E114: Fashion Industry Insights and Resources with Keith Fraley

Hamilton Perkins Collection

In this podcast episode, Hamilton and Keith Fraley discuss Keith's background in fashion, his transition from fashion design to the business side of fashion, and his upcoming role as a tenure track assistant professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. They also discuss sustainability in the fashion industry, fashion collaborations, and various resources for learning about the fashion industry. - In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand that designs and produces unique and award-winning bags and accessories made from upcycled materials. Each bag is made from pineapple leaf fiber, billboard vinyl, fabric banners, apparel, and other advertising waste. Perkins was awarded an equity-free grant as the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by Village Capital and the Governor of Virginia. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Perkins was voted to Inside Business’ 40 under 40 and Old Dominion University Alumni Association’s 40 under 40 lists. Perkins has been mentioned in Forbes, Fast Company, The New York Times, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. Select past client work includes Hewlett-Packard, Nordstrom, Target, S.C. Johnson and Son, Dow Chemical, Oracle, Salesforce, Barnes and Noble, West Elm, Holt Renfrew, C.F. Martin & Company, Imerys, Leesa Sleep, Zappos, Paramount Pictures, AMEX, Hanover Insurance, NYC Department of Sanitation and Ellen. The brand is currently offered in nearly 150 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Hamilton Perkins Collection has transformed 800,000 bottles into bags and over 40,000 pounds of old signs and into bags with the goal of 10 million bottles and over 500,000 pounds. Perkins has been a speaker for BNY Mellon, Faire, Mastercard and has provided research for Harvard Business School. Perkins serves on the executive advisory council board at Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business.