Creating An Iconic Brand
What we learned about fashion and business from Badgley Mischka
We’re gearing up for an exciting week in NYC where we’ll attend Badgley Mischka’s upcoming fashion show. The people behind the Badgley Mischka brand have taught us some interesting lessons about both fashion and business that we wanted to break down.
But before we get to that, let’s start at the beginning. Badgley Mischka is a luxury lifestyle brand created by lead American designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka, who weave a hint of glamour into every collection. As the brand prepared to celebrate its 30th year, it was the perfect time to reflect on its rich history and determine a direction for the future.
Bruxton worked with the Badgley Mischka team to develop a brand strategy that helped define the core essence of the brand and give it a platform to continue growing. Throughout the discovery process, the Badgley Mischka team learned about their brand through a different lens, while the Bruxton team learned some valuable lessons about building a powerful brand.
We’re breaking down these key discoveries here:
- Stay true to yourself. When Mark and James started the company in 1988, the fashion world was flooded with streetwear trends. That didn’t stop them from launching glamorous evening wear collections that were inspired by 1940s Hollywood. From day one, they knew who they were, what they wanted to do, and what they did well so they owned that. 30 years later, the brand continues to stay true to its roots and still doesn’t care about temporary trends.
2. Be a good person. We talked to a lot of different people about the brand throughout the discovery process. They all mentioned the same thing: Mark and James are good people. Whether someone worked with them for years or met them for five minutes, everyone felt the lead designers were genuine, personable, and easy to work with. This stuck out to us because you simply don’t hear fashion designers, CEOs, or other execs being described as good people. So does being a good person in business really matter? Our answer is yes. Being good people has created a family environment within the Badgley Mischka office, which allows people the freedom to express themselves, feel comfortable, and be confident within their craft. This ultimately leads to creating the best possible designs and products that make customers feel great. Therefore, you can be a great leader but you can still be a good person too.
3. Roll with the punches. Change is inevitable in business. Badgley Mischka knows this truth through the many transitions with ownership. Several years ago, Mark and James decided to buy the company back along with three inspiring female partners, which includes Christine, Lara, and Kim. This dream team experienced both the good and bad that comes with every business but they continue to move forward as a united team. Regardless of what successes have come along the way, they are humble and always hungry to produce the best collections possible. They also remember to have some fun along the way.
4. Every detail matters. Whether picking fabrics or picking your team, the brand believes that everything (whether big or small) matters in life. You have to treat everything with great importance and care to ensure you are producing the best quality relationships, collections, and experiences. This outlook inspires everything the brand touches. Though this often means dedicating more time to certain things, the only thing that matters in the end is producing something special.
These findings helped us learn more about the Badgley Mischka, how we see Bruxton, and how we see ourselves. We hope these lessons are helpful and can help inspire the way you look at the world.
Want to follow us to the Badgley Mischka Fashion Show? Make sure to follow Bruxton on Instagram and Facebook on Feb. 7th to get your behind the scenes look.
