Roland Mouret, as part of his new partnership with Simon Fuller, is taking to the web to launch his new collection under the newly-founded RM label. With high-profile behind-the-scenes coverage of the collection’s unveiling at Couture Week on Net-a-Porter, we may be seeing the first evidence of Mr. Fuller’s influence and experience in having marketed such pop phenoms as the Spice Girls. He may not have fashion experience, but Fuller is a man who knows how to work with creative talent and get front-page attention.
What’s more, this coverage is actually going to be linked to sales to end customers. In a first for the fashion industry, the small 21 piece collection for Spring Cruise 2008 will be available for pre-ordering on Net-a-Porter as of 5:30pm London time tomorrow. Natalie Massenet, the luxury e-tailer’s co-founder, declared the online RM initiative a 21st Century trunk show. It’s another coup for Net-a-Porter which has been continuously innovating in the increasingly competitive online luxury retail fashion space.
That oft-ignored market for men’s luxury has been popping up on my radar screen a lot more often in the last few months. Up until now, men’s luxury spending has been dominated by expensive watches. But, as a generation of high net-worth men with a taste for modern design is growing up, more players are reaching out to meet their sophisticated needs in innovative ways.
It brings to mind a casual gathering of friends that took place in my kitchen on a recent Saturday evening. Over wine and cheese, I watched in awe as hedge fund managers, private equity investors and investment bankers from London’s burgeoning financial community were comparing, discussing and examining each other’s (expensive) watches in excruciating detail. Some were taking pride in the beautiful pearl dialfaces, others in the high-tech mechanics, and still others in having a Swiss watch brand that nobody else had heard of. Digits were exchanged. Prices were quoted. Statistics were cited. Still, it wasn’t so different from the groups of professional women I have seen cooing over their friend’s new Chloe bag. Could the same passion for those watches and handbags be transferred to cufflinks, tailor-made suits and high-tech men’s cosmetics?
Last week, Tom Ford launched his much-awaited menswear collection at a brand new New York flagship, where he provided personal tours to the fashion elite, including Bernard Arnault of LVMH and Cathy Horyn of the New York Times.
It seems that while Cathy was impressed, she didn’t necessarily understand the business rationale for Tom’s decision to focus solely on the most elite niche of the menswear market, i.e. men who are willing to spend upwards of $3000 on a suit. Tot top it all off, Ford has supplemented the purchase of the suit with a truly luxurious environment (read expensive capital expenditure and rent) to provide a truly unique tailoring experience.
Will Mr Ford be able to work his Gucci magic again? There is an interesting discussion speculating on this topic in the comments section of Cathy Horyn’s post.
While in New York this past week, I ended up in New York’s Bowery District several times, completely unknowingly and without any forward planning. People just invited me there for dinner or lunch at the very cool restaurant called Freemans and the sweet brunch spot called the Five Points Restaurant.
Once upon a time, The Bowery was home to high European culture and then was the centre of a grassroots movement of artists and musicians in America’s new melting pot in the late 1800’s. However, since the early 1900’s the area has languished as a skid row zone of brothels, run-down buildings and grime. Today, the Bowery remains one of the few areas in Manhattan yet to be gentrified and therefore has a feeling of authenticity and realness that I crave, especially in the context of the rest of the city, which can sometimes feel like it is is hurtling quickly towards a feeling of Disneyfied homogeneity.
The highlight of my Bowery visits, by far, was a visit to the Barking Irons (19th century slang for "pistols") studio, in the heart of the Bowery. Barking Irons is the creative offspring of two brothers, Daniel and Michael Cassarella, who have used a combination of the Bowery’s historical artistry and legends, beautiful design, and an appreciation for functional clothing that all guys can appreciate, to create a budding young business that deserves attention. Having secured important stockist relationships like Barney’s in New York and Isetan in Tokyo, they are beginning to get their message out.
Yet, I believe this is a brand with so much more potential than that. Up until now, Barking Irons have really been known for their graphic t-shirts, not least because of TV appearances on coveted chests of Hugh Laurie on House, Adrien Grenier on Entourage and Mathew Fox on Lost. And while the t-shirts are great, what really stood out to me were the ingenious jackets and hoodies with a twist. They have taken iconic American street clothes and twisted them so that the wearer knows they have something special on their backs. As Michael took me through the studio with its original dark wood flooring and passionately recounted the stories and history of the Bowery, and how it is manifested in their clothes and design, I saw so much more than t-shirts and streetwear.
This is a business with that rare authenticity that can form the essence of a real brand, with all of the meaning to last beyond trends and new competitors. And, they offer a lesson to all young designers that if you stick to the meaning behind what inspired you to set up your company in the first place, it is bound to shine through in your products, your workspace, and the way you communicate what your brand is all about.
Sellouts need not apply.
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Daniel giving me the scoop on some of the 19th century spoons that form the inspiration for the new BI jewelery collection. Cool tuxedo detailing on a soft cotton shirt. An original costume from the Gangs of New York. A full view of the back of the studio. The original Dutch spelling of Brooklyn on a BI t-shirt. Barking Irons riffs on the classic hoodie and plaid work shirt. Some more Barking Irons T-shirt graphics. I have put in an order for this jacket
The end of fashion week/market week/selling season for A/W 2007 can only mean one thing: private sales from emerging fashion designers from London, Paris and New York.
Malini Murjani, the New York based handbag designer known for her exotic skins and ethnic chic, is holding a private trunk show next week for her exclusive private client list. Check out her website. It is hot. Afshin Feiz recently held a trunk show in London. As of next season, Afshin, who is based in Paris and has been showing in New York up until now, will have his London debut, joining the ranks of many upcoming designers who see London as a potential launchpad. Osman Yousefzada, is one such designer. He has been showing London for several seasons now has a new shared space with Jenne O, known for her sexy shoes, on Québec St, just north of Oxford Street in Central London. Osman and Jenne will be hosting a gallery opening later this month, and will also take the opportunity to have a sample sale. This is not only a good way to gain additional revenues. It is also one way that many emerging designers help to fund their production needs. By providing a lucky few with the ability to order next season’s collections in advance at wholesale prices or by selling samples from previous seasons, designers can use the money to pay their suppliers for their production needs. This helps to cover the production costs of some of the orders from department stores and major boutiques who are often reluctant to put down a deposit (sometimes because they fear they will never see the orders, sometimes because they just have so much power over these small companies that they can do whatever they want).
For all of you budding young designers based in America, the CFDA has officially begun its annual search for America’s most promising young designers. Each year, the CFDA awards a $200,000 grant to the winner, along with mentoring from a recognised fashion business guru as part of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Past winners include the intelligent and talented Doo-Ri Chung (looking super glam in this ad) who is mentored by J.Crew’s legendary Mickey Drexler and the refined-beyond-their-years Proenza Schouler design duo, Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez, who were mentored by Burberry’s impressive former CEO, Rose Marie Bravo.
This is a really great initiative from the CFDA and other venerable fashion names like Barneys New York and Vogue. That said, I have one suggestion to make it even more powerful. I believe the CFDA should supplement the business mentoring and cash with a requirement and access to funding for the winning designers to find a suitable day-to-day business partner/advisor. While mentoring from an experienced fashion business executive is priceless, it does not make up for daily support and partnership.
I have made this point before, but so many young designers try to do everything on their own, and this means they deal with areas where they might not have any formal training or expertise. One look at the long list of established designers who have relied on business parters to act as thought partners on day-to-day decisions and to share the workload, shows that this is a real pattern of success in the industry. Marc Jacobs (who has Robert Duffy), Miuccia Prada (has always worked with her husband Patrizio Bertelli), Tom Ford (who with Domenico De Sole turned Gucci around from a fuddy duddy backwater brand), Giorgio Armani (Sergio Galeotti worked with Armani for years before he passed away), Valentino (Giancarlo Gianetti is still his business partner, even if he is no longer his life partner), and Derek Lam (Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann) have all shown that this tandem approach can help to get the business off the ground properly, allowing the designer to focus more on the creative aspects of the business.
This ad above, from today’s WWD, lays out all of the requirements and the application procedure. Good luck!
The term “business plan” is casually bandied about like a hot potato in the studios of emerging fashion designers. Everyone knows you need one, but still, so few emerging design businesses take the time upfront to properly plan for their success. I use these words intentionally. Success is very rarely accidental. Sure, we all benefit from some good luck from time to time, but real success can only come through hard work and good planning. For this, a business plan is critical.
So, what is a business plan for? Many people think that the primary purpose is to secure funding – i.e. loans from banks or cash from investors. And while this is certainly one important objective, it is not the most important one.
The truth is, the business plan is, above all else, for you: the person or people who will drive the business forward. It is the document that lays out your vision and objectives. It is your roadmap for how you think it should evolve and grow to achieve this vision. It contains the budget and projections for how your business will manage is finances and fund growth. It is the document that helps you decide what to do, and just as importantly, what not to do. It is a living, breathing document that you should use to measure your progress, while still being willing to adapt it to reflect new insights, unexpected competitive threats, and changes in your business environment. In short it is like your company bible – except that this is a bible you can adapt as you go along.
Selfridges in London held an event tonight celebrating the launch of a new Surreal Things exhibit at the Victoria & Albert museum. Anyone walking down Oxford Street over the past week has probably seen the designer windows commissioned by the Oxford Street emporium, showing the creative work of Victor & Rolf and John Galliano, among others. [If you haven't seen the windows, you can see photos of them on Susie Bubble's site]. Another window has been designed by the dynamic duo of Rich and Phil, also known as Rodnik, who were the real stars of tonight’s launch event.
I first met the Rodnik guys during New York Fashion Week in September 2006. I had been introduced to them via email by a business mentor of theirs, Maria Stammers, from the Portobello Business Centre in London. I had been exchanging text messages to arrange a meeting with Rodnik during Fashion Week in New York, but when I spotted two guys after the Peter Som show in cool webbed black wool cardigans with matching peach-coloured ties and that je-ne-sais-quoi English dandyism, I knew it was them. I tapped Rich on his shoulder and asked if they were Rodnik. At the time, they looked amused that someone would actually recognise them (or, at least, had heard of them). When I explained that I was the one whom Maria had referred, any awkwardness disappeared and we nipped off for an afternoon coffee in Bryant Park where I learned all about their budding business and their vision for where they wanted to take it.
Since then, we have kept in touch regularly and I have watched as they have faced various business challenges (Production!), declared major fashion victories (Barneys! French Vogue! Lily Cole!), and shared their charm with the fashion world (Anna Wintour! Karl Lagerfeld! Julie Gilhart!), who have simply fallen head over heels for these two quintessential non-designer designers. With their brilliant marketing skills (Parasols! Spoof fashion show! FT Column!) they have built the beginnings of a brand.
Their latest adventure has been to put together an entourage/band/posse that includes the illustrious Peaches Geldof, maven of the London social scene (although Rich says posses are for cowboys not rockstar fashion designers). Tonight the Rodnik band gave its debut "concert" at Selfridges and the guys put on an inspired performance in line with evening’s surreal theme using a miniature piano, a child-sized set of drums, an old school record player pumping out The Doors and for lead singer, a mannequin with a top hat dressed in Rodnik . The entourage provided requisite levels of vocal support and cool factor throughout while the photogs were all leaning into capture the moment.
Does this sound like a luxury fashion label? Well no, not really. But it is brilliant marketing and will continue to weave interesting stories around which the Rodnik lifestyle brand will be built.
Does this story sound familiar? A supermodel in her early thirties has the whole country watching her all the time. Her image peeks back at you from every magazine you open up. She is the face of everything from soap to high-end couture. She has the effortless international cool chic that every other woman in the country wants to emulate, and that every man wants a piece of. Young disciples around the country wait with baited breath to see her upcoming collections, which will take her signature cool and make it available to the masses.
No, she is not Kate Moss. Nor is she Milla Jovovich. Welcome to wonderful world of Vaneeza Ahmad, aka Vinnie, Pakistan’s most famous supermodel and one of its leading actresses. Vaneeza and her boyfriend Shehryar also happen to be good friends of mine in Karachi. I was very excited to hear that Vaneeza has recently launched a collection of "lawn prints", banking on her celebrity reputation, business acumen and creative skills to take her career to new heights.
The collection bucks the Pakistani tendency to focus on the elite couture market that is out of reach for most average consumers. By working on a collection of printed fabrics that are beautiful, well-made and accessibly priced, Vaneeza is able to reach a wide audience, staking her position as one of the proponents of the democratisation of fashion in Pakistan, a trend we have seen take hold in much of the West over the last 10 years. But, don’t expect Vaneeza to stop there. She will continue modeling, acting and expanding her V9 collection to include a full collection of RTW and homewares, building one of Pakistan’s first true lifestyle brands.
Here are some publicity images from the V9 collection which was unveiled in a series of exhibitions across Pakistan this month:
All photos are copyright Vaneeza Ahmad and were taken by Zoobs.
Yes, this blog is a commentary on the Business of Fashion. But, it is also a blog, more generally, on how you can take artistic and creative ideas and channel them in a way that is economically sustainable (and commercially lucrative) over the long term; how you can make the worlds of creativity and commerce co-exisit and feed off of each other harmoniously, without worrying about "selling out." Yes there is always a tension between the creatives and the corporates, but if the right balance is struck, the results can be magical.
For example, when John Galliano takes his fantastical ideas from Haute Couture origami and oriental dreams and declines them for his RTW show in a way that is sumptuous, beautiful and (just slightly) more accessible to a larger audience, he understands the realitities of the business, but does not compromise his creative energy for this. He just finds a way for them to co-exist. In this way, the high costs of designing and showing a couture collection are justified not only by the brand-building and awareness of the Dior brand that comes from these spectacles, but also because his couture collection acts as a creative playground from where he can take the most extreme creative ideas and then use the same raw material to adapt them for RTW, fragrance and accessories which are huge money makers.
Today, I was reading an article from the New York Times on one of my favourite Indie bands, The Arcade Fire whose balance of creative and business sense, one could argue, is equally astute as Galliano’s. I first came to hear of the band through word of mouth a few years ago from friends in Montreal and New York. Intrigued, I showed up outside the venue for Arcade Fire’s intimate sold-out European debut concert in a tiny venue at King’s College in central London, without a ticket in hand. With a bit of patience and some luck, I managed to snag a ticket from someone who had an extra one to sell and walked into this concert, knowing almost nothing about the band. There was a palpable sense of expectation in the air. The room was filled with important European music industry execs who wanted to see what all of the trans-Atlantic fuss was all about, hard-core fans who had been following the band’s progress on blogs and music media like NME and pitchforkmedia.com, and many former Montrealers like me who wanted to share in the excitement of a homegrown Montreal talent creating waves in the global music industry. I walked away that night knowing I had witnessed a magical creative moment.
Since then, The Arcade Fire have gone on to play sell-out shows all over the world, their debut album Funeral has sold 750,000 copies, and they now count Bono and David Bowie among their biggest fans. Not bad for a bunch of former McGill University students who were signed up to an independent record label. Expectations have therefore been even higher for their second album Neon Bible. which comes out on March 6th.
The Times article today struck a chord (really, I swear, no pun intended) with me as it was clear from the article that it is not only their creative talent and vision that has propelled them to success. It is also their common sense approach to business, aptitude for marketing and PR (while still remaining somewhat mysterious), and the strong collaborative and consensus driven leadership style of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne.
First, the common sense. This isn’t a band that went on alcohol-binge-benders bashing up hotel rooms and burning through cash like the paper it is. This is a band that paid for the recording of its own albums, bought a studio-cum-Church to record its second album, retained rights to its master recroding and brand, and then licensed it to music companies Merge and Universal. Furthermore, they are constantly pushing the creative envelope (another similarity to Galliano) but do so in way that is still reasonable (which Galliano has learned though the year). For example, they shipped themselves off to Budapest to work with a 60 piece orchestra there because it was more financially realistic to do so than doing the same in North America. In short, they have kept control of their affairs, their cash, and themselves so that they can shape their creative output in a way that is consistent with their values and insipiration, but that also allows them to reap financial rewards. To be clear, these are not ascetic idealist types who think that commercial success somehow invalidates the value of their creative success. They have found a way to be comfortable with both.
When it comes to marketing, these guys have combined the use of edgy new media and traditional mainstream media platforms to create a huge profile and awareness of their music and brand. First, they seize the zeitgeist of their target audience and deliver marketing messages that resonate because they are authentic and true to what Arcade Fire stands for. As the NYT article points out, instead of a ‘professional’ marketing strategy for their new album they produced instead an iMovie for distribution on YouTube, complete with a toll-free 1-800 hotline number for fans to call in to hear material from the new album. What the article fails to mention is that their professional marketing strategy has also been built on venerable media outlets like TIME Magazine and the New York Times reporting on the band’s curious modus operandi and cult following as a cultural interest piece, while at the same time giving them another important audience to reach: the audience who will pay for their music because it is perceived as cool and hip by those in the know. Broad media coverage like this is priceless, but the band manages to do it without losing their creative edge. To top it all off, their penchant for theatrics is not just a little similar to Galliano’s use of spectacle and fantasy in his runway shows. Both Galliano and the Arcade Fire understand that conjuring up and delivering dreams that people want to be part of is always the making of great marketing.
Finally, they also seem to have the management of their ever-growing cast of musicians and complex business affairs under control. And, while its seems that the band is driven by consensus and shared values of what feels right and consistent with what Arcade Fire is about, there is also clear leadership in place in the form of Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. Butler strikes me as a visionary leader who knows where he wants to take things and inspires others to come along with him. Regine pushes people to test the limits of their creative energy and this brings the most out of her bandmates. Even if the results arent always spectacular, she encourages risk-taking. At a recent London show that didnt go off as they wanted, she improvised and brought the audience outside the concert venue and fired up one of their hits from the first album. Leadership in innovation, clarity and vision is something this band has in spades.
And so, I think Arcade Fire is a great case study for any young designers who want to be true to their creative selves while still recognise the need for commercial success. You can check out a video of their impromptu performance in London’s Porchester Hall lobby below to witness the almost religous fervour that captivates the audience as they launch into one of Arcade Fire’s best songs from the first album. If you look carefully you can see Coldplay’s Chris Martin amongst the Arcade Fire faithful.
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