{"podcast":{"title":"The Fashion Translator","slug":"the-fashion-translator-7762815","podcast_index_feed_id":7762815,"rss_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/7272337.rss","website_url":"https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/podcast","image_url":"https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/7272337/255920ba332cb298a041d65742815136.jpg","author":"Claire-Lys Bastien Wald","episode_count":53,"summary":"Behind-the-scenes insights on fashion, manufacturing, and how AI is reshaping the industry—from someone who’s spent 15+ years inside it.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-31T00:18:48.605136+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fashion-translator-7762815"},"episode":{"title":"Episode 30 – Kiefer Cohen • Sad Eyewear | Building an Independent Eyewear Brand Across Subcultures, Retail, and Global Distribution","slug":"episode-30-kiefer-cohen-sad-eyewear-building-an-independent-eyewear-brand-across-subcultures-retail-and-global-distribution","published_at":"2026-05-12T13:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fashion-translator-7762815/episode-30-kiefer-cohen-sad-eyewear-building-an-independent-eyewear-brand-across-subcultures-retail-and-global-distribution","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fashion-translator-7762815","url":"https://clairelysbastienwald.substack.com/p/episode-12-kiefer-cohen-sad-eyewear","audio_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196775414/f545f17c8c2edfc7e53399db5e45a300.mp3","summary":"🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Kiefer Cohen, Co-founder of Sad Eyewear, about building an independent eyewear brand at the intersection of subculture, product discipline, and multi-channel growth — including their expansion into a first flagship retail space in Costa Mesa, CA, USA. From subculture-driven design to disciplined product focus, the conversation highlights how independent brands navigate growth without diluting what made them relevant in the first place. We explore:• The subculture collaborations act as both brand positioning and acquisition channels• Why staying within a defined aesthetic can outperform trend-chasing in saturated markets• The operational reality of forecasting in a trend-sensitive product category• Navigating multi-channel growth (e-commerce, wholesale, retail, international)• The role of physical retail as a brand ecosystem, not just a sales channel In eyewear — where aesthetic cycles, inventory risk, and cultural relevance intersect — the conversation reveals how product decisions, distribution structure, and brand identity must align as a single system rather than evolve independently. ✨ If you’re currently trying to turn product decisions into consistent sales while navigating trends and inventory, feel free to reach out Guest: 👤 Kiefer Cohen🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiefercohen/ 🔗 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/kiefercohen Brand: 🌐 https://sadeyewear.com/🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadeyewear 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sadeyewear/ ✨ Connect with Claire Lys to explore how AI, systems, and innovation can support fashion brands — or to be featured on The Fashion Translator: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-lys-bastien-wald/ This is a public episode. If you woul…","meta_description":"🎙️ In this episode of The Fashion Translator, I spoke with Kiefer Cohen, Co-founder of Sad Eyewear, about building an independent eyewear brand at the int…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1263,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-fashion-translator-7762815/episodes/episode-30-kiefer-cohen-sad-eyewear-building-an-independent-eyewear-brand-across-subcultures-retail-and-global-distribution/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-fashion-translator-7762815/episode-30-kiefer-cohen-sad-eyewear-building-an-independent-eyewear-brand-across-subcultures-retail-and-global-distribution.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}