Stella Jean's guest appearances

Stella Jean

The Business of Fashion Podcast

San Diego Magazine's Happy Half Hour

Benedict Evans

Kamala Harris

Diane Von Furstenberg

Karl Lagerfeld

Sam McKnight

Marc Jacobs

Karlie Kloss

David Warner

Anthony Bourdain

Sinéad Burke

Emily Weiss

Tracee Ellis Ross

Scott Galloway

Eileen Fisher

Simon Sinek

OwlTail

Steven Torres

Welcome back to Happy Half Hour! Today’s special guest is Steven Torres, founder and CEO of Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s ice cream. Steven and his husband, Gan Suebsarakham, own the two shops in University Heights, which feature modern takes on American dessert staples: pie and ice cream. Leaning on his background in business and accounting, Steven handles the day-to-day operations and oversees all Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s locations, including expansion, menu development, and management.Steven walks us through the inspiration behind Pop Pie Co., their first business venture out of the two. When brainstorming what to focus their business on, the duo recognized that pot pie was a staple dish in a lot of cultures around the world but not in the US. Their strong desire to bring the classic dish to the states and present it in a different way led them to dream up Pop Pie Co. 	Before pie and ice cream were even a thought in his mind, Steven was trying to navigate his solo move from his small hometown to San Diego. His first job was as a doorman and server at Bourbon Street Bar &amp; Grill, and he also worked the door at The Brass Rail, one of San Diego’s most popular gay bars. Although Steven says that it was intimidating at first, he had great experiences learning about the community and culture. In fact, it was his love for University Heights that ultimately led them to choose it as the location to start their business. The community there embraced them from day one, and the emotional goodwill they’ve experienced has been carrying them through the pandemic. Right now, Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s have switched fully to counter service. Steven says they saw a trend toward instant gratification, that people value time as a determining factor of where to eat. With pies and ice cream, their businesses are geared up for that grab-and-go setup. The opportunity to start Stella Jean’s came when they were approached to take over the lease next door to Pop Pie. They brainstormed what to do with the space—possibly expanding seating for Pop Pie—but Gan’s pastry background and interest in ice cream turned the light bulb on. Steven says it was all an organic process and that if you have an idea, it’s all about how you make it yours. For Thanksgiving, they just announced their annual turkey pot pie. They’ve also begun a presale for their whole pies, which are going out pretty fast. They have five options: vegan apple crumble, salted caramel apple crumble, salted honey chess pie, honey bourbon pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. In Hot Plates, we have good news all around this week! There’s a new distillery and barbecue restaurant in Barrio Logan: ReBru and Hott Mess. Teriyaki &amp; Bao opened in Carlsbad Village right next door to Blue Ocean Sushi Bar, which is owned by the same company. They have lots of Instagrammable food—namely, bao that look like cartoon animals. In breakfast and brunch news, Fig Tree Cafe is opening in East Village on Sixth Avenue and G Street, taking over the spot where Double Standard was. In Two People for Takeout/Two People for $50, Troy makes his final ramen pick: the stone soup with brisket from The Whet Noodle. Marie celebrates California spiny lobster season with the lobster plate at Mitch’s Seafood, and Steven picks Soi 30th in North Park, recommending their papaya salad. Also in North Park, David goes with the pretzel grilled cheese at Pretzels and Pints.Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. Do you have a question for Troy? Need a recommendation for takeout? Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? Let us know! You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re too shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com. And if there’s another patio you think we should record on, let us know!

Welcome back to Happy Half Hour! Today’s special guest is Steven Torres, founder and CEO of Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s ice cream. Steven and his husband, Gan Suebsarakham, own the two shops in University Heights, which feature modern takes on American dessert staples: pie and ice cream. Leaning on his background in business and accounting, Steven handles the day-to-day operations and oversees all Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s locations, including expansion, menu development, and management. Steven walks us through the inspiration behind Pop Pie Co., their first business venture out of the two. When brainstorming what to focus their business on, the duo recognized that pot pie was a staple dish in a lot of cultures around the world but not in the US. Their strong desire to bring the classic dish to the states and present it in a different way led them to dream up Pop Pie Co. 	 Before pie and ice cream were even a thought in his mind, Steven was trying to navigate his solo move from his small hometown to San Diego. His first job was as a doorman and server at Bourbon Street Bar &amp; Grill, and he also worked the door at The Brass Rail, one of San Diego’s most popular gay bars. Although Steven says that it was intimidating at first, he had great experiences learning about the community and culture. In fact, it was his love for University Heights that ultimately led them to choose it as the location to start their business. The community there embraced them from day one, and the emotional goodwill they’ve experienced has been carrying them through the pandemic. Right now, Pop Pie Co. and Stella Jean’s have switched fully to counter service. Steven says they saw a trend toward instant gratification, that people value time as a determining factor of where to eat. With pies and ice cream, their businesses are geared up for that grab-and-go setup. The opportunity to start Stella Jean’s came when they were approached to take over the lease next door to Pop Pie. They brainstormed what to do with the space—possibly expanding seating for Pop Pie—but Gan’s pastry background and interest in ice cream turned the light bulb on. Steven says it was all an organic process and that if you have an idea, it’s all about how you make it yours. For Thanksgiving, they just announced their annual turkey pot pie. They’ve also begun a presale for their whole pies, which are going out pretty fast. They have five options: vegan apple crumble, salted caramel apple crumble, salted honey chess pie, honey bourbon pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. In Hot Plates, we have good news all around this week! There’s a new distillery and barbecue restaurant in Barrio Logan: ReBru and Hott Mess. Teriyaki &amp; Bao opened in Carlsbad Village right next door to Blue Ocean Sushi Bar, which is owned by the same company. They have lots of Instagrammable food—namely, bao that look like cartoon animals. In breakfast and brunch news, Fig Tree Cafe is opening in East Village on Sixth Avenue and G Street, taking over the spot where Double Standard was. In Two People for Takeout/Two People for $50, Troy makes his final ramen pick: the stone soup with brisket from The Whet Noodle. Marie celebrates California spiny lobster season with the lobster plate at Mitch’s Seafood, and Steven picks Soi 30th in North Park, recommending their papaya salad. Also in North Park, David goes with the pretzel grilled cheese at Pretzels and Pints. Thank you for listening! As always, we want to hear from our listeners. Do you have a question for Troy? Need a recommendation for takeout? Is there a guest you want us to book on the show? Let us know! You can call us at 619-744-0535 and leave a voicemail, or if you’re too shy, you can email us at happyhalfhour@sdmag.com. And if there’s another patio you think we should record on, let us know!

It’s Almost Time for Pumpkin Pie! We Chat with Steven Torres of Pop Pie and Stella Jean’s

The Italian-Haitian designer and the only Black member of Italy’s Camera della Moda speaks to BoF Editor-in-Chief about racism within the country’s fashion industry.LONDON, United Kingdom —  For designer Stella Jean, enough is enough. “It’s time to turn the page” and demand fashion reform, she said. Last month, alongside Milan-based designer Edward Buchanan, Jean issued letters to Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera della Moda, and to the organisation’s 14 executive members in what Jean described as “an historical appeal to bring to the forefront for the first time in our history, the paradoxical taboo topic of racism in Italy… and also to support Black designers who are still invisible in the business of Italian fashion.” In the latest episode of The BoF Podcast, Jean sat down with BoF Founder and Editor-in-Chief Imran Amed to share her personal history growing up the daughter of a Haitian mother and Italian father, discuss the systemic racism within Italy’s fashion sector and focus on fostering change.The self-taught designer, whose clothes have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna and Zendaya, called out fashion giants for making “performative gestures of public support” regarding racism in America, while simultaneously “overlooking what is happening to the Black minority in their own country among its workforce.” During the virtual call with Amed, Jean shared that she had received a letter from Capasa regarding the creation of a new unit in the Italian fashion council to tackle racism within the sector. Jean hopes that this will transform her question “do Black lives matter in Italian fashion?’” into the statement “Black lives matter in Italian fashion.”In order to effect change, fashion leaders and executives must have an open discussion about what more can be done to boost diversity within their organisations, Jean said. While brands rushed to post black squares on social media, Jean urged leaders to first address the lack of diversity within their corporate structures. “[Brands] have long preached multiculturalism but have rarely applied such concepts beyond the media window… [and] in the spaces away from the spotlight where no one is watching,” she said. “[This is a] wound that we have ignored for far too long… If you don’t understand that awareness is the first step in solving the problem, this wound will never heal.”For Jean, who founded the sustainable development initiative Laboratorio delle Nazioni, growing up in the 1980s “and struggling [with] being so diverse from [her] fellow citizens has motivated [her] to find a way to show people not to be afraid of different cultures and colours, but instead to see them… as a chance to grow better and together.” Jean recognises fashion as a tool that can offer fair and equitable opportunities for people in low-income countries. When Jean creates a collection she meets and works with various artisans in countries like Peru, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Mali or Pakistan for example, researching and learning about the local indigenous skills to then create a textile or garment, combining the country’s traditional craftsmanship with Italian design. “The beauty of fashion is it has no borders,” Jean said.Related Articles:  Op-Ed | Fashion Is Part of the Race Problem  Op-Ed | Inclusivity Demands More Than a Show  Fashion's New Stella Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Italian-Haitian designer and the only Black member of Italy’s Camera della Moda speaks to BoF Editor-in-Chief about racism within the country’s fashion industry.LONDON, United Kingdom —  For designer Stella Jean, enough is enough. “It’s time to turn the page” and demand fashion reform, she said. Last month, alongside Milan-based designer Edward Buchanan, Jean issued letters to Carlo Capasa, president of the Camera della Moda, and to the organisation’s 14 executive members in what Jean described as “an historical appeal to bring to the forefront for the first time in our history, the paradoxical taboo topic of racism in Italy… and also to support Black designers who are still invisible in the business of Italian fashion.” In the latest episode of The BoF Podcast, Jean sat down with BoF Founder and Editor-in-Chief Imran Amed to share her personal history growing up the daughter of a Haitian mother and Italian father, discuss the systemic racism within Italy’s fashion sector and focus on fostering change.<ul><li>The self-taught designer, whose clothes have been worn by the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna and Zendaya, called out fashion giants for making “performative gestures of public support” regarding racism in America, while simultaneously “overlooking what is happening to the Black minority in their own country among its workforce.” During the virtual call with Amed, Jean shared that she had received a letter from Capasa regarding the creation of a new unit in the Italian fashion council to tackle racism within the sector. Jean hopes that this will transform her question “do Black lives matter in Italian fashion?’” into the statement “Black lives matter in Italian fashion.”</li><li>In order to effect change, fashion leaders and executives must have an open discussion about what more can be done to boost diversity within their organisations, Jean said. While brands rushed to post black squares on social media, Jean urged leaders to first address the lack of diversity within their corporate structures. “[Brands] have long preached multiculturalism but have rarely applied such concepts beyond the media window… [and] in the spaces away from the spotlight where no one is watching,” she said. “[This is a] wound that we have ignored for far too long… If you don’t understand that awareness is the first step in solving the problem, this wound will never heal.”</li><li>For Jean, who founded the sustainable development initiative Laboratorio delle Nazioni, growing up in the 1980s “and struggling [with] being so diverse from [her] fellow citizens has motivated [her] to find a way to show people not to be afraid of different cultures and colours, but instead to see them… as a chance to grow better and together.” Jean recognises fashion as a tool that can offer fair and equitable opportunities for people in low-income countries. When Jean creates a collection she meets and works with various artisans in countries like Peru, Haiti, Burkina Faso, Mali or Pakistan for example, researching and learning about the local indigenous skills to then create a textile or garment, combining the country’s traditional craftsmanship with Italian design. “The beauty of fashion is it has no borders,” Jean said.</li></ul>Related Articles: <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/op-ed-fashion-is-part-of-the-race-problem" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"> Op-Ed | Fashion Is Part of the Race Problem</a> <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/inclusivity-demands-more-than-a-show" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"> Op-Ed | Inclusivity Demands More Than a Show</a> <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/fashions-new-stella" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"> Fashion's New Stella</a> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Stella Jean Asks ‘Do Black Lives Matter in Italian Fashion?’