Table of Contents

Preface

1. Once Upon a Time: Brand/Story
Fashion and Popular Culture: Interview with Jessica Strübel
What Is Fashion Versus Style?
What Is Fashion Branding?
Public Relations Branding: Interview with Anne Peirson-Smith
Fashion Branding and Storytelling
The Goals of this Book
Moving Beyond Fashion Brand Stories
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

2. The Past, Present, and Future: A Conceptual Overview
Postmodernism, Philosophy, and Theory
Putting It All Together: Rhetorical Fashion, Encoding/Decoding, and Hyperreality
Postmodern Branding Semantics
Hypermodernism and Fashion Forms
Meaning and Individual Style
Branding and Consumer Theories
Context, Consumers, and Meaning
Future Consumption of Brands: Interview with Lorynn Divita
Cultural Branding Theories
Storytelling and Success Brands
Lifestyle Merchandising and Emotional Meanings
Scouting Future Fashion and Patterns: Interview with Krista Lowther
Shifting Views and Consumers Speaking Out
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

3. Democratization of Merchandising: Ralph Lauren
History of a Merchandiser
The Polo Line
Films and Fragrance
Redefining the Lifestyle and Going Global
Luxury Branding: Interview with David Loranger
The Empire Grows
Ralph Lauren Home, Out of Africa, and the New York Flagship Store
From Exotic Fragrances to the Rugby Store
Innovation and Scrutiny
Philanthropy and Stardom
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

4. Rebel Brand Style: Vivienne Westwood
A Marriage of Music and Fashion
Queer and Punk Influence on Brands: Interview with Marvin Taylor
Life Changes and Growth
God Save the Planet: A Focus on Philanthropy
Street Style Success and Subcultural Leadership
What Will the Future Hold?
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

5. A Designer of Branded Occasions: Vera Wang
Vera Wang: Wedding Expert and Role Model
Who Is Vera Wang?
Vera Wang’s Branding Story
Fashioning Personal Brand Success: Interview with Amanda Buchanan
Wang Builds Her Brand Name
Vera Wang’s Mass Merchandising
The Career Continues
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

6. The Branding of Masstige: The Gap, Inc.
Gap History and the Sweat Wall
New Fashion Gatekeeping: Individuals of Style and Everyone in Khaki
Branding Mass Fashion and Off-Price Retail: Interview with Nancy Mair
Into the Twenty-First-Century Groove
Labor Controversy and Change
Moving Forward
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

7. Celebrity Collaborations and Philanthropy: MAC
History of Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder Today
Branding Sneakers: Interview with Sean Williams
Makeup Art Cosmetics: MAC
Philanthropic Branding with a Twist: VIVA GLAM
Celebrity Endorsement, Collaborations, and Genderless Boundaries
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

8. Retro-Branding: Levi Strauss & Co.
History of Levi Strauss & Co.
Denim Overalls Become Blue Jeans
Street Style Influence: Interview with Brent Luvaas
Making Statements: 501 Jeans and Brand/Story
Sales, Strategy, and a Return to Heritage
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

9. Branding Affordable Eyecare: Warby Parker
The Eyeglasses Market
Luxottica
Silhouette International and Viva International
Marchon and Safilo
Charmant, Marcolin, and De Rigo
A Branding King of Retail Operations: Interview with Michael J. Edwards
Doing Things Differently: Warby Parker
Warby Parker Moving Forward with Vision
Falling from B Corp Status
COVID-19: Being There for Consumers
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

10. Rebranding American Manufacturing: Shinola
History of Shinola
The Product Line and Education
Watches
Paper Journals: Edwards Brothers Malloy, Michigan
Bicycles: Waterford Precision Cycles, Wisconsin
Shinola Jewelry, Leather Goods, and Pet Accessories
Sustainable Design and Branding: Interview with Chris Baeza
Shinola Controversy
“Bougie Crap” and Diversification
Discussion Questions
Expand Your Knowledge
Further Exploration

Promotional Information

An entertaining introduction to fashion branding through 10 case studies, including Ralph Lauren, Tiffany's, Levi's, Urban Outfitters and The North Face.

About the Author

Joseph H. Hancock II is a professor at Drexel University, USA. He has worked in management, branding, merchandising, and leadership for landmark companies, including The Gap, The Limited Corporation, and Target Corporation. He is principal editor for the journal Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, and co-editor of The Fashion Business Reader (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2019).

Reviews

You don't have to follow fashion to enjoy Fashion Brand Stories ... Reading feels like strolling along a sparkling shopping corridor as Hancock explains how retailers gain prominence, revealing the strategy and mythology behind what we see in the windows.
*Broad Street Review*

A unique overview of how brands develop, and whether their stories authentically evolve or are cleverly designed.
*Dr. Karen Cross, Academic Strategic Lead in the School of Creative and Cultural Business, Robert Gordon University, UK*

Fashion Brand Stories is an insightful text for anyone who wishes to understand the importance of design, critical cultural theory, and storytelling as methods of creating fashion brands and a must for creatives and business professionals, who will benefit from its engaging views on consumer brand culture.
*Dr. Vicki Karaminas, Professor of Fashion, Massey University, New Zealand*

Dr. Hancock gives the reader a book suffused with contemporary (and well-known) brand stories as an engaging introduction to key concepts in fashion and apparel studies.
*Dr. Jessica Strübel, Associate Professor, Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design, The University of Rhode Island, USA*