Sara and Erin Foster are captivating consumers with Favorite Daughter, their fast-growing contemporary fashion brand. They’re engaging devoted fans with a revealing podcast. And now, the sister act is ready for their big debut on Netflix this month.
But the Fosters still marvel at how far they have come since launching Favorite Daughter four years ago. “We both never thought we would be in the position we are now. “Holy s–t, I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it,” said Sara Foster at the WWD x FN x Beauty Inc Women in Power forum.
During a conversation with WWD’s West Coast Executive Editor Booth Moore, the sisters — with their trademark humor and relatable storytelling — got candid on fame, authenticity and the perils of hustle culture.
They certainly don’t seem to be slowing down. Favorite Daughter, a partnership with Centric Brands, is on track to hit $50 million in sales this year, as reported by WWD this summer. With major retail expansion in the works and a thriving wholesale business, the label, which includes apparel, denim, suiting, accessories and logo wear, is firing on all cylinders.
Will the Fosters be as successful on the small screen? The Netflix comedy which they coproduced, “Nobody Wants This,” premieres Sept. 26. “I think we got really lucky in hitting the rom-com era that we’re all in,” said Erin Foster, who wrote the series — which stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody — based on her own love life. “It’s a very nostalgic time right now where people want to feel good. It’s not cynical show. This is a love story where the guy is a good guy, a strong confident guy who feels himself and has ‘rizz’ but is also very sweet.”
Whether they’re working on a TV project, their hit podcast or a new collection, the sisters live by a golden rule: To stay true to themselves.
“We have to make sure there’s not too much of a disconnect between who we are and what we think is cool,” said Erin Foster, who said she doesn’t subscribe to trends and would never make a kitten heel, for example. (Her husband calls them cat heels.) “There are some ugly things out there and people are like, ‘Oh my god, I’m dying,’ and I’m like, no you’re not,” she quipped.
Read on for more memorable quotes from the conversation, edited and condensed for clarity.
Growing Up in the Limelight
Erin Foster: It’s a specific type of position you’re in where people have a lot of preconceived notions about you or your life and how you grew up, or how fortunate you are. Some people make the mistake of pushing too hard against it. For us, it was trying to embrace what people thought of us … and having the last laugh.
Being Fashion Outsiders
Sara Foster: Erin and I run in incredible fashion circles, and all our friends are cool and chic — and shop at the right flea markets in Paris and get things off the runway. We have no interest being in that world, but we still want to be cool and chic and fashionable when we’re with our friends.
Building a Brand They Want to Wear
E.F.: I don’t go in my closet and pick Favorite Daughter because we’re supposed to. We have a rule: If by the second fitting, we’re asking how you would wear it or what would you wear it with, it’s dead. There’s a lot of [designers] you can pick from, and if you’re looking at us and thinking it’s a wearable thing, then it humanizes it so it’s not this mannequin idea of a brand.
The Power of Being Real
S.F.: I’m not endearing to a woman because I’m perfect and killing it in all aspects of my life. What endears us is vulnerability, and we talk a lot about that in our podcast.
E.F.: In your younger years, you’re trying to be something you aren’t: “I want to be the cool girl, I want to be the girl who doesn’t care. I want to go sleep with that guy and not think about it later.” You are who you are. There was some point around 30 where I just started to get a little bit more comfortable about the truth of myself. There’s just a point when you have to be real.
Taking a Breath
S.F.: Hustle culture, I’m just over it. As women especially, you never feel like you’re doing enough. We laid a really nice foundation, and I want to water the seeds we’ve already planted. It’s totally quality over quantity.
Why Feedback Matters
E.F.: It’s important that if you are front-facing to take the opportunity to get to know your customers. We really love feedback, and we take it to heart. We send thoughts to our chats like, “Hey, four people have said the same thing, we’ve got to work on it.”
Dropping the Ball
S.F.: Something is always going to suffer, and we’re OK with that. When we can stop pretending everything gets 100 percent, we can go, “Ah.” In my friend group, there’s not enough transparency in the areas that are kind of falling apart. I can give no advice because I drop the ball constantly.
The Leadership Formula
E.F.: You can be liked as a leader and also be a good boss. People have become more comfortable being direct. I don’t think that means you have to be bitchy or rude. I think you can be direct and thoughtful at the same time. I’m not looking to make people afraid to come with me for something.
Evaluating Investments for Oversubscribed, Their Venture Capital Firm
S.F.: We’re early-stage investors. It’s a little bit of a red flag for me when I talk to a founder and they’re wishy-washy. I like a founder who is very clear. It doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers, but there’s just a certain confidence in what you’re building that I really gravitate to.