Ali Kriegsman
Co-Founder, Bulletin
Co-founder of wholesale marketplace, Bulletin and author of How to Build a Goddamn Empire, Ali Kriegsman is also one of the most open and welcoming people we know. We spent an afternoon in her Brooklyn apartment drinking a chai-coffee blend and interrupting a dog play date.
HOW DO YOU STYLE YOUR INDUSTRY STANDARD PIECES?
I love absolutely nothing more than a cozy tee and a pair of comfortable but flattering jeans, and IS has both. In the fall, I plan to pair my tees with my oversized All Saints leather jacket, a colorful or bold pant and a muted bootie. With the IS denim, I think a loose-fitting button down white shirt with piles of gold jewelry is a total vibe!
HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED IN THE ERA OF COVID?
Bulletin’s wholesale marketplace makes it easy for retailers to discover and shop the best brands and products for their online or offline storefront. For all the reasons above, when COVID hit, we knew we were smack-dab in the middle of the storm. It threw a wrench into our growth plans and we immediately adjusted our work to focus on helping our brands and retailers emerge from this crisis. We are out of the woods now and our business has rebounded beautifully, which serves as a testament to how resilient our small business community truly is.
DO YOU HAVE A STYLE ICON?
Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct. Jessica Simpson on her most recent book tour (she wore this vegan pink leather and fur getup that had me salivating). Rihanna because she sets all the trends but her style is truly distinct and all her own. 1990s early 2000s Gwen Stefani. And Maddy from Euphoria :-) I am all about a fun blend of tomboy and femme, I poppy textures like leather, fur or shine, and I’m not afraid of color or going a bit over-the-top.
MID-RISE OR HIGH WAISTED JEANS?
High-waisted. I like how it makes my booty look :-)
BOYFRIEND OR SKINNY JEAN?
Boyfriend all the way - I love a loose fit. I feel like I graduated from skinny jeans post-covid. I need room to breathe and move!
WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Gattaca! Oh my god, so good. I love Uma Thurman. She’s such a classic, captivating movie star. I am a total nerd for all things outer space, extraterrestrial, sci-fi. It had it all. The movie is about the future of genetic engineering and how it affects society at-large and creates a whole new caste system around the world. It’s not the best movie you’ll ever watch but it suits the craving if you’re looking for something entertaining and a little heady.
IF YOU COULD ONLY HAVE ONE THING EMBROIDERED ON A TEE WHAT WOULD IT SAY?
“giving up” is not a thing.
WHAT IS SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU?
I present as extremely confident, self-assured and extroverted but I feel extreme waves of indecision, insecurity and feeling “lost.” I am constantly talking down to myself and worrying I’m not enough, I’m not successful enough, I don’t have enough momentum. Literally Bulletin can hit its sales goals 3 months in a row and I’ll come up against the 4th month like, “it’s not going to happen. This is where we fall.” I am working on it, as we all are, but I definitely sense people assume I don’t struggle with those voices or thoughts.
WHAT’S THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?
They Wish They Were Us, by Jessica Goodman, a friend who was a year above me in college! It’s a YA Thriller about a prep school murder and it was the perfect summer read. GO BUY IT!
WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU COOKED?
I used a Madras Curry simmer sauce and sautéed some onions, potatoes, green peppers and rotisserie chicken and put it over a bed of farro. I love Indian food and use a lot of Patak products for Instant Pot meals or sautés!
WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?
I love nothing more than guzzling down a whole pint of Halo Top, watching Selling Sunset and entering a dark hole where I don’t have to think or move.
WHAT DON’T YOU DO?
I don’t put people down. I don’t listen to my gut as much as I should. I don’t say “no” as much as I should. I don’t call my mom enough. I don’t floss. Does anyone actually floss?
WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU GOOGLED?
“Outdoor drinks happy hour Clinton Hill.”