Fast Company
I'm a senior staff writer at Fast Company Magazine, where I write about fashion. You can find my stories here. For pitches, email me at esegran@fastcompany.com. I have also written for The Atlantic, Fortune, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy, among other publications, as you’ll find below.
Articles
Inside Savannah College of Arts and Design’s neverending quest to find creatives good jobs| Fast Company | Fall Print Issue
Under the leadership of its founder, Paula Wallace, SCAD has grown into a global brand. But is what’s good for SCAD good for design?
The girlboss lost. Here’s why under the radar female founders won| Fast Company | October 11, 2023
In a startup culture rife with misogyny, developing a cult of personality as a female founder was good for business—until it wasn’t. Did these other founders fare better because they weren’t as public?
Daily Harvest recall: How a rare new ingredient sent customers to the E.R.| Fast Company | June 22, 2023
The CEO speaks for the first time about the tara flour that sickened hundreds, led to lawsuits, and revealed big problems in U.S. food safety.
$7 million in a single drop: How Telfar built a fashion powerhouse| Fast Company | Summer 2023 Print Issue
Affordable totes, limited-edition drops, and radical inclusivity. Inside the Telfar Clemens playbook.
Inside Tiffany & Co’s remarkable brand turnaround | Fast Company | March 2, 2023
Before its acquisition by LVMH in 2021, the jeweler was losing its luster. Under Alexandre Arnault, it’s one one of luxury’s brightest stars.
Barnes & Noble is stealing the indie shop playbook, and its working | Fast Company | February 2, 2023
James Daunt launched his first indie bookshop in London 33 years ago. The Barnes & Noble CEO is now bringing the lessons he learned to the biggest bookseller in America.
President Biden, appoint a fashion czar! | Fast Company | February 9, 2021
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. It should be regulated like other big sectors.
A group of activists turned my story into an official letter that went to the White House and Congress. It was co-signed by more than 80 fashion brands, experts, and non-profits. A working group has formed to develop a continue campaigning for a fashion czar and develop priorities for such a position.
Women’s Wear Daily: Allbirds, ThredUp, and More Push Biden to Appoint a “Fashion Czar”
GQ Magazine: Yes, the United States Needs a Fashion Czar
InStyle: Why Dozens Of Brands Are Calling on President Biden to Appoint a Fashion Czar
The Hill: Why Clothing Brands are Asking President Biden to Appoint a Fashion Czar
Fashionista: Designers, Brands, and Journalists United to Ask President Biden to Appoint a “Fashion Czar”
Marie Kondo cleaned house. Now she wants to fix your whole life | Fast Company | May/June 2020 Print Issue
The millennial doyenne of decluttering wants to build the next lifestyle empire. But will it spark joy.
This was the magazine’s cover story. (PDF of print version here.)
I tried the most innovative coats of 2019. Here are the best. | Fast Company | October 29, 2019
A slew of new coats promises to keep you warm with unique fabrics and technology. These delivered.
I appeared on Chronicle, ABC’s New England news station, to talk about the list.
Inside Foot Locker’s bananas plans to survive post-mall America | Fast Company | July 26, 2019
The company is acting more like a youth culture consultancy than a strip-mall fixture—part of a multipronged strategy to get ahead in the $95 billion sneaker wars.
I was interviewed by Kai Rysdall on NPR’s Marketplace.
Magazine Feature: Fashion’s plastic problem is bigger than you can imagine—but this brand is finding new ways to solve it | Fast Company | May 2019 Issue
The fashion industry is awash in carbon-intensive plastics. As a climate crisis looms, upstart apparel brand Everlane is weaning itself off new synthetics entirely. Spoiler: It’s not easy. (Full PDF version here.)
I was interviewed on KCRW, the Los Angeles NPR affiliate station, for the show Push Play With Madeleine Brand.
How Disney Grew Its $3 Billion Mickey Mouse Business—By Selling To Adults | Fast Company | April 1, 2019
Apple, Gucci, Kate Spade, Uniqlo, L’Oreal, and Maybelline are just a few of the companies that sell Mickey-branded products to grown-ups. Here’s how Disney made adults fall in love with a cartoon character.
Rent the Runway Is Now A Unicorn | Fast Company | March 21, 2019
With a $125 million investment round, Rent the Runway is now valued at over $1 billion. The female unicorn club just got a little bigger.
I was interviewed on Cheddar Business for this story.
Yes, Even Your Pockets Are Sexist. These Startups Are Fighting Back | Fast Company | November 8, 2019
For 300 years, most women’s clothes have lacked functional pockets. Thanks to a group of women-led brands, that’s starting to change.
Stop Buying Crap, And Companies Will Stop Making Crap | Fast Company | July 27, 2018
It's hard to believe that our purchasing decisions have any impact on the fashion industry. But this week, we found out that they do.
I was interviewed on CBS News for this story.
I was interviewed by NPR's Phoenix station for this story.
Up, Up, and Away: The Luggage Upstart Taking On Industry Giants| Fast Company| July 2, 2018
With $50 million in fresh funding, a magazine, a podcast, and a suite of new products, can Away pivot from hip suitcase maker to a millennial travel platform?
From Armor to Icon: How Women's Suits Became Cool Again| Fast Company| May 30, 2018
Women first wore suits to mirror the men in their male-dominated workplaces. But in the now-casual office, women are redefining the suit in their own image.
High Heels, Invented For The Male Gaze, Get A Feminist Makeover| Fast Company| May 30, 2018
Male designers invented the high heel without considering comfort or walkability. These tech-savvy women are reinventing the iconic shoe for the modern woman.
Two Ex-Googlers Want To Make Bodegas A Thing Of The Past| Fast Company| August 13, 2017
Called Bodega, this startup installs unmanned pantry boxes in apartments, offices, dorms, and gyms. It promises convenience, but also represents competition for many mom-and-pop stores.
Featured in New York Times in several places; The Washington Post over and over and over, and The Atlantic's City Lab, and everywhere else on the internet.
It was all over Podcasts, including the New York Times' Still Processing and The Information.
I talked to Jack Rico about it on his podcast, Highly Relevant.
The Made in America Movement Driven By Innovation, Not Nationalism | Fast Company| May 9, 2017
A new generation of companies is making higher-end clothing, furniture, eyewear, and more in the United States. Can their success lead to a revival of American manufacturing on a larger scale?
Can Obama's Tech Legacy Survive President Trump? | Fast Company| December 7, 2016
Obama built a formidable tech infrastructure in the White House. It's now Trump's to lose.
The Decline of Premium American Fashion Brands. What Happened, Ralph and Tommy? | Fast Company| August 12, 2016
Once aspirational, companies like Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have lost their luster, while innovative new brands are shining bright.
Your Guide to Generation Z: The Frugal, Brand-Wary Determined Anti-Millenials | Fast Company| August 8, 2016
The generation forged during the Great Recession is entering college and the workforce. Here's what companies need to know about them.
Why Clothing Startups are Returning to American Factories | Fast Company| March 16, 2016
It's no longer (just) about patriotism or marketing. These brands want to create the best, most innovative clothes in the world.
I was interviewed by Molly Wood at NPR's Marketplace about this story.
The Journey from Inmate to Entrepreneur | Fast Company| September 30, 2015
Is entrepreneurship an answer to America's high recidivism rate? Fast Company explores one man's path from prison to self-sufficiency.
The $5 Billion Battle for the American Dinner Plate | Fast Company| June 8, 2015
Investors in startups like Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and Plated are wagering hundreds of millions of dollars on the idea that dinnertime is just too hard to manage. As meal-kit startups spring up like so many mushrooms, Fast Company investigates the boxed-meal phenomenon and how it will change the way we eat.
I was interviewed by Southern California Public Radio about this story.
Featured in Longreads.
Welcome to the Brave New World of the Corporate Sponsored Artist | Fast Company| March 10, 2015
From Amtrak to Facebook, it seems like everyone is launching an artist-in-residence program. But can art and commerce thrive together?
I was interviewed by Kai Ryssdal at NPR's Marketplace about this story.
The Fall of the Hipster Brands: Inside the Decline of American Apparel and Urban Outfitters | Racked| March 3, 2015
American Outfitters and American Apparel began to lose their moral grounding just as their target demographic started developing a cohesive sense of personal principles.
Featured in Business Insider.
This was on the Business of Fashion's Daily Digest.
As Coworking Spaces Scale, Can They Keep Their Communal Vibe? | The Atlantic| February 27, 2015
The challenge of making an international chain feel like ... not an international chain.
To Attract More Women, Cybersecurity Industry Could Drop Macho Jargon | Christian Science Monitor | February 16, 2015
The cybersecurity industry has a history of hostility toward women. To make the field more welcoming, female security pros recommend moving away from the aggressive language of combat and talking about protecting people instead.
Obama's Former Law Student is Shaping the Nation's Policies on Drones | Fortune | February 4, 2015
Lisa Ellman has been quietly working to craft policy that will make it possible for commercial drones to be flown in the U.S.
Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine.
How do Nail Polishes Get Their Crazy Names? | Mental Floss | December 26, 2014
We're always fans of a good pun, so we asked Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, artistic director of OPI Nail Polish, to let her in on her team's creative process..
Santa Claus is Real | Fast Company | December 12, 2014
Meet the busiest Santa in the world.
FastCo Studios created a video about the story.
Featured in TIME Magazine.
How One Woman Got Past the 'No's' and Landed VC Funding | Fortune | November 21, 2014
Female entrepreneurs, take note.
Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine.
A Fascinating History of Nail Polish | Mental Floss | December 2014
Bet you didn't know it used to be war paint! (Click for PDF.)
For Top Female Scientists, Starting a Family is a Major Setback | Fortune | November 13, 2014
Recipients of the L’Oreal Women in Science award say the $60,000 grant will allow them to overcome the challenges of having children while pursuing cutting edge science research.
The Secret Psychology Behind Selling Beauty Products to Men | Racked | November 11, 2014
Beauty brands are faced with a predicament: they need to produce the beauty products that men desire, while also being careful in their marketing. Research shows that the minute a dude feels emasculated, it's game over.
Women's Studies Departments Are Failing Feminism | The New Republic | August 8, 2014
By refusing to engage with personal matters, academics are failing a generation.
Featured in Mashable.
New Drama "The Honorable Woman" Portrays a Powerful Woman on the Edge of a Breakdown | Bitch Magazine | July 31, 2014
It is a curious coincidence that so many of the powerful women portrayed on television are on the verge of mental collapse.
How to Build a Feminist Workplace | Fast Company | July 29, 2014
These companies adapt to the needs of women so that employees aren't required to lean in too far.
Finding Meaning After Academe | The Chronicle of Higher Education | July 7, 2014
It turns out you can no longer do what you love. Now what?
Can America Learn to Love Misshapen Veggies? | The Atlantic | July 1, 2014
An ex-Trader Joe's exec's plan to reduce food waste and feed the hungry.
Featured in Quartz.
With This Tech, I Thee Wed: How One Couple Created Their Dream Wedding For Under $10,000 | Fast Company | May 28, 2014
The real-life fairy tale of Naa-Sakle Akuete and Kyle Healy. And Apple, Google, AirBnB, and Paperless Post. Spotify, Amazon, TaskRabbit and Instacart.
Featured in NPR's Tell Me More and Business Insider.
Any Mumbai Sunday | Foreign Policy | May 16, 2014
One woman is on a quest to sell American football to India. Is anyone buying?
The Adjunct Revolt: How Poor Professors are Fighting Back | The Atlantic | April 28, 2014
Can a budding labor movement improve the lives of non-tenure faculty - and, in the process, fix higher education?
Featured in Longreads.
The Dangers of Victimizing Ph.D.'s | The Chronicle of Higher Education | April 1, 2014
No one is forcing you to accept low-paid adjunct work.
What Can You Do With a Humanities Ph.D., Anyway? | The Atlantic | March 31, 2014
The choice to leave academia does not have to mean life as a barista.
Like It Or Not, Organized Religion Still Has a Role to Play in LGBT Movements | Salon | March 11, 2014
It's time religion entered the 21st century: Why its acceptance of LGBT equality is slow but essential.
In India, Fewer Than Three Percent of Journalists Are Women | Bitch Magazine | December 13, 2013
Female journalists are struggling to assert themselves in an industry that is inhospitable to women.
The Rise of the Islamic Feminists | The Nation | December 5, 2013
Muslim women are fighting for their rights from within Islamic tradition, rather than against it. (Click for PDF.)
What Happens When a Female Model Starts Dressing as a Man | Salon | November 10, 2013
Elliott Sailors has gotten media criticism and homophobic slurs, but she says she's just expressing her masculine side.
Malaysian Malaise | Foreign Affairs | October 11, 2013
After months of protests over the results of Malaysia’s contentious election last May, the revolutionary spirit has largely died. Here’s why — and why the calm might not last.
A Yo-Yo Ma Project Brings Together Musicians from Warring Nations | The Atlantic | October 10, 2013
The Silk Road Ensemble seeks to use music as a basis for intercultural understanding.
Harvard Business School’s First Transgender Student Speaks Out | The Atlantic | October 3, 2013
Though queer identities are finding greater acceptance in America, the trend is uneven: Transgender individuals still find themselves marginalized.
Can Advertising Change India’s Obsession with Fair Skin? | The Atlantic | August 5, 2013
In a country where dark women are referred to as “blacky” at work, one actress takes on a massive skin-bleaching industry.
What the Delhi Rape Trials Mean for India’s Women | The Atlantic | July 25, 2013
The country must prove that it can routinely and effectively prosecute rapists, even when it’s not in the international spotlight.
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