Random fashion thoughts - Part II (A New Hope)

[Bam!ChairDance]

IIRC the previous product head was also a fashion industry veteran, but you could tell she was funneling the bulk of her creative effort into the women's side. Crossing fingers that the 'gender coolness asymmetry' was her own doing and not the fault of some deeply rooted company culture thing

 

[LA Guy]

I may be paraphrasing another "industry person" when I say this, but they are a technology startup whose commodity happens to be clothing; not a bunch of clothing designers who managed to create a slick website/business model. I don't think creative design is the goal. Of course, the former COS hire may indicate otherwise, which is why it's potentially interesting news.

This is pretty spot on.

I don't think that whether "creative design" is or is not a goal really makes sense in this paradigm though. If it's something that is useful for reaching and expanding their audience and increasing their revenue, is a better way of looking at it.

 

[LA Guy]

IIRC the previous product head was also a fashion industry veteran, but you could tell she was funneling the bulk of her creative effort into the women's side. Crossing fingers that the 'gender coolness asymmetry' was her own doing and not the fault of some deeply rooted company culture thing

Women's is 10x bigger than mens. Women are more trend and lifestyle driven, and turnover their clothing and accessories more, in additional to spending much more. Men are nerds who do things like inspect the construction of their clothing before putting stuff on.

Men email asking more questions than women, and are less likely to purchase, and when they do, they purchase less.

Draw your own conclusions.

 

[conceptual 4est]

this is a really scary post

Why do you say that? I don't think I sold them, as I have no record of it here or any photos of them in my "clothes for sale" folders, so I'm wondering if I maybe sold them to someone here that PM-d me. I know I didn't wear them at all last summer either, so it had to be a year before that which is why my memory is a little hazy.

If it's because it makes it sound like I have this massive unwieldy wardrobe that I would need to catalogue to understand, I don't. I keep my clothes in my apartment, but seasonal stuff I'll sometimes bring to and store in in my old closet at my parents' place (90 minute train ride away) just so it's out of the way for the season. It wasn't there when I last looked, so I figured I would ask here if I sold it to someone over PM or whatever.

 

[LA Guy]

Didn't realize you had all those company gonnegtions! You could have convinced them to take a few more chances with their menswear. I've gotten the sense that they're cautious to the point of silliness with the products they make for the fellas.

It's just a matter of experience. I work with a fair number of designers. And everyone tells me that they make awesome stuff, but that no buyers pick it up, and when they do, that it doesn't sell on the floor, or only sells at 80% off.

 

[Bam!ChairDance]



Draw your own conclusions.

All that is common knowledge at this point, but anyone who says it has to result in a soporific mens' offering just shows me they lack imagination

 

[el Bert]



what is it ?

No idea, just looked cool, so I felt it belonged here.

 

[LA Guy]

All that is common knowledge at this point, but anyone who says it has to result in a soporific mens' offering just shows me they lack imagination

You have to remember their audience and their competition. I could see them offering the same as, say, Uniqlo, but no one is going to Everlane to get statement pieces.

 

[brad-t]

it was just the fact that you had no idea where a piece was and weren't sure if you sold it that struck me as scary, don't read too much into it

 

[Bam!ChairDance]



You have to remember their audience and their competition.  I could see them offering the same as, say, Uniqlo, but no one is going to Everlane to get statement pieces.

And that's what frustrates me so much about Everlane-- as they expand their women's offering with creative, thoughtful products, the men's side continues to resemble a slightly elevated Uniqlo. Which really doesn't have to be the case. The SWD forum wouldn't exist if it was impossible for designers to make cashmoney designing menswear that was worthy of excitement (and I'm not even talking about statement pieces, just products that can't be mistaken for something off the rack at Macy's). It's just that Everlane exercises an absurd amount of caution when it comes to their male cleintele.

Hopefully, as competitors like Grana make the 'elevated basics' space more crowded, Everlane will see that pretty-good-if-a-little-boring isn't enough to keep their buzz alive, and that even among their existing male audience, there's room for products that are actually somewhat interesting.

 

[nahneun]



I've been looking for my Cosmic Wonder giant wrap-shorts things all summer, and can't find them anywhere.  Not at my place, not in storage at my parents', and now that it's getting hotter I'm in desperate want of them!

What I'm asking is, did I sell them at some point in the past to someone on here?  Or does anybody remember me listing them or someone buying them?

maybe your girlfriend has them?

 

[conceptual 4est]

Yeah, I felt the same after I posted it and got a little self-conscious about it, hence my big unnecessary defense

maybe your girlfriend has them?


We live together, but yeah, it's worth a shot to ask.

 

[gettoasty]

I thought about applying to Everlane once. I think they have some offices based in SF. Sounds like it could be a fun place, and I did think about whether I'd have enough influence to direct their men's line if only to just get them to be more imaginative or even just get the fit right on their clothing e.g. knitted jacket.

Is anyone aware if they have models for fittings during the design process? I feel like that's a given.

 

[LA Guy]

I thought about applying to Everlane once. I think they have some offices based in SF. Sounds like it could be a fun place, and I did think about whether I'd have enough influence to direct their men's line if only to just get them to be more imaginative or even just get the fit right on their clothing e.g. knitted jacket.

Is anyone aware if they have models for fittings during the design process? I feel like that's a given.

I can tell you that from what I know, it's all about the dollar bills, and about growth. It's a tech startup, NOT a designer brand. Investors want to see double digit growth, at least. That's a crucial difference.

 

[gettoasty]

I don't understand where the tech fits into their business model. Are they trying to streamline the wholesale process of business to customer retail and cut out the middleman? It seems like they are taking the production and distribution lead, which justifies the model as it drives down the cost some and in turn pass on the saving to customers. Perhaps they only have enough budget for one line and decided to focus on the bigger market. But I get B!CD's point, there still has to be some sort of creative process but it seems non-existent for the men's clothing line.

I always enjoy seeing their emails and get a little excited with new announcements, but it is also more or less filled with images of women modeling. =\