Jonathan Simkhai on business growth without outside investment and the return to NYFW

Fifteen years after starting his fashion brand, Jonathan Simkhai is still growing it — without financial help. 

“The business is privately held, and we have not taken on any outside investment,” Simkhai said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “I am open to the idea, but we're also very happy just moving along and growing the business organically.”

Coinciding with that growth has been the opening of four Simkhai stores — in Southampton, Beverly Hills, NYC’s SoHo neighborhood and Dallas. There have also been marketing investments via global runway shows. This September, Simkhai will return to the New York Fashion Week runway, largely driven by customer demand. 

"In our stores, I've heard so many clients say, 'Are you doing a show?' and 'We want to come to your show,'” he said. “In being so focused on the clients and meeting their needs and being there for them, I really want to do a show so I can have them there and give them that experience.”

Also on the podcast, Simkhai discussed why he values time in his brand’s stores, why specialty stores have an advantage over department stores and why experimentation is important to a modern fashion business.