Welcome to The Buyers Club with your host, Cliff Rodriguez! Joining him today is Rich Oliver Lewis, the founder of Oliver Lewis Hats, a Brooklyn-based hat company renowned for its craftsmanship. Rich, a Brooklyn-born and -raised artist, was deeply influenced by his father's love for Westerns stories. This sparked his fascination with hats, which he began wearing at the age of 12, ultimately leading him to develop his own modern take on Western style. After spending eight years immersing...

Welcome back to The Buyers Club with your host, Cliff Rodriguez! Today's guest is Emma Schulz, the founder of Blistered Peppers, a popular food blog. Emma's unique approach to food and her valuable tips on finding and making incredible meals inspire people to explore new culinary experiences. During this engaging conversation, Emma shares her journey, starting from her early career in fashion and transitioning into the tech industry. She takes us back to the beginning of Blistered Peppers...

Welcome to The Buyers Club with your host, Cliff Rodriguez. Cliff is joined by Jian Deleon, the Men's Fashion Director at Nordstrom and Co-Creator of Mule Boyz. In this episode, Cliff has an engaging conversation with Jian, who exemplifies the qualities of a curious and well-thought-out individual. They discuss his journey in the fashion industry and the importance he places on collaboration with friends and colleagues. Jian's passion and knowledge about all things fashion are truly...

Welcome to The Buyers Club with your host, Cliff Rodriguez. Cliff is joined by Ahna Han, a remarkable Brooklyn-based wedding florist and entrepreneur who has carved out a prominent place for herself in the New York's wedding industry. Ahna's talent and distinctive approach to design left Cliff (And his Wife) inspired when they had the privilege of working with her for their own wedding. During their conversation, Cliff and Ahna delve into her journey, tracing her beginnings in the fashion...

Cliff sits down with the founder of Alfargos Marketplace, Stephon Carson. Alfargos Marketplace is a unique and vibrant gathering for menswear enthusiasts, often referred to as "The Menswear Garage Sale" by Stephon himself. However, it's much more than that—it's a genuine community. Over the past year, Alfargos Marketplace has gained significant momentum and become a must-attend event. During our conversation, Stephon takes us on a journey through his fashion background, sharing how he...

Cliff sits down with celebrity stylist & friend Miso Dam. Based in Los Angeles, Miso has shattered industry norms and defied the traditional hierarchy that once dominated the fashion scene. From her humble beginnings, Miso's innate talent and relentless drive propelled her to the forefront of the styling world. Returning to her roots in LA after Barneys New York, she quickly became the go-to stylist. In this episode, we explore Miso's rise in the industry, despite her relatively short...

Justin Felizzari is the owner of Cueva, a menswear multi brand retail shop based in West Village New York. In this conversation Cliff & Justin unpack exactly where the idea of opening up a menswear shop came from. Justin goes into detail on the challenges he faced starting this venture right before the pandemic. Also, we cover Justin's first crack at being a designer and traveling to Italy. Many lessons are learned throughout the episode on how to stay resilient, and how to keep pushing...

Julien Decanali is a Luxury Menswear Buyer from New York that specializes in buying iconic designer brands. In this conversation Cliff & Julien uncover how he started in the fashion industry, best places to travel abroad, fatherhood and his experience in buying his first house with his wife during the pandemic. Julien offers up some great advice on how to crack into the industry. Some great stories are told in this Episode! Here is Julien's Instagram if you would like to give him a...

Freddy Rodriguez known as "Blue Perk" is a lifestyle content creator, who currently lives in California. We deep dive into how Freddy had the ability to break into the fashion industry through blogging in 2011. He provides a ton of insight on his tactics in starting his own business, and how important networking can be to the overall success of a career early on. This episode has many gems on how planning ahead can shape your future in a positive trajectory. Here is Freddy's Instagram if...

Dominic Stewart is the founder & creative director of "Merc," a New York based menswear brand. In this episode Dom provides insight on how to break into the fashion industry and how building authentic relationships can lead to greater things in the long term. He goes into detail on his humble beginnings and how it shaped his future.  Here is Dom's Instagram & website below if you would like to give him a follow! Dom's Instagram:  MERC (@dom.merc) • Instagram photos and videos MERC...

Chelsea Sutrisno is the buying Director for Five Story NY, a multi-brand luxury boutique that specializes in luxury women's ready to wear. Formerly known for working at Barneys New York & Net-A-Porter, Chelsea has a unique perspective on working in luxury fashion. In this episode Cliff & Chelsea unpack how pivotal she was in the growth of his career. We also touch upon the early stages of Chelsea's career moving to New York from California. Chelsea provides advice on the do's and...

Justin Keller is the owner of "2448 Agency" a curator of men's & women's luxury brands based out of Los Angeles & New York. Justin has represented some of the top brands in the fashion industry for over a decade. Cliff & Justin discuss how they originally met at Barneys New York, and how that time period shaped part of Justin's career. He explains the ins and outs of the wholesale business and how it has evolved over the years. Also, provides great insight on how to have longevity...

Michal Kurtis is a consultant for major brands in the fashion world, formerly known for being the Director of the Fashion Office at Barneys New York. During the pandemic she started a book club called "Read the Room," which has become a thriving community in its own right. During this episode Cliff and Michal cover her time she spent in Germany, how you can make great connections through social media, and talk strategy on what to look for when partnering with brands.    I had an amazing time...

Victor Lytvinenko is one of the co-founders of Raleigh Denim Workshop, along with his wife Sarah Lytvinenko. In this episode Vic and Cliff discuss how they met back in 2016 on the sales floor of Barneys New York. Victor goes in depth on how tricky it can be to start a denim brand and gave a step-by-step synopsis on how him and his wife got started in North Carolina. Victor covers everything in this episode from his early career moves to the very humble beginnings he had when starting this...

Justin Rigney is the President of Sales for Monfrère a California-based denim brand. He speaks on his experience moving to California (From New York) over year ago, and being able to adapt to a new way of life. Cliff catches up with his long time friend, covering everything from fashion, food and stories from their past. Justin provides insight on how to make it in the denim industry or really any industry. Here is Justin Rigney's Instagram below if you would like to give him a...

Richard "XX44WoodWorks" Smith a super talented woodworker that currently runs his own small business, while simultaneously managing a luxury retail store in New York City. He learned his craft through watching videos on YouTube and putting in countless hours to become one of the best in the business. Fast forward four years later, Rich is completely booked month to month with clients ranging from the fashion industry, to all creative industries. In this episode Rich goes into detail on what...

Darlene “Dee Nasty” Demorizi is an Actress, Comedian, and host on Vice News. We discuss what lead her to her current career, how she and Cliff became friends, fashion, and most importantly— Is Cliff a true Dominican!? This episode has more than a few entertaining stories and advice for anyone looking to make it in comedy or news media.

Joe Wakile is our old Barneys coworker, a designer, photographer, and most importantly our friend. We chat about the future of the fashion industry, COVID, music, his career, and future projects he's working on. Listen in for all industry insider info, hot takes, and more than a few laughs. We'll give you one hint on his music preference -- RUFUS