7 Fashion Industry Trends to Watch in 2024
Fashion Dive’s Lara Ewen takes a look at what industry leaders will need to stay focused on for the unusual year ahead. We covered quite a bit of terrain in this piece but this quote represents one of my deepest concerns: “To the extent you firmly believe you understand your market segments’ political preferences, the odds of getting this wrong are enormous,” Lipton said. “And even if you are accurate, the incendiary, no-holds-barred political climate we’re expecting may motivate pundits for opposing candidates to ‘out’ your position, use it against you in the media, and create a harmful persona of your brand.” January 12, 2024
What to Watch: Surviving an Election Year on Edge
WWD’s Evan Clark interviews Mark about the unmapped terrain for the fashion industry as one of the most unusual presidential elections upend the status quo. “I can’t even fake a crystal ball,” Mark tells Evan. January 2, 2024
Retail Is Now Taking The Brunt Of Economic Fallout From Mass Shootings
Biznow interviews Mark to understand how commercial landlords should assess actions required after an active shooter incident involving killings within any of their real estate holdings. Insights and recommendations gleaned for readers from what Mark considers “One of the most depressing interviews of my career.” July 2023
Can Olaplex Reclaim the Narrative?
Business of Fashion interviews Mark about the disruptive ultra-premium hair products firm Opalex and the pickle they have found themselves in. Angered end users, threats to their market share, and a pesky lawsuit from women who believe the firm has no empathy - all are now dogging a young firm that was first to market with a “miraculous” product. February 2023
Most British Fashion Companies Fail to Meet New Leadership Diversity Targets
Business of Fashion interviews Mark about the perennial question: Why are boards in the fashion industry so homogenous? 2022
“Guess' Paul Marciano problem is shining a spotlight on corporate boards”
“Deep Dive” Interview of Mark in Retail Dive. 2022
The Mouse Missteps: Lessons From Disney’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Debacle
What fashion can learn from the fallout and how the corporate purpose imperative is evolving.
WWD’s Evan Clark interviews Mark. June 2022
“Where are the Black CEOs in Fashion?”
Sheena Butler-Young, a journalist for Business of Fashion, interviews Mark as she covers the mystery. 2022
Op-Ed: How the Unshakable World of Luxury Got Disrupted in Luxury Daily
Mark and Deloitte colleagues discuss how the seemingly undisruptable luxury goods industry is being disrupted, and what CEOs of companies in this space should be doing about it. A two-part opinion piece: Part I and Part II. January, 2018
Op-Ed in The Hill
The Hill asks Mark about the data on women in C-Suites and on corporate boards. October 14, 2018
“Think Tank” contribution to WWD on disruption in the retail industry
WWD asks for a view on staving-off disruption in retail. We gave them a few. Conceived with two of my colleagues at Deloitte's CEO Program. August 17, 2018
Mark is interviewed by Retail Digg about the toxic bro culture at Nike
Retail Digg's Daphne Howland interviews Mark about the liklihood of Nike CEO Mark Parker's recent actions to change a culture that's been—to say the least—“difficult” for women leaders. May 7, 2018
WWD asks Mark how to quell the seeming pandemic of #metoo cases now emerging in the fashion industry.
Article by Mark in Women's Wear Daily. March 29, 2018
Report: High turnover rate among top women in retail hurting the industry
Retail Dive interviews Mark for a feature on the turnover of women CEOs and other C-Suite positions in the retail industry. March 20, 2018
Gap’s CEO “Stepping Down”
USA Today interviews Mark on the possible reasons for Jeff Kirwan's departure from his leadership role at the Gap after three years running the apparel retailer. February 20, 2018
Ron Perelman ousts Revlon CEO
USA Today features Mark's comments on working for Perelman. January 30, 2018
Seven Essential Concepts That Define Modern-Day Entrepreneurs
Forbes features Guiding Growth: How vision keeps companies on course as essential resource for entrepreneurs. (Download it free on Guiding Growth tab of this website). December 18, 2017
Rape Culture: Why is it so insidious in organizations and our culture?
Interview with Salon Talks' D. Watkins and Amanda Marcotte November 14, 2017
The “Mean Man Advantage”
Extended interview of Mark that focuses specifically on how women manage anger differently from men by Corrine Purtill of Quartz, October 22, 2017
Harvey Weinstein's Sexual Harrassment Problems
Mark is interviewed by the Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, FoxNews.com, October 6, Salon Talks, October 9, WPIX News, New York, HOY LA October 10, CNN, RetailDive (the Donna Karan implications), Arlene Bynon Show for SirusXM, Toronto Star, October 11
“Why Do We Worship Nasty Bosses?”
Review by Simon Constable, Forbes, September 5, 2017
“The Art of the Deal with the Devil”
Review by Dain Dunston, author, leadership coach, and creative strategist, September 18, 2017
Op-Ed by Mark in American Banker on the challenge of ridding an organization of abusive “rainmakers.”
American Banker raises awareness of rainmakers, exempt from the rules and norms of civil behavior. May 9, 2018
Market Watch covers Starbucks’ muddled ‘community culture’ was a contributing factor in arrest of two black men
Market Watch's Tonya Garcia interviews Mark after the police remove two African American men from a Starbucks in Philadelphia Their crime? Waiting for a third colleague before purchasing coffee. We get below the surface of what Starbucks must learn to do if they want community acceptance. April 18, 2018
“You Don't Have to be Mean to Lead”
Casey Gale of Convene finds insight from a section of Mean Men. April 3, 2018
Nike sees opening for domestic sales growth in 2019: Retail Dive
Another interview of Mark by Retail Dive on the bad behaviors of senior management at Nike that remain vague beyond the C-Suite. What were they doing? What are they hiding? March 23, 2018
Retailers take sides on gun policy. Is the risk worth the reward?
Retail Dive devotes a feature story to the gun controversy and how retailers have—and have not—responded. Journalist Lara Ewen puts Mark through a deep-dive interview. March 6, 2018
WWD Think Tank: Pathological Bad Behavior Runs Amok in the C-suite
WWD (Womens Wear Daily) features Mean Men the book and Mark on how to understand pathologically bad behavior in the fashion industry's C-Suites February 23, 2018
NPR Podcast: Talk Louisiana
Jim Engster's daily podcast features Mark to unlock what's behind the behaviors of mean men currently overtaking the news. Download the interview here. February 19, 2018
How Millennials Lead
Chronicle of Philanthropy and philanthropy.com feature Mark on how non-profits must reconceptualize their Millennial high-potential leaders. January 09, 2018
Bad Management is Everywhere!
Toronto Globe and Mail's Harvey Schachter discusses in his column the ubiquity of today's "bad management." It's not just the rotten scoundrels we're reading about since Harvey Weinstein's real meanness came out of the closet. Look around and you'll find bad management everywhere. December 16, 2017
What Newsmakers Could be Considered “Mean Men?”
Interview with Danielle Smith on Newstalk 770 in Calgary. October 26, 2917
The Six Types of Mean Men You Meet at Work
Interview with HER Magazine on The Six Types...and more. November 08, 2017
Extended interview of Mark by Harvey Schachter, The Toronto Globe and Mail, October 23, 2017
“The rise and fall of jerks: Why mean guys get ahead—at first”
Interview with Salon on August 23, 2017
Mean men are everywhere — offices, boardrooms, even the White House. But why are these men so successful? Author Mark Lipton has some answers.
— Salon