Steve Madden Part 2

Reference:

Stevemadden.com

ABOUT STEVE MADDEN

What started as a $1,100 investment in 1990 has grown into one of the most recognizable names in fashion. From a factory in Queens, Steve Madden set out to disrupt the shoe game, blending bold design with a sharp instinct for what people want to wear. Rooted in New York and inspired by music and street culture, his vision has always been about individuality. Creating on-trend styles for men and women who want to stand out. That mindset helped turn a startup into a global brand, now sold in over 80 countries, with stores around the world.

Over the years, Steve has expanded into apparel, handbags, fragrances, and iconic collaborations with notable names like Sydney Sweeney, Cardi B, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner, always staying true to the brand’s rebellious spirit. His memoir, The Cobbler, and the Netflix documentary Maddman tell the raw, unfiltered story of a rise, fall, and comeback that reshaped a category.

It’s about keeping it real. It’s about the hustle. It’s Steve Madden.

"I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM POUNDING THE P

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Hello everyone. Thank you for joining Take a Fashion Seat. Today's topic is about the brand Steve Madden. Now, last year I did part one. Tonight is part two. Um, his brand is so popular, I needed to talk about it again. So, Steve Madden was founded in 1990. This is a new brand, guys. Basically, it's new. Guess how much he started with $1,100 selling shoes out of his trunk. Can you believe it? I mean, these amazing historical stories about business people are never-ending. Um, I love talking about people who believe in their brands. And Steve Madden is a brand that a lot of people believe in. It's known for chunky platforms. I mean, that's how that was the beginning. Um, he expanded to apparel and accessories. And guess what? Now, his business is over $1.9 billion, everyone. I mean, it's just the history is contagious, and his rapid growth over the years goes like this. So, this is part two. So, in the early years, um, after working in retail, like shoes, wholesale, he started his labels in New York. Guess what part? Queens. Yes, and he started with these chunky, funky looking shoes. Um, he opened his first retail store um and took the company public on NASDAQ. Yes, NASDAQ. So that's I mean, that alone is just historical. Now, the Wolf of Wall Street, that's what they called it, the error during the time when he entrusted, you know, his IPOs to do the work for him. And he started doing putting in the hard work. So Madden was later, um, he got in trouble. You know, he was indicted for some financial involvement. So his story isn't all peaches and cream or better roses. I mean, it gets he got in trouble, and I'm not gonna go into all of that because my podcast is it's positivity. So you gotta go and look up what he did. Okay, guys, I like to tell stories in a positive manner. I mean, I want to stick to that. My podcast is totally positive. So he made a comeback in 2005, everyone. Um, after he was incarcerated, and you know, he came and did his thing, and the products today the products are sold in over 80 countries. Can you believe it? He made a comeback. See, that's what I like. I like brands that fall down and get back up. We all have things in our lives and life be life and things be falling down, but we have to pick them back up. I mean, you know that guys. This is this is life. Not it doesn't only apply to business, but it applies to our life. When you fall down, get back up. Okay, guys. So he goes on to you know acquire a successful business, and today his brand is amazing. I mean, so I gave you the history of it. Now, people asked, was he a billionaire? Yes, his network today is three billion. So yes, he's a billionaire. He started off as a multimillionaire, but now he is a billionaire. Now, Steve Manning, it's L T D Ticker Shoe, S-H-O-O. So it generates like 2.5 billion in annual sales. He that we gotta talk about him. That's why I'm doing part two. Because his life just, I mean, so people ask, well, why is it so cheap? Okay, that's what he wanted. He it's a low-end mass producing, and some people go for that. Everybody in life is not into luxury. I'm telling you now. I'm telling you right now, if you're listening, everybody's lives are on different levels, and even people who can't afford luxuries still like Steve Madden. They want to get some things, accessories, and things at reasonable prices. You do you have to realize in life that everyone are on different levels and they can spend their money the way they like. That's what I love about life. Spend your money the way you want. If you want to buy Steve Madden, buy Steve Madden. If you want to buy Louis Vuitton, go buy Louis Vuitton. Whatever you like. Okay, guys. His typical cost for his brand clothing, and that's that's the reason it's 70 to $150. I mean, he instead of investing heavily in luxury, he just, you know, he sells them for cheaper synthetic materials and efficient large-scale supply chains. That's his thing. You know, people he just catered to a certain group of people. And now, um, the question was, um, where's his, you know, products made? Typically predominantly China, um, which is his accounted for the most of his imports. So, yes, China. I mean, even uh Mexico, Brazil, Cambodia. So there's other places as well. Um, they wanted to know do famous people wear his clothes? Yes, a lot of celebrities frequently wear Steve Madden. So he's, I mean, if you want to know who they are, who've been seen in them, I can give you a few. Molly Ringwall, um, Ashley Graham has been seen, Cardi B. Also Emily Roger. She's worn Steve Madden. So, I mean, yes, his he's a popular brand, very popular. It's still popular, people are still buying it, and he's still growing. I mean, that's his thing. People want to know where he lives and where he he does, he's in New York, so if you want to find him, he lives um on you know in Manhattan. I think he's in Trump's Palace or Billionaire's Row, that's what they call it. Guys, have you ever heard of Billionaire's Row? Yes. So you learn these things when you listen to my podcast. Yes. So let's dig deeper. I mean, we're just you know, he lives there. Um, a lot of people want to know is he does he he's is he currently married? He's not married, so guys, he's available for whoever would like to meet him. Um so he has a great team, and he's does um he is working on some new material, things like that. So his his brand is steady growing. Um, and if you go on his website, because you gotta go on his website, and it'll tell you about him, how he started his investment, and it moves on, and you can buy stuff um over the years. Steve has expanded his apparel fragrances. I'm on his website. So the reference is stevenadden.com, and you can go and look at his things. Um, and it says that he's um collaborated with Cardi B, Kendall Jenna, Kylie. I mean, he's even his memoir, The Cobbler, um, and the Netflix documentary, his documentary Madman, tells the raw, unfiltered story of his rise, fall, and comeback. So, guys, we're talking about a person who it has fallen, um, he's maintained, and now he has risen. So, his this is his quote. So, take it into consideration. I get my inspiration from pounding the pavement all over the world. Steve Madden. So, take that quote, guys, and run with it. So, on his website, you can find careers if you want to work there, and that's the relation sustainability. So, he does that, and that's what I like. On his page, you can also follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, um, X, Pinterest. You can see things, and I see he does Snapchat. Um, it goes in about the company, and it'll talk about different things like thread up, celebrity, fashion, future, modern slavery statement, transparency, and healthcare coverage, accessibility. Um, I think I want to open up one more portion because this is a short podcast. So I want to talk about his um modern slavery statement. It's kind of small, guys. And I see then it just talked about his modern slavery introduction, um, his business and supply chain structure. I mean, it's a lot. I'm not gonna read it. You gotta go in. It's five pages of what he believes. Um, he believes in a lot. So you gotta go in there and read a statement. Um, if you want to invest, you can. He got the investor relations webcast, conference call, you know, company profile, which goes sources and markets, fashion forward footwear, accessories, and a pearl. In addition to marketing products under its own brand, including Steve Madden, Kurt Geiger, London Dolce Vita, Betsy Johnson, Carvita, Blondo, and ATM. Steve Madden licenses footwear, handbags, and other accessories. Um, Steve Madden also designs and sourced products under private label brands, so it's just a lot. And then there's recent news. Steve Madden announces first quarter results, that's 2026. Um, he announces um earnings and he releases them, and then the fourth. So he releases things in his money, and that's what you want. An honest person who's trying to keep you abreast of what's going on, his conference calls, um, what he's up to, corporate and social responsibility. We introduce um our let's get real sustainability strategy in 2021 to inspire action and track progress on the economic, environmental, and social issues that are most significant and relevant to stakeholders across um the value chain. So, guys, I hope you enjoyed me talking for part two of Steve Madden. Hopefully, one day in the future, I can have him sit in my studio, my future studio. Guys, it's coming. Yes, gotta love Steve Madden, gotta love take a fashion seat, and I hope you enjoyed my podcast. And I hope you continue to tune in because I'm not gonna stop, guys. I gotta keep going. It's gonna go until I start my own studio. Guys, gotta love it. Thank you for listening.