In this episode of Coffee N°5, Lara Schmoisman sits down with Oliver Garfield, former COO and Co-President of Cos Bar, to explore how a family-founded Aspen beauty boutique grew into a luxury beauty retail powerhouse.
Oliver shares the story behind Cos Bar, founded by his mother, Lily Garfield, and explains what it really takes to scale a luxury beauty business without losing customer trust, brand identity, or financial discipline.
From building operational infrastructure and managing early-stage growth to retail education, brand positioning, wholesale strategy, and changing digital consumer behavior, this conversation offers practical insights for founders, investors, marketers, and anyone working in beauty or luxury retail.
Key Topics Covered
- How Cos Bar started in Aspen and evolved into a luxury beauty retailer
- What founders need to know about scaling operations and managing cash flow
- Why retail partnerships, sales education, and staff training matter
- How beauty retail is changing across DTC, wholesale, social media, and physical stores
- The difference between prestige and mass-market beauty strategies
- What Oliver looks for when evaluating early-stage brands and investments
- The role of beauty incubators, positioning, and capital efficiency in brand growth
About Oliver Garfield
Oliver Garfield is an experienced retail executive and investor who previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Co-President of Cos Bar, the luxury multi-brand beauty retailer founded by his mother, Lily Garfield.
Having grown up alongside the business, Oliver helped modernize Cos Bar’s operations, expand its retail presence, and develop scalable systems across both physical and digital channels. Today, he brings deep expertise in luxury retail strategy, operational growth, capital management, and early-stage brand development.
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