Who What Wear Podcast: Nordstrom Associate Fashion Director Linda Cui Zhang

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For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Associate Fashion Director Linda Cui Zhang sits down with Who What Wear Shopping Director Bobby Schuessler to share her top selects from Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

So it’s my understanding that in this role, you help Nordstrom’s curation of products and brands. What does that look like in your day-to-day?

Linda Cui Zhang: I guide product selection for the assortments in stores and online, as well as the curation of trends and fashion stories. As an example, the ideas you see in your Anniversary [Sale] catalog, like a Polish utility spread, I select all the items that support the trend, whether that be great dye denim, a carryall bag, a suede belt, a leather jacket, [or] chunky gold jewelry. So I build those edits in partnership with our buyers and team. And a part of my job is also brand discovery and understanding the movements within fashion. So one of my favorite parts is meeting designers and learning about their brand and collections. And I’m so grateful for all that creative talent I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with. My role is to guide the products and brands we’re bringing to our customers and [the] storytelling around them, so there’s a cohesive point of view. So whether that’s through trend, through category, or through color.

I know you are the queen of mixing patterns and prints and colors, and I love it. Okay, so you mentioned a variety of editor and customer-favorite brands that are always included in the sale, but I did read there are over, like, 60 or 65 new brands this year. How did you decide which brands were going to make it in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale fold?

LCZ: When we’re looking at new brands to bring into the sale, we’re thinking about how this brings new fashion to our loyal customers that have been shopping with us for a long time, and then also [how] to attract new customers to Nordstrom. A fun example of this [is] Sperry, a new brand to the event. I think we’ve all felt the prevalence of the boat shoe and fashion. It was spurred by the Miu Miu spring 24 runway, and since then, it’s been a steady wave. We’ve seen so many brands develop boat shoes in their lines since Miu Miu, and the boat shoe is great. It tows this line between a flat and a loafer. It’s very Polish casual. When we were developing our anniversary assortment, we approached Sperry for the sale because it’s a brand rooted in boat shoes. So it really brings the trend to our customers in this really natural way. And there’s really great white woven pair on the event that I’m eyeing. So there’s that as well. It’s exciting.

Another brand I want to talk about as well is Florence by Mills, just, I mean, Millie Bobby Brown’s star power speaks for itself. She has this very cute, thoughtful lounge line. And we’re loving this evolution into more feminine, romantic silhouettes. And there’s obviously this return to softness with the prevalence of pink. We’re both in butter yellow today, the pastels as well. And then thinking about this Chloe almost boho renaissance, we thought Florence by Mills was the perfect brand for both fans of Millie Bobby Brown, and also to introduce this more relaxed, feminine style that’s happening in fashion.

There’s obviously thousands [of products] on sale. There’s really something for everybody, whether you’re looking for fashion, beauty, [or] kids. But I want to talk about fashion. Of course, you mentioned a few already, but are there any specific items that come to your mind that our listeners and readers need to get?

LCZ: I have three. So an east-west bag feels so modern and of the moment. We have this beautiful navy one that Veronica Beard developed as an exclusive for the event. And I always like to say navy is nature’s black, so it feels like this really easy neutral to pair [with] everything you already have. Second item I’m always on the hunt for [is] the, like, perfect knit T-shirt. We have some from Vince that have this, like, Merino cashmere-wool blend that just elevates the everyday T-shirt. It comes in four colors. I imagine they look good, both by themselves and then layered for the fall. And then I’m very into, like, stones and charms and the bits and bobs of it all, so bolder, colorful jewelry. And there’s these really beautiful stone necklaces from Monica Vinader and Lizzie Fortunato that actually layer really well together. So those are my top three, bleeding into four items.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.