Thrive in Fashion Buying and Merchandising
Episodes
How to Speak Confidently about Margin as a Buyer
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Margin comes up in every buying meeting. It is in every range review, every supplier negotiation, every conversation with your merchandiser or finance...
OTB Budgets Explained_Why Junior Buyers Fear Them And How to Master Them
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Open-to-buy. If those three words make you feel slightly anxious, you are not alone.OTB is one of the most important financial tools in fashion buying...
Why Your Boss doesn't Think You are Strategic (and how you can fix this)
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In almost every buying office when something goes wrong like a supplier crisis, a shipment delay or a supply chain disruption.This is when the your pr...
The Critical Path: What It Is, Who Does It, and Why Your Fashion Career Depends on It.
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The critical path is the glue that holds all the pieces of the buying process together. Understanding it is the difference between looking like you kn...
The Fashion School Reality: Why Your $60K Degree Doesn't Prepare You to Be a Buyer
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After 25 years hiring fashion buyers and managing $100M+ in budgets, the industry reality is that even expensive fashion education often leaves gradua...
From Good Eye to Business Brain: How to Build Commercial Credibility in Fashion Buying
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If you think fashion buying success is about having a "good eye"? Think again. After 25 years in the industry, managing over $120 million i...
The Hidden Career Advantage for Fashion Buyers (#037)
09 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fashion buying is not a static career — and believing that your learning ends once you land the job may be the very thing holding you back.In this f...
I've hired 100+ fashion buyers. Here's the mistake 90% of them make ( #036)
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if having a "good eye" is actually holding back your buying career? In this episode, Elisabeth Mac Hale shares her 25+ years of indust...
What Being ‘Commercial’ Really Means and Why It Matters (#035)
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every buyer has heard it — “Be more commercial.”But what does that actually mean?In this episode, Elisabeth breaks down one of the most misunde...
You’re Not Behind — You Were Just Never Trained for the Real Job (#034)
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do you feel like you got the buying job but not the training? You’re not alone.In this episode, Elisabeth explains why so many early-career fashion ...
Are You Buyer-Ready? Unlock Your Fashion Buying Career Potential (#033)
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever wonder why some buyers get promoted while others stay stuck—despite working just as hard? In this episode, Elisabeth introduces her new "Are Yo...
Building Confidence in Your Buying Decisions (#032)
06 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Feeling paralyzed when placing orders? Second-guessing every buying decision? You're not alone. In this episode, Elisabeth breaks down why talented bu...
What Happens When Fashion Buyers Go Too Far (#031)
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Toxic buyer behavior has become normalized in our industry. Stories of unpaid invoices, disrespectful communication, and suppliers being set up to fai...
How Fashion Buyers Use Instinct and Strategy to Spot Winning Products (#030)
28 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Gut instinct isn’t fairy-dust; it’s experience plus data. Its is powerful when it’s backed by data. In this episode, Elisabeth Mac Hale dissects...
It’s Not the Title That Makes You a Great Buyer (#029)
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Episode Summary: "It’s not the title that makes you a great buyer— it’s your ability to make the right decisions when no one’s watching."Make...
Making the Leap: How to Transition Into Fashion Buying (#028)
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Thrive in Fashion, I’m answering some of the most common questions I get from professionals looking to transition into a buying r...
Common Buying Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (#027)
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Thrive in Fashion, I dive into the most common mistakes fashion buyers make—and how to avoid them. From overbuying and misjudging...
How to Set Your Fashion Buying Career Goals for 2025 (#026)
15 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As 2024 comes to a close, it’s time to look ahead and start setting your career goals for 2025! In this week’s episode of the Fashion Forward podc...
The Top 5 Trends to Watch out for in 2025 (#025)
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, we're looking ahead to the biggest trends shaping the fashion industry in 2025! From Neo-Minimalism’s “less is more” e...
What They Don’t Teach You in Fashion School (#024)
24 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Thrive in Fashion, Elisabeth Mac Hale reveals the realities of fashion buying that aren’t taught in classrooms. Elisabeth breaks ...
How to Accelerate Career Growth in Buying & Merchandising (#023)
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Thrive in Fashion Buying and Merchandising podcast, host Elisabeth Mac Hale answers some of the most frequently asked questions...
Essential Buyer Metrics for Smarter Decisions (#022)
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week's Thrive in Fashion Buying podcast episode, Elisabeth Mac Hale breaks down some key metrics every fashion buyer must understand to optimi...
How To Prepare Your New Season's Buying Strategy (#021)
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 21 of the THRIVE IN FASHION podcast dives into the preparation and strategy of seasonal planning for fashion buyers. As we transition from AW2...
Learn the key components of costs and pricing (#020)
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Thrive in Fashion podcast, host Elisabeth Mac Hale explores essential pricing strategies and costing fundamentals for fashion b...
Understanding Markup and Profit Margins in Fashion Buying (#019)
20 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Elisabeth Mac Hale tackles a key concern for many branded buyers: maintaining healthy profit margins when designer brands come i...
Why Accurate Technical Packs and Specifications are required in Fashion Buying (#018)
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elisabeth talks about the essential role of technical packs in fashion buying and design. Discover why providing accurate technical s...
How to prepare for your range sign off presentation (#017)
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Thrive in Fashion Podcast, host Elisabeth Mac Hale shares the critical steps necessary for a successful range sign off presenta...
How fashion buyers and merchandisers forecast demand and predict future trends. (#016)
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the topic of forecasting demand and predicting future trends in fashion buying. Discover how fashion buyers and merchandisers bl...
How to Analyse Your Retail Sales Performance (#015)
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode , we delve into the essential process of analyzing retail sales performance. Elisabeth guides listeners through a comprehensive review...
Tips & best practice when developing products directly with suppliers (#014)
20 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode explores the benefits of working directly with manufacturers to develop apparel products from concept to delivery. There are many advanta...
Mastering OTB: What is it and Why is it important in fashion buying? (#013 )
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Elisabeth talks all about the Open-to-Buy (OTB) – a critical component of effective inventory management in retail. We explain th...
The 5 Soft Skills a Fashion Buyer should Develop (#012)
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode shares fives crucial soft skills every fashion buyer needs to thrive in the fast-paced, competitive world of fashion. From building confi...
Maximise Your Sales & Profitibility with Strategic Range Planning (#011)
21 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "Thrive in Fashion," host Elisabeth Mac Hale talks about the process of range planning, an important aspect of fashion buying to en...
How to use your sales data to make better buying decisions (#010)
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "Thrive in Fashion," host Elisabeth Mac Hale delves into the critical process of analyzing retail sales performance to drive better...
Simplifying Your Product Development Process for Private Label Products (#009)
07 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "Thrive in Fashion," Elisabeth Mac Hale dives into the intricate process of developing private label products while working directl...
Debunking 5 Myths Versus The Realities of Fashion Buying (#008)
30 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode talks about the common misconceptions about fashion buying. Often seen as a glamorous role filled with fashion shows and endless s...
The Importance of Fabric Knowledge for Fashion Buyers (#007)
22 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you are a development buyer or designer, fabric knowledge is a necessity. In the latest episode of the Thrive in Fashion Podcast, I explain why hav...
How Cultural and Social Trends Impact Fashion Buying Decisions (#006)
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Elisabeth explores how cultural and social trends influence the decision making process.As a fashion buyer, Elisabeth emphasizes the ...
The Metrics used to Measure a Fashion Buyer's Proficiency (#005)
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of "Thrive in Fashion," host Elisabeth MacHale dives deep into the metrics and skills that define a successful fashion buyer. With ove...
Ten Key Steps When Building a Fashion Range (#004)
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is packed with practical advice on building a well-balanced fashion range, identifying trends, and making informed decisions that resonat...
The Key Skills a Fashion Buyer Must Have (#003)
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another episode of "Thrive in Fashion"! Today, Elisabeth explains more about the multifaceted role of a fashion buyer, debunking the myths ...
The difference between Branded vs. Development Fashion Buying (#002)
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to another exciting episode of "Thrive in Fashion"! This episode is about the difference in the skillset for the roles of branded fashion buye...
How I started my Fashion Buying career (#001)
26 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode of "Thrive in Fashion" with Elisabeth Mac Hale! In this episode, Elisabeth talks about her journey from creating outfits ...