Nicole Miller‘s affable co-founder and CEO, Bud Konheim, is always a hoot, non? Let the frank funniness begin!
Your story begins with a family fashion business…
It goes back four generations. Pushcart to here, you know? I’m one of the immigrants Obama is talking about.
How did you come to hire Nicole Miller?
I picked Nicole out of 170 interviewees.
Why do some young designers fail?
I ask young designers, “What are you looking for?” They say, “I want to get some licensing and then go into the sunset.” Everyone’s got the attention span of a cockroach.
How has digital changed the game?
We’re in a cultural revolution that I haven’t seen since the late ’60s. It’s young, young, young. We have interns here, and a subscription to Vogue for every one of them, but the copies will sit there for six months with the plastic on. It’s not relevant to them.
How do big labels compete with celebrity lines?
Someone asked me how I compete with designers like Marc Jacobs. I said, “Marc Jacobs! That’s a real designer who knows his way around a pair of scissors. My problem these days is Kim Kardashian.” Nicole doesn’t do porno, so we’re at a disadvantage!