*By Jacqueline Corba*
The two designers at the helm of Badgley Mischka said retail start-up [Rent the Runway](https://cheddar.com/videos/rent-the-runway-raises-millions-in-vc-funding) is a "gateway" for the next generation of shoppers to discover their brand.
The consumer "gets a good experience from them, and then she gets introduced to the brand and she matures, gets a little more income and then she can afford to buy the clothes," James Mischka said Tuesday in an interview on Cheddar.
"Rent the Runway's buying power is phenomenal," Mark Badgley told Cheddar Tuesday. "Their buys are bigger than most of the major department stores today."
Badgley said this is a testament to the growth of the start-up, which was most recently valued at nearly [$800 million] (https://www.recode.net/2018/3/9/17099908/rent-the-runway-alibaba-jack-ma-joe-tsai-blue-pool-capital-invest-valuation-women-clothing-apparel).
The duo is also looking to tap into the next generation of their customers with the expansion of the company's lifestyle products, which will incorporate its signature sparkle.
"There's a thread of glamour in everything we do," Badgley said.
The label ー once known for its $10,000 red-carpet gowns worn by Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, Madonna, and Kate Winslet ーis now adding housewares, shoes, and jewelry to its lineup of products.
In Mischka's view, the label has changed its conception of fashion and remade the pieces for real shoppers, not just industry insiders.
"We've really learned that you can't sit in New York and just be in an ivory tower and just design for what you think to be a fashionable thing," he said.
"We looked at the past 30 years of Badgley Mischka and what our customers have said to us over the past 30 years and try to answer all their questions or all their needs," he added.
Badgley Mischka recently debuted its Spring 2019 line [on the runway](https://www.badgleymischka.com/live-runway-show.asp) at New York Fashion Week. The collection, set at a garden party, was a fantastical ode to "Alice in Wonderland."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/the-design-duo-behind-badgley-mischka-celebrate-30-years).
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
BTS’ hit single “Butter” tops the zeitgeist again, bumping back up to number one on Billboard’s Hot Trending Chart. The chart tracks what songs people are talking about rather than what they're listening to.
The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever "national blood crisis" in the United States. Since COVID hit the U.S. in March 2020, blood donations have declined by 10 percent. American Red Cross Medical Director, Dr. Baia Lasky joined Cheddar News to discuss the country facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Dr. Lasky noted that as much as 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood but only about 4 percent do so. "This is going to be ongoing," she said. "This is not an acute shortage. We really do need the commitment of people to come out and donate and donate again." Appointments to donate can be made by using the Red Cross Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
On this episode of ChedHER: Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE breaks down how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses; AYO Foods Co-Founder discusses how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of; Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at Chase Auto talks her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry, and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Renée Horne, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Chase Auto, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Perteet Spencer, Co-Founder of AYO Foods, joins ChedHER to discuss how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of.
Crystal Etienne, Founder and CEO of period apparel company Ruby Love and Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience bootstrapping her company to $10 million, and how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses.
