Britton Marketing & Design Group’s Vice President of Specialty Retail Addresses Design, Business, and the Realities of the Marketplace
Molly Reddish is one of the newest members of the Britton Marketing & Design Group staff, joining the agency in November as vice president of specialty retail. Her unique insights into branding, product development, and visual communication are just a few of the strengths the agency will call on as Molly works with current and prospective clients.
Molly brings extensive experience in product development and sourcing to her new position. Before joining BMDG she was director of development, production, and sourcing for children’s apparel company Matilda Jane Clothing. Prior to that, she was senior director of product development at Vera Bradley, where she headed up product development teams for the company’s handbag, fashion accessories, paper and gift, rolling luggage, and eyewear lines. Earlier in her career, Molly worked in brand licensing for John Deere and in sourcing for Nike, where she developed a manufacturing strategy for seven business groups in the men’s apparel division. She also has been a global planning/sourcing manager for Target, and she spent time in Indonesia with P.T. Texmaco, where she was tasked with creating a garment division for the large textile mill.
A degree in merchandising management coupled with an impressive background in manufacturing, retail, and product development give Molly a broad perspective on the delicate balance between design and business. She shared some thoughts on this and other topics in a recent conversation.
Q: What first sparked your interest in design?
Molly: When I was in school, I had a passion for both business and design. As a student, I simply wanted to help people dress better. Now we have shows such as What Not to Wear, which I adore, but back then I felt that so many people could do so much better with how they present themselves to the world! You could argue that some just needed a full-length mirror, but really, the world needed my help — or so I thought.
Q: What courses did you take that reflected that range of interests?
Molly: The courses I took [at Michigan State University] were a mix of design/ textiles/sewing and statistics/accounting/marketing/retail buying. In order to be successful, you really need a good fusion of skills from the left and right brain. The balance of courses I took really helped my transition from college classroom to the realm of buying and product development. But my friends who majored in fashion design weren’t directed toward or didn’t want to take business courses. I honestly believe this put them at a disadvantage when they jumped into the real world.
When fashion-design education is focused too heavily on pushing the limits of creativity, graduates can end up unprepared to solve problems. For example, if your first job is as an assistant designer for a moderate sportswear company, that problem solving might focus more on getting the on-brand look to market at a reasonable cost and less on pushing the customer into a new hemline. In your first position out of school, you have to prove your worth as a commercial designer. You need to be willing to put your personal taste aside for the greater good of the brand that pays you every other week.
Q: What are some basic business considerations that design graduates should be aware of?
Molly: Your first job after college might not be for a brand that excites you. You may not be working on the type of product you dreamed you’d be. You may be stuck working on missy polyester-knit tops in prints that don’t excite the soul, but learning the process of fashion in the real world is invaluable experience. First and foremost, brands need to be desired by their customers. It doesn’t matter that a brand has the best sourcing and supply chain, delivers the highest gross margins, and has the shortest product development if no one wants to buy its products.
The most distressing scenario of all is when unpopular and undesirable goods move to the back of the store, go on clearance, or are sent off to a discounter — they go to what I call “Fashion Sadville.” I sometimes go into stores that I normally wouldn’t shop and look at the clearance rack. I’ll often find amazing things that are well-made and well-designed, but they just didn’t speak to the core customer, so it’s a score for me!
Q: What are a few other practical considerations designers need to keep in mind?
Molly: Whether they’re working for themselves or for a brand, designers have to be somewhat realistic about the cost of materials. Customers not only have towant the finished product — they also must be able to afford it. When I worked at Nike, I had a designer who loved Schoeller Textil, whose fabrics are beautiful and highly functional. This designer would bring fabric hangers to me and I would respectfully say, “This fabric is $32 a yard. I’m not sure how we are going to be able to use this and also sell the garment for $42.” For me, this is where the fun begins. It’s a challenge. You need a designer who’s open to discussing reality with you.
Good commercial designers first must possess a solid understanding of the customer. Then they [designers] have to be flexible enough to adjust their aesthetic to what is desired. Designers need to respect cost targets, and be willing to push or challenge targets to keep the brand moving forward at a pace that doesn’t scare the customer.
Thankfully, designers hate to be boxed in. The challenge becomes finding creative ways to help move customers along [toward new designs] while at the same time ensuring that the customer is comfortable with the “newness.” But this “newness” can’t just be a style the designer loves or personally wants to wear. It must be customer-focused.
Q: You’ve had quite a bit of experience working in product development for some major specialty brands. What’s your take on fashion sense and style?
Molly: Clothes are a funny thing. Even when people say, “I don’t care what I wear,” they do care. What we feel comfortable in and what we wear are actually pretty serious matters. Many of us are either loyal to a group of brands or to a style or a certain fit. Not all men wear skinny jeans. To that I say, “Thank you!”
Like it or not, we are judged by what we wear. My grandfather used to tell me, “The clothes make the man.” I always remembered that, and I tweaked it a bit to include footwear and a statement accessory piece like a watch. Clothes can tell you a lot about a person. What we wear speaks volumes about our personalities. We are communicating our style: I’m country, sporty, trendy, conservative, professional, quirky, outdoorsy, wild, vegan. It’s very personal. How often have you heard someone say, “That’s just not me”? A savvy commercial designer creates the collection for the core customer, envisioning how that customer might accessorize the attire and where and how he or she might wear it. That should be part of the fun of designing the collection!
Q: What advice do you have for design-school graduates who might want to launch their own label?
Molly: When you start your own label, you can maximize the opportunity to push the creative envelope. It’s a designer’s dream come true: I get to design for me and my friends — for the “cool kids!” This can be an opportunity to finally get recognized as one of those “cool kids.” At the same time, independent designers can’t neglect the business side, at least not forever and definitely not if their funds are limited. And designers have to understand that the product can’t be tweaked forever. There’s a timeline to get the product to market. Designers love to fine-tune. “Just one more tweak!” But at some point, designers need to be realistic and stop the tweaking and give the go-ahead to produce the design.
Q: BMDG has an interesting mix of clients, including well-known names such as Vera Bradley, Sherwin-Williams, and Dutch Boy. What excites you most about your new role as the agency’s vice president of specialty retail?
Molly: One of the things I love about Britton Marketing and Design Group is that it doesn’t act like a typical marketing agency. We don’t see things from just an agency point of view. We often understand what the client needs before the client sees it. It’s exciting to me to be part of the process of helping companies grow. It’s a great feeling to be able to share in their enthusiasm as they move to the next level.
There’s a cyclical nature to brands. They all have peaks and valleys. I love the challenge of making a brand noticeable, helping it stand out. Take a heritage brand, for instance. It’s rewarding to be a part of reinventing the brand and creating a new buzz around a long-standing business.
Q: Do you have any closing thoughts about integrating the realities of the commercial world with the creative nature of design?
Molly: At the end of the day, consumers vote with their dollars. Consumers have demands that businesses are trying to satisfy, and while design can always promote a trend or a project or an idea, it has to be in the customer’s comfort zone. There’s always a healthy tension, with the designer pushing and the business deciding what to offer next. Designers have to be open-minded and flexible to compromise. Designers for an established brand need to choose their battles. You’re going to win some and lose some to the business needs. That’s just how it works.
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Photos: Shutterstock and BMDG
