anything when you bend over or reach up. A lot of people love that. Of course, now we have a lot of younger customers, so we offer shirts that are cropped short too.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
Linda: My thing is “Be the Change.” Don’t talk about it. Just do it. When I got divorced, I would get really sad in my new little house all by myself, and my daughter would call me to ask how I was doing. Finally, one day, she said to me, “Mom, you need to be the mother again. I’m not the mother. Pick yourself up like you always told us. If you don’t like it, change it.” And, because of her saying that to me, skinnytees was born three weeks later. I was done with the pity party.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
Linda: I’m excited about the growth of online shopping — which is just going to get bigger and bigger. So many stores got caught with their pants down during the pandemic because they weren’t online. Stores I know — great stores — didn’t have an online presence. But, because of David, we were already there.
David: Yeah, with the unfortunate advent of the pandemic, obviously wholesale needed to make some changes too. Stores still needed to find a place to buy products, and, with tradeshows being cancelled for a couple years, they all had to be moved online. So, there’s these wholesale platforms that exists — NuORDER is the one that we use — and it really acts as a virtual showroom and it’s a meeting place for brands and buyers. You can really present a whole line to a brand without ever having to attend a tradeshow. There are more than 20,000 retailers on there, using this service to find brands, and brands can go after stores too, tailoring it by niche or zip code to discover potential wholesale relationships.
I’m also excited about exploring new marketing channels. SMS has become a huge game changer for us in the last year. Text messages have become ubiquitous to use for sales, and it’s a way to get in front of people really quickly. And our customers have been really into it. One great feature is that it’s a two-way conversation, and we use it as a customer service tool. With SMS, customers can respond to the message, and I’ve created automated responses for frequently asked questions, and I can also respond in real-time. People are blown away when they find out there’s actually a human behind our text messages.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
Linda: Philanthropy is very important to us — whether it’s helping animals, people who are homeless, single mothers, etc. Like with Hurricane Harvey in Houston in 2017, we donated 20,000 shirts and the National Guard distributed them to families in need. We’ve also done a lot with The Cavalier Rescue — because I have two Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Nancy Farris, the head of operations for skinnytees, has five. And in December, there was a fire in Detroit, and a pregnant woman, her husband and their six children — they lost everything they had. We hosted a GoFundMe for that family.
Also, every October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we select one woman — our annual Breast Cancer Fighter — and raise money to help her afford her expenses, donating 20% of the proceeds from the sale of our pink shirts to her. The goal of this sale is to make a big difference in one woman’s recovery process. We try to give back whenever we can.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
Linda: I am 100% against child labor or slave labor, obviously. I partner with contractors in the United States, China, Italy, and Vietnam to make the clothing. And I have a wonderful rapport with the other countries I work with — they’re like family — and I have personally met all of them, visiting their factories and their homes. I also have independent people check out these factories unannounced to make sure they are adhering to ethical standards.
I also make sure all the factories are buying the yarn from the same company, and I have them show me their certified bills to make sure. Before any bulk items are shipped, they send me random items from the shipment so I can feel them and make sure they’re up to par.
One time, I had a manufacturer in the United States send me a shipment, and I could tell they made a loose knit so they could save on yarn. I called them out on it, and they denied it. So, I told them I was going to send it to be tested, and that’s when they said, “Oh no, we’ll redo it.” They knew they were caught. When you’re honest with people and hold them accountable, they have no choice but to also be honest with you.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
Linda: I’m not into making cheap crap that will fall apart. I’m not. I have a reputation to uphold. And we’ve been able to make quality products while still keeping our prices affordable. We’ve been in business for 11 years, and we’ve only had two price raises in that time — which is because the cost of shipping and the cost of yarn have increased. But, even so, we’ve managed to only make small price increases. And it’s not by cutting corners when it comes to the product; we will never wiggle with the product. Instead, we’ve found ways to reduce costs when it comes to packaging — the bags, the boxes, the tape and the labels. For instance, I recently found a company that makes sustainable bags, and it was half of what I was paying previously.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
David: 1. Create a brand that’s straightforward. Describe it on your website, explain the fabric content, and show some great photos. I think that’s why skinnytees has been so successful — because our product is very obvious. It’s a tank top or a camisole or leggings, and it’s super cute, and you can see what it is in a photo. Very rarely do people ever return it and say, “It’s not what I thought it was.”
2. Be on top of the new platforms that exist for marketing your brand.
3. Reward your customers. We have a loyalty program where you can collect points from shopping on the website, sharing our brand on social media or leaving a review — and then you can use those points to buy products. I think that’s a great way to show people that we care about them and that their participation in the brand is important.
4. Reviews go a long way. Paying attention to your reviews and responding to them is super important.
5. Be available to answer your customers’ questions. Brands are spending all this money on their products, and then they drop the ball when it comes to customer service. People want to ask questions and they want answers quickly to make sure they’re making a smart purchase. And, when they don’t get a response, they’re not going to buy your product.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Linda: Well, I think big changes are happening in the fashion industry right now. COVID-19 definitely hit the fashion industry hard. But the industry adapted — hosting virtual shows, and you can go online and shop from hundreds of brands. But this also made it harder for new people to get into the industry and stand out. I love the fashion industry — it’s in my blood — and I want the young and up-and-coming designers and fashion representatives to have more opportunities. I would love to see that, and I want to be part of that — investing and educating to get young people — and not just young people but anyone who has a great idea or wants to dig their feet into fashion — more involved in this industry because I think we’re missing that right now.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Linda: I would start a movement just to be good and be kind. That’s what we’re about at skinnytees. Because if you can’t be good and be kind, then why are we here? Why are we doing all this?
David: And, playing off what my mom said, I think a lot of brands don’t know where to start when it comes to philanthropy. I think it would be really great to create a place — like an online marketplace for nonprofits — where businesses could find legitimate organizations they’re interested in and have the tools to easily partner with them. I learned early on from my mom how important it is to give back. We do such a great job at that at skinnytees, and I’d like to help other brands who don’t know where to begin find out how to dip their toes into philanthropic efforts.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
David: You can find us at https://skinnytees.com and also on Facebook and Instagram @skinnytees. You can also sign up for our SMS and email newsletters on our site for deals and more information.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Linda Schlesinger and David Schlesinger of skinnytees On The 5 Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.