Michael Buckley, chief executive officer of True Religion, is on his second tour of duty at the denim-based brand and knows better than anyone its history of highs and lows.
is positioned far differently from its launch 20 years ago, and according to CEO Buckley, it’s in a better place, casting a wider net.
In the following Q&A, Buckley discusses how the brand has changed, what makes it distinctive and what’s in the works to grow the business. The lesson learned here is that the key to longevity in the fashion business is to evolve, as demographics, lifestyles and the competitive landscape change. That’s true even with denim, a mainstay in casual wardrobing that never runs out of style.
When I came back here, I saw how the brand changed dramatically. I really knew that the brand still had just tremendous cache with the audience. But you have to know your customer and the customer evolved here, call it from [Nov. 12, 2010] to present. I saw that, and unfortunately other people at the helm did not see that. The strategy needed to change. The sourcing needed to change. The retail footprint needed to change. The wholesale business needed to change. Nothing changed.
The brand has evolved. It’s not the Neiman’s or Saks customer of years ago. It’s men and women, ages 15 to 60, African American, Latino, Asian, white — all races. It’s a much bigger audience. Based on research we’ve done, it’s lower incomes today, with an average household income of about $65,000. Quite honestly, that’s the American average. But it’s 150 million strong in that demographic.: We have 4 million-plus in our database, which is much larger than it’s ever been. It’s grown every year.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
From pariah to fixture, BYU’s Jerusalem Center does no missionary work but does convert Latter-day SaintsThe center provides important services to the community - concerts, lectures, humanitarian projects and is open free of charge for workshops and conferences.
Read more »
Tell us what you think about these Utah sports venue namesAs Real Salt Lake’s stadium gets changed to America First Field, we wondered what you think of the new names (both past and present) of Utah sports venues, so we created a ranking system for you to rank the names.
Read more »
The Fantasy Behind Queen Elizabeth II’s Reign.IChotiner speaks with the historian Simon Schama about Queen Elizabeth II’s life, whether the monarchy really is apolitical, as its proponents often claim, and how the British people are likely to view their new head of state.
Read more »
How the Emma Corrin, Harry Styles drama 'My Policeman' tells a timely story of queer loveDirected by Michael Grandage and premiering at the Toronto Film Festival, 'My Policeman' is a reminder of the dangers of the recent past.
Read more »
In the Holy Land, a place divided by religion, we discover how it is — and isn’t — like LDS UtahHow does Utah compare to the Holy Land? Both have Jordan Rivers, both have dead seas and both have some similar terrain. Both also have a predominant faith. But there are big differences between the two places.
Read more »