How Yesterday’s Successful Brands Can Be Today’s Heroes

There are many brands that were huge successes in the past, only to have faded into the history books. I am thinking of once popular brands like Banana Republic, Benetton, Esprit, The Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch
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, J. Crew, Express
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, Victoria Secret, and many others. Is there a future for any of them? What can revive their growth?

Some of the companies were led by merchandising geniuses. Mickey Drexler, for one, created a look for young people that was compelling at two of these former power brands. Over the course of several years, he launched one collection after another that kept store traffic coming. Drexler’s tenures at Gap and J. Crew proved to be invaluable. His creativity was unique, and he surrounded himself with amazingly talented people. There was also a whole group of talented designers at Benetton under Luciano’s direction. Men like Also Palmieri, Carlo Bara and many others are also in my faded Rolodex.

There are ways to revive companies. Tapping into nostalgia can work. Young people often like merchandise that makes a connection to positive times from the past and happily spend their money on it. Gap sold 1969 styles well, but any attempt to bring out 1970 styles fizzled. People do not want to remember tough times; the 1969 branding recalled a distinctively upbeat vibe among the young while the 1970s have never evoked the same feelings.

I still remember the Safari Jeeps in Banana Republic windows. The casual clothes displayed with them were distinctive and unique. Before my trip to Kenya, there was a “must have” stop at Banana Republic. Those days are gone.

A recent comment by Cathaleen Chen for The Business of Fashion points to some other unique actions that have been taken in recent years to revive some companies. She described actions of Ana Andjelic who briefly joined Banana Republic as Chief Brands Officer in 2021. While there, she made a decision to revive the safari look and that action resulted in an uptick in sales. To accomplish this, Andjelic broke down the internal silos across the organization that were working separately. and made sure that everyone knew what everyone else was doing. That sparked more creativity and collaboration.

Breaking down internal silos was also her task when she joined Abercrombie & Fitch to assist CEO Fran Horowitz and help run that company. In this case, the different silos were housed in separate buildings for planning, design, and merchandising. Combining the three teams resulted in more imaginative thinking and greater collaboration.

Andjelic is now working as Chief Brands Officer of Esprit. There, she is planning the company’s first full collection to arrive in the Spring of 2024. So far, her new management team has been featuring pieces familiar to shoppers who remember Esprit’s heyday geometric prints, bright hoodies, and structured jackets, “You release the archives once, and then you move on after that.” Andjelic said. “Brands are living, breathing things that need to change all the times.”

POSTSCRIPT: There are many ways to renew the growth of a company. Fresh, cutting edge designs, innovative products, or new colors always attract attention. A collaborative team spirit also helps produce a better quality end result. Working side by side, as described above, can generate new ideas. Bringing in new designers to add new energy to the next fashion line also works sometimes as well. Bottom line, reviving a brand demands that the leadership of a company think ahead and constantly look for ways to produce the most exciting new designs. There may be very few Mickeys Drexler’s out there, but a lot of men and women who try to do their best are working hard to keep brands thriving.