Practical Series | Sarabande x 1 Granary: How to Position Your Brand

Your design might be finalised, but the work isn’t done. To take your designs and turn them into a successful brand, many steps are involved: from sales and distribution to product exposure and strategic wholesale partnerships. In this joint discussion, 1 Granary’s Olya Kuryshchuk, Matthew Williams, Barbara Grispini and Giacomo Piazza explore and analyse diverse branding strategies and explain how to communicate a brand image. Together, they examine how designers can take full advantage of the media landscape and navigate the system.

Giacomo Piazza, 247

Giacomo Piazza is the co-founder and fashion director of 247 showroom, a Milan-based multi-brand showroom and strategic counseling agency, managing over 1000 clients worldwide, from department stores and online shops to independents, in 43 countries. Their labels include both established luxury brands (3.1 Phillip Lim, A.P.C. and Kenzo) and independent designers (Matthew Adams Dolan, Rokh by Rok Huang).

Barbara Grispini, D/ARK

Barbara Grispini is the founder of D/ARK, a brand strategy and development agency specialising in cross-platform marketing communication and wholesale. Her clients include Craig Green, Paula Knorr, Katie Roberts Wood, Vyner Articles and Hyein Seo. Barbara previously worked as a consultant to the British Fashion Council, and curator of the London Showrooms.

Matthew Williams, Alyx

The creative director of Alyx has built a cult following by merging street culture aesthetics with practical garment construction in a luxury streetwear label, garnering global stockists from Dover Street Market and Selfridges to Ssense. In 2016, Alyx was selected a finalist for the LVMH Prize. The brand has collaborated with Vault by Vans, Mackintosh and Fragment, among others. Matthew Williams’ also formed a partnership was with Nike in 2018 and was also tapped by Dior Men creative director Kim Jones to lend his brutalist industrial aesthetic to the brand/s Spring/Summer 2019 collection, making a buckle for Dior's accessories.