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There were plenty that did what she did when she started. We got to see the first or second collection she put out wholesale (remember @conceptual 4est ?) and, while very nice, already looked like what others were doing back then, including Tim at Pentimento, just slightly less whacky and more “tasteful”.I’ve never like Bode, but it does have a distinctive POV. I mean, by the Etsy argument, just seeing if similar items can be found there, any number of brands would not exist. The body of work has to be taken as a whole.
The prices are a separate discussion.
Picking fiftytwo showroom was a smart move because the brand got exposed to lots of contemporary fashion buyers and move away from the craftsy etsy vibe - and most importantly seed the clothes with the fashion intelligentsia. I am not sure how she did it - I’m guessing giving a lot away to the right people, but Bode quickly became a darling of the fashion press even though no one would buy any of it. With the right dose of PR and brand expansion, she managed to raise the profile of the brand and turn it into something that GQ and Vogue readers were forced to acknowledge. PR and placement on artists continued to push that narrative that this is really something. Then fashion awards, etc…
Her strength was never originality nor design genius. It is about picking the right messengers and mastering a very modern form of marketing. And being lucky, I guess.
Emily Bode is basically an average indie musician that got on the right music label and became a radio star. Kudos to her.