The Great Reset is the theme of the 29th WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit, which kicked off Tuesday at Cipriani South Street, as speakers focused on adapting to AI, building community and fandom, differentiating one’s brand, confronting the challenges and uncertainties of the industry, and moving brands forward while maintaining heritage.
Here are some of the highlights from Day One.
“Burberry has always been at its best when it balances the heritage with innovation. There’s that juxtaposition that’s woven through Burberry and even if I think about the Regent Street flagship, when we opened that store, it was all about balancing heritage and innovation. So I think you’ll see that the timeless British luxury brand expression remains. But now that we have laid the foundation, we have this opportunity to add layers of innovation and surprise and delight. We will continue to always be timeless but disrupting expectations.” — Josh Schulman, chief executive officer, Burberry
Josh Schulman
Patrick MacLeod/WWD
When Hillary Super joined Victoria’s Secret a little over two years ago, she said there was only so much she could see from the outside. “During the interview process, I could see that the brands had lost some of their luster. I could see that the brands had comingled in a lot of ways. You really couldn’t tell where one brand started and the other began. I could see we were not utilizing social and all of the modern marketing tools, and so there were many things I could see that I knew how to fix. But until you get into the business and really start to understand it, I was just so pleasantly surprised that I found an incredible team 30,000 people who deeply love the brand and what it stands for.” — Hillary Super, CEO, Victoria’s Secret
“When you think about where we’re at, we’re in our first year of executing against our new growth strategy. That’s really based on understanding and capturing our uniqueness in retail and showing up with who we are, being clear about who we are, how we show up for our guests and communities, and so on and so forth. And then when you look at merchandise authority, it’s really about having trend, differentiated assortment, delivering style, design and value across the totality of our assortment. So yes, it’s our own brands, it’s curated national brands, it’s limited-time offers and key partnerships. All those things are relevant.” — Daryl Glass, senior vice president, fulfillment and Last Mile, Target Corp.
“Opening stores globally has helped Moncler successfully move beyond its skiwear roots as it continues to expand its reach around the world. These stores, such as the company’s 23,680-square-foot flagship on Fifth Avenue in New York, offer the best physical representation of the company’s range of offerings, which include the Moncler Collection, the Grenoble high-performance mountain line, and the Genius, the collaborative offering.” — Remo Ruffini, executive chairman, Moncler Group
Remo Ruffini
Courtesy photo
“Obtaining the blessing of the fashion press is no longer an essential ingredient to growing a brand. Today, connecting with customers and creating strong relationships with retailers has replaced the impact that media used to have on establishing and expanding a business. It’s a safer, healthier and easier relationship.” — Christian Louboutin
“I hate focus groups, they kill ideas.” Instead, the company’s 21 stores provide all the insight needed for the company to fulfill its philosophy to provide the four Fs: fair price-value, functional pieces, flattering silhouettes and options that can last forever. — Clare Hornby, founder and CEO, Me+Em
“We have a bunch of really terrific brands right now. I think the customer is driving the growth and the product….You have to really be able to lean into your brands and tap into what the customer loves about you. We have a multigenerational customer, and so [we’re] really finding ways to appeal to them for the different times in their lives.” — Libby Wadle, CEO, J.Crew Group.
“Obviously the connection is key. You know we’re a brand that goes quite deep with our customer and established a real level of trust with her. And at the same time, we see ourselves as somewhat of a beauty brand within her wardrobe as well. So when I say a beauty brand, we are there to make her beautiful.” — Jonny Saven, CEO, L’Agence
Jonny Saven
Courtesy of L’Agence
Not everything needs to be complex. Instead, delivering an authentic and uncomplicated message can be just as effective. And this can work for something as elaborate as luxury fashion shows or the opening ceremonies for global events such as the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. “Simplicity can be super-cool and direct. That doesn’t mean it has to be cheap, it can be a beautiful statement.” — Marco Balich, chairman and creative director, Balich Wonder Studios SpA
The definition of value has changed over the years as the environment has evolved. “Value has been destroyed. It’s not just about product, but about mindshare and how it plays into [consumers’] daily lives.” This new definition has been applied to Kith’s ongoing retail expansion, a process that has led to the opening of 22 stores over the last 15 years, with two more slated for San Francisco and Washington, D.C., next year. — Ronnie Fieg, founder, CEO and creative director, Kith
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