Jon Pundyk of Glamorise Foundations On Why They Are Embracing Slow Fashion and Renewable Consumption
An Interview With Monica Sanders
Fashion and being responsible are not in opposition. Glamorise products are fashionable in that they deliver comfort, support and curve appeal. Glamorise products are responsible products because they are made to last, and deliver these attributes over a longer life than disposable brands. Our products are proof that both values can not only coexist but actually support each other.
As ‘slow fashion’ grows in popularity, more fashion companies are jumping on the bandwagon. Renewable consumption has been gaining popularity for a while, as people recognize its importance, and many fashion companies want to be a part of this change. In this interview series, we are talking to business leaders in the fashion industry to discuss why they are embracing slow fashion and renewable consumption. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jon Pundyk.
Jon Pundyk is the Chief Executive Officer of Glamorise Foundations. Glamorise is a 100+-year-old intimate apparel brand that has been focused on size-inclusivity since its founding in 1921. Glamorise currently offers bras in sizes 30 to 58, and cups B to K — more sizes than any other bra brand. Several years ago, Glamorise implemented an earth-friendly solution for bra returns to address textile waste that also helps thousands of women in need.
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”?
I must admit that I grew up in the bra business. My father worked for Glamorise his entire life. I would often work in various departments at Glamorise during my school vacations. So, as a kid, I worked in Glamorise’s design department cutting patterns and helping with samples. And as a teenager, I also worked in the warehouse during busy times. I honestly never imagined that I would someday come to work here myself.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
After college, I went to business school and got an MBA. I was lucky enough to get a job in Brand Management at Procter & Gamble, and then a job as a strategy consultant at a major consulting firm. This was a great background — an education that matched or exceeded what I learned in business school. As my interest evolved toward entrepreneurship, my earlier exposure to Glamorise began to take on new meaning and possibilities. My experience and interest in marketing and strategy were a great fit for Glamorise, and given that I had a personal connection to the company, I had an opportunity that I could not match elsewhere. I started on a trial basis over 30 years ago. I guess the trial worked out.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
In the 40+ years I have been working I’ve had many great experiences and met many fascinating people. One experience that I think shows the importance of both luck and keeping an open mind happened about 10 years ago. I was flying to Seattle to meet with Amazon about their nascent advertising program, which did not seem promising at the time. There was one empty seat on the plane (right next to me) and every overhead bin was filled to the brim. A breathless person came on the plane at the last moment and had nowhere to put his bags. I helped him find some space, and we had the typical 2-minute pre-flight business traveler conversation. In these two minutes, I learned that he worked at Amazon and that I was misjudging Amazon advertising’s potential. He shared the long-term vision, which proved to be completely correct. Based on this chance conversation, our team reexamined our POV on Amazon advertising and launched what would turn out to be one of the most successful advertising programs in Amazon’s portfolio, and a major driver of Glamorise’s business growth in the last decade.
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?
To be honest, I cringe a bit at the thought of laying out my own character traits as models for success. There are so many forms of leadership and so many organizational cultures that I feel my approach may not be universal. Having said that, I do think most effective leaders need a clear vision of the future, have the ability to articulate that vision in ways large and small, and be open to input from inside and outside the organization.
For me, vision is not some mystical insight, but is the result of a lot of hard work. Our company does a year-end analysis of our strategic progress and makes multi-year plans based on our analysis every year. Most companies have annual budgeting processes and build sales plans. This is important, but not the same exercise. Our process focuses on fundamental changes in the world and how we can best compete. We evaluate where we need to invest, where we can grow, and especially areas we should de-emphasize.
Sharing a vision is at its least powerful when it is via a memo or worse yet a ponderous PowerPoint presentation. Yes, it is up to management to clearly state the way forward — oft times in writing. But real communication is the result of where we apply our resources and spend our time. Nothing offers clarity of direction as quickly as redirecting teams to certain projects and shelving others. The mistake that some organizations make is to add to the agenda without removing items at the same time.
Despite investing so much time in making our plans, I always ask for feedback all along the way. Everyone on my team has heard me say “You won’t hurt my feelings, tell me if you think this is not smart.”, or “Tell me if I got this wrong.” This kind of feedback can be invaluable. The world is complex and in constant change. We are each limited by our perspective, experience, and knowledge. Although not every point of view is of equal value, keeping an open mind to differing perspectives is a key to getting things right.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Glamorise is likely the country’s first size-inclusive brand — focusing on curvy women since 1921. This is a legacy we are proud of. Glamorise is obsessively focused on making our consumers’ lives better in a small but important way. Making a great bra in a full-size range is very difficult to do; there are no shortcuts, and it takes real skill and experience. As a team, we live this dedication daily — it’s not just a mission statement — it comes from a century-long tradition that we continue today. We also are one of the last bra companies that maintain a design, sewing and fitting center in Manhattan. The fact that our design team — with decades of experience — are all co-located in one space allows us to be more precise, more thoughtful and maximize the benefits of being fit-obsessed for over 100 years.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
I like to think that decision-making is deciding what mistake we are willing to make. All important decision-making is making choices under uncertainty. In an outcome analysis, we need to decide which bad outcomes or mistakes we think are most tolerable. Decision-making writers call this a regret minimization framework, but I think the idea is broader than that. For example, as managers we often have the choice of giving too much latitude or not enough. While there are measurable risks and rewards for each, there are also longer-term cultural risks and rewards. How we frame these decisions builds the organization and its values. So when I ask the question “What mistake do I want to make?” I am really asking not only about that decision itself but also about the cultural legacy that decision makes and its impact on the long-term performance of the company.
Who is your fashion hero or heroine? Why?
I have nothing but admiration for Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. His story is surely well known, and to me, he is an example of purity of mission based on basic principles. Every decision he has made — from the founding of the company to recently leaving the company in trust — has been a steady arch of doing the right thing.
Why did you decide to create and use a sustainable business model for your fashion brand?
Although we all fall short compared to the vision of Chouinard, Glamorise is an old company based on long-standing values. When I started at the company 30+ years ago, Glamorise had already been in business for over 70 years. When a company has a 100-year history, the prevailing mindset is really based on the long-term. So, we did not so much create a sustainable business but continued the practices that had been in place since 1921. In 1921, there was no such thing as fast fashion. Products needed to be well made, they had to serve a purpose, and needed to last. We have mostly been trying to honor that tradition and avoid the siren songs that can lead one off course.
What are three things we should all know about “slow fashion”?
There is some idea that slow fashion is a code word for no fashion. This misses the point. Slow fashion should really be called quality fashion. Slow fashion encourages consumers to invest in quality pieces that are made to last. This approach reduces waste, promotes responsible consumption, and supports ethical production practices. From a fashion perspective, slow fashion encourages buying styles that will stand the test of time.
Low price is one of the temptations of fast fashion. But the savings is elusory. The whole idea of fast fashion is that it is of the moment, and then its time has passed. This is why most fast fashion pieces are not made to last. While the lower price may be tempting, the reality is that a piece that has such a short life is more expensive than it seems. There’s also the impact on the environment to consider.
The greatest, most valuable brands in the world are based on slow fashion. While there is plenty of fleeting moments in the luxury world, most of the truly great brands are based on timeless designs, well-made that stand the test of time. While few luxury brands should be considered earth-friendly due to the enormous resources they consume, they do point to an important point: lasting quality is inherently of value.
Can you please explain how it can be fashionable to buy less, wait a little longer, or even repair clothing?
Glamorise specializes in bras for curvy women. Making bras that truly work for curvy women takes care, requires good materials, and must be able to maintain its performance over time. There is no fast fashion idea when it comes to comfort and support. While I would never advise a woman to wait and continue to wear a bra that is uncomfortable or unflattering, I would advise against changing one bad bra for another. Bras are a wellness item and it is worth the trouble it takes to find quality. A quality bra will feel the best and last the longest. This is slow fashion at its best.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Slow Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
1 . Fashion and being responsible are not in opposition. Glamorise products are fashionable in that they deliver comfort, support and curve appeal. Glamorise products are responsible products because they are made to last, and deliver these attributes over a longer life than disposable brands. Our products are proof that both values can not only coexist but actually support each other.
2 . Consider a long time horizon. Glamorise is a 100+-year-old brand, and that gives us a unique perspective on time. We always take the long view. For example, we are patient with new products. We have found it typically takes years to see if consumers find our products meet their needs. In practice, that means we make fewer new products and discontinue fewer products. While a little less exciting than brands that churn new products multiple times a season, we find we can take greater care in making new products that are more successful and generate less waste along the way.
3 . Decide what really matters. So much of fast fashion is about chasing the trend du jour. And so many of these trends have no basis in delivering real value to consumers. We know our consumers care about fit, comfort, and support. Aesthetics always matter, but if a bra doesn’t fit, how it looks does not matter. We won’t ever release a product that does not deliver on these key values regardless of how great it looks in a photoshoot.
4 . Focus on the numerator in the value equation. People sometimes refer to quality/price as a measure of value, and this surely makes sense. Glamorise has found the best way to increase value is to make a better product rather than a cheaper one. In today’s competitive world, there are always cheaper options. But these brands try to deliver value with lower quality at a lower price. These products typically fail as there is no room for fast fashion when it comes to comfort. Lower comfort can rarely deliver higher value.
5 . Be patient, but agile. As a 100+-year-old company, we like to be patient and are willing to make long-term investments in our people, products and brand. However, there is no room in the world for slow movers. It is important to be flexible and agile despite maintaining a long time horizon. For example, recently after a multi-year development process around a new product, our design team came up with a new insight that delivered better fit and comfort. While we could have released the product as originally designed, we knew we had to incorporate the innovation in the product launch. To do so required some series agility from our design and production teams, but they were enthusiastic to do so. Sometimes ideas are urgent, even in century-old companies.
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. 🙂
I’m not sure I am a person of great influence but the area where I feel somewhat qualified to offer a point of view is in managing people and organizations. Historically, Glamorise has virtually zero turnover. There are likely many reasons for this, but one of them is among the simplest, and one I rarely hear mentioned in management writing. I encourage everyone to rely on that most empathetic of guidelines, the Golden Rule. At Glamorise, we try to treat people how we would like to be treated ourselves. You would be amazed how many seemingly complex HR problems have clearer answers when one just tries to treat everyone as they would like to be treated. I know it sounds oversimplified, but it is actually super powerful. Such things as giving people the benefit of the doubt, not second-guessing people’s motives, and considering how executing a decision might hurt someone’s sense of self all are byproducts of this ethos. I find it works, and it also helps engender a culture of trust.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
I am on LinkedIn and always find time to talk with fellow entrepreneurs. I am especially interested in sharing my experience with folks who face my challenge: How do you steer a long-standing business in an ever-changing world?
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org.
Jon Pundyk of Glamorise Foundations On Why They Are Embracing Slow Fashion and Renewable… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.