WILDFANG CEO and Founder Emma Mcilroy on Tapping Into Consumers' Self-Expression
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Senior Editor Marie Albiges interviews Emma Mcilroy, CEO and founder of WILDFANG, a fast-growing fashion lifestyle brand which exists to challenge gender norms in fashion and beyond. Listen in as Mcilroy shares how she got her start in the retail industry (1:05), the skills she gained from playing sports and her experience at Nike (3:05), and the genesis of the WILDFANG brand (5:00). She discusses how her drive for self-expression fueled the brand’s early growth (7:40), how WIDLFANG produces apparel outside of typical gender norms (9:30).
Mcilroy shares how WILDFANG worked to be Climate Neutral Certified (12:15), what she looks for in her team as well as her leadership style (15:30), and why she still considers the business a startup (19:36). Lastly, she discusses the major initiatives she’s most excited about at WILDFANG, including its recent Drag-a-Thon (20:38), and her thoughts on retailers capitalizing on and engaging with the LGBTQ+ community (24:10).
Emma Mcilroy is the founder and CEO of WILDFANG, a multi million dollar fashion brand on a mission to rewrite the future of gender. WILDFANG embraces your masc, your femme and everything-in-between. WILDFANG has raised over $700k for charities that focus on racial justice, as well as queer, immigrant, and women’s rights. Pre-WILDFANG, Emma spent over a decade honing her marketing skills at Barclays and Nike. More recently, Emma has been named one of Inc.’s Female Founders 100, Oregon Entrepreneur of the Year, a Henry Crown Fellow and her “Yeah Maybe” TED talk has racked up over 100k views.
Date: July 25, 2023
Credits: Emma Mcilroy
Duration: 26:11
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