Paradigm Shifters is a series of interviews with a select group of women and men from eclectic walks of life. It will highlight unspoken, real-life insights on how they have been able to turn weakness into strength. A naked soul point of view of how their breakdowns were really a preparation for breakthroughs. They are your quintessential paradigm shifters; internal shifts converted into genuine change.
Everything I have ever done has been focused on this underlying theme of shifting the paradigm because, "What we think determines what we feel and what we feel determines what we do." Hence, why Empowered by You takes lingerie, which has traditionally been seen merely as a tool of seduction and redirected that energy as a tool of empowerment.
I hope from these stories you will look at your own situations, struggles and accomplishments through a different lens. At the very least you will be more equipped with real life tools to change your own paradigm. At the end of the day, we are our own Alchemist turning the silver we were born with into the gold we are destined to become.
James Spreckley - Creative Director of Reiss
You took on the role of Creative Director at Reiss during challenging times for the company. What were the first steps you took in your new role to put the company back on track?
David has a very specific business model and finding the right fit is a process. I owned my own business before I came to work here, and I had a background in menswear. I first worked with David as a freelancer and challenged him, which he liked. I really understood his designer mentality for his clothes but with a nicer price point as well as a fast business mentality. It's a complex concept to get right and a lot of people can't get it right. This company really exposes you if you can just talk the talk and not walk the walk. The crux of it all comes down to trust. I could walk the walk and we were aligned with where he wanted to take the business. We were having these very serious discussions about me potentially becoming the Creative Director over the course of two or three months and ultimately I said we should tighten our ship and stick to our single business vision. I wanted to do what I had done for menswear, which was this sexy, sharp, not disposable and very unique fashion, to womenswear. It's a lot of fun to work with David but a lot of work. I'm trying to keep up with a guy who wants to move mountains! You really can't hide behind anything.
Seeing that Reiss is design-led, where does continued inspiration come from for the multitude of lines?
We have a restless nature. Everyone surrounding us is very self-motivated. We are not like a high fashion company. We sell real clothes for real people. Our company asks how do you make five thousand women wear that dress you've designed and how do they feel in that dress? We want to make them feel fantastic in their skin. We don't hop on runway trends and imitate other companies. We want to cultivate a company with meaning. All of our moodboards are story based. How we arrive at a collection is quite complex. We aren't giving the consumer clothing that's been manufactured, we give them clothing that's been crafted. I ensure we don't stay stagnant and produce some mediocre collection twice a year. That isn't what's going to keep our business afloat. We really are all about designer mentality at an affordable price. Modern luxury is a massive part of what we do.
Who is the Reiss woman?
Well I want to go after a very generationless market. I want a mother and daughter to be able to walk into Reiss and find clothes they both will love. We've achieved it in the menswear but have yet to achieve it in womens. In order to create a generationless market I tackled the tailoring in womenswear. How the product fits is incredibly vital to the success of our brand. Our previous designs for women were more soft and fluid; but I wanted a sharper construction for the modern working woman. That didn't mean a "power dress", comfort is still a priority, but something that would fit nicer and mirrored our fundamental belief. But since I haven't achieved the generationless market yet I would say, as of now, the Reiss woman is between twenty-five and forty-five. It's made for professional women. We're trying to take on that seven day wardrobe. We want a woman to walk into Reiss and be able to buy clothing for almost every occasion from Reiss. We actually just introduced a new denim line. If you examine the fabrication and the fit it is a true quality product. Our black jeans have integrity, they're not going to fade when you wash them and they're one hundred and seventy dollars, which is sensible. This new denim line is just one of the additions to achieve that seven day wardrobe and it's very successful. Our jean sales are up exponentially from three years ago. We create timeless pieces and want our clothing to last at least three or four seasons. The jeans are going to fit like a glove and make the women who wear them feel empowered and fantastic, regardless of what mood they might have been in.
Could she get her whole wardrobe at Reiss?
Yes. Well, that is our end goal. We want to address all aspects of the seven day wardrobe. Of course if she solely shops at Reiss she's going to look very sharp, very chic perhaps more dressy than most people. Our style isn't the casual, urban, street side of things. We will entertain trends but our clothes emphasize on longevity and fit, and when I say fit I mean fitting every body type. When we do integrate the trends we do so slowly and mildly. We're really working on having everything at Reiss. Accessories is our next project.
What kind of legacy do you wish to leave behind?
For my legacy I hope to really pass on my experience and the lessons I've learned to the people I have hired. The people that I hire I'm really drawn to, they have that unique vision and work ethic Reiss wants to implement. I'm a very open individual. I believe confidence is about sharing ideas. I'm not interested in the competitive stuff and I hope this atmosphere I've cultivated is carried on. I hope they remember that being a creative requires you to become your own marketer and savvy individual in order to ensure your ideas get heard. You also need an extremely strong point of view.
If your life were a book, what would be the title for 2015? What about for this year?
2015 would be a book on free climbing. It is a metaphor I feel most accurately symbolizes my year because no one showed me the things I was doing. I was really free climbing. This metaphorical free climbing made me extremely vulnerable and forced me to take full ownership. It's not risk free but worth it knowing my end goal.
2016 would be: journey not the destination. I'm a little too good at looking at the future and I think I need to live in the present a bit more. This need to focus on the future isn't because I'm striving for success, I'm not looking for a big gold medal. It's really just all for family. I'm constantly stressing and riddled with passion. I just want everything to be perfect. I'm sure many people feel this way but it's something I want to work on.
Reiss, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022.
REISS.COM