steve madden on ‘the cutting room floor’

Did ya’ll know Steve Madden was a real one? His interview with the fantastic Recho Omondi, for her podcast The Cutting Room Floor, is a great listen.

It finally gave us an answer to the evergreen question: why are all these luxury brands so quiet about his “dupes?” (iykyk, very generous use of the word ‘dupes’ here, lmao).

It’s because he has presence. And a little prison in his past that reinforces his unmistakable don’t-mess-with-me energy. He’s an engaging conversationalist who fully owns himself and his space.

Remember what I was saying in my last post about the lessons learned from our goop girly. Authenticity is everything. The take away from this episode (full episode available on patreon only) is to stop trying to fit a box that isn’t you. Stop trying to be perfect and flawless. BE YOURSELF. It’s magnetic.

Our boy Steve did “not” tow the line. And we loved it.

He was unapologetic about being himself. He was unafraid of tainting the brand by saying the wrong thing. He was just a real person, with real thoughts.

He called us, his consumers, his “girls”. And I giggled like a school-girl. 🤭

Steve’s shoes got me through high school + college. He was there for us, his “girls” when our bank accounts weren’t quite as padded. As it turns out, that’s actually his brand ethos. He believes fashion should be accessible and for everyone, at all price-points. We’re in agreement.

I haven’t purchased a Steve Madden shoe since those undergrad days, but after hearing this interview, I’m going to check out what he’s offering. The power of authenticity. Consider me one of the girls again, Steve. 🤍