style in progress 1/2023 – JOOP X LOREDANA

“BRANDS SHOULD POLARISE”

Almost three years after the successful launch of the Joop womenswear collection, the brand presents a collaborative capsule with German rapper Loredana. Managing Director Thorsten Stiebing believes that the communicative rejuvenation that goes hand in hand with this spectacular coup comes at exactly the right time. He is convinced that the courage to try something new, to address young target groups in a progressive way, and to reinvent oneself repeatedly is more crucial than ever.

Interview: Stephan Huber. Text: Isabel Faiss. Photos: Joop

Thorsten, in the midst of perhaps the biggest transformation of the fashion industry as a whole, JOOP is undergoing a self-initiated realignment as a brand and a company. What are the most important challenges in this process?

Thorsten Stiebing, Managing Director of Joop: At present, we are moving from one crisis to the next. That is quite a challenge. We handled Covid very well. In fact, sales doubled during this period. Now we have to deal with inflation. This means that we have to position ourselves accordingly, really push forward, and, above all, invest. Right now, it is decisive to be bold. We have invested heavily in brand visibility, new shop-in-shop concepts, and the product itself. We also plan to open new stores. Last but not least, we invested in our warehouse system to ensure delivery capability. It is not the easiest decision to spend large sums of money in difficult times, but the strategy during the pandemic has taught us that it is essential. Humans need brands and support, especially in times of crisis.

Digitisation and the ability to connect with new, young consumers are just some of the topics for the future. Is this how the cooperation with Loredana came about?

The idea was the result of strategic planning, even if it evolved out of a spontaneous notion. There is a certain parallelism between Loredana and Joop, a common fundamental ideology that simply fits together. She enjoys a high standing in the young target group, but never claims to be perfect. I felt she was the right partner because she authentically conveys this mixture of mother and rapper, with all accompanying conflicts. Our design team teamed up with her to develop a unisex collection. Pairing our young designers with Loredana, and seeing the results, was an incredible experience. Loredana is in her mid-20s and thinks completely differently. The input she provided was quite controversial, but we quickly realised that we share a certain hedonistic approach.

As attractive as the topic of artist collaboration is, it only works if the story is 100 percent authentic. How do you address this risk?

This target group is more critical than ever. It is much more skilled at observing and notices immediately whether something is authentic or not. That posed a certain risk, because you only find out whether something is good or not by actually doing it. The fascination in working with non-industry outsiders lies in the fact that they deliberately ignore the edges and corners that we would often grind away by default. These can sometimes be sharp-edged, but something completely new emerges every time. You have to be able to deal with that. For this first collection, we have opted for a very selective sales strategy with a strict limitation and are only launching the collection at around seven retail partners in the DACH region. This will electrify people and give the brand the appropriate push in the right direction: younger and cooler. And it proves that the brand can deliver.

Loredana is one of the central style icons of this new subculture originating from the hip-hop and streetwear community. She is emblematic of the transformation of the industry towards a consumer-driven logic. What does this very direct approach mean for Joop?

A great deal! Our entire presentation is a reaction to it. And we also learn much from Loredana’s attitude – representative of her young generation. Brands do not always need to conform; they should also polarise. This rings true for Joop in particular. To achieve this, you need the right protagonists, and it would be terribly boring if you always stuck to your traditional target group. It is precisely Loredana’s equally polarising appearance that makes the collaboration so refreshing and exciting. The whole topic is incredibly exciting. This generation ticks very differently. Loredana’s first question was whether we had a beatbox in the studio so that she could play her tracks for us. She herself is super proud of her music, which feels really authentic to me. There is real depth to it.

I believe this target group is currently somewhat misunderstood. It is often subject to the prejudice of superficiality due to the fast-paced and abbreviated nature of social media.

TikTok is a prime example. The platform conveys an unbelievable amount of information visually, with an enormous pull and speed. I am certain that we will exclusively communicate via moving images in a few years’ time. I, too, am more amused by a moving image than a still. This is, of course, abbreviated and more fast-paced, but it also teaches us to think differently. At the same time, the breadth of information is much greater.

Product is key and consumers in the premium market demand clear messages – now more than ever. Brands need to represent something. What will Joop represent in 2023?

We will focus on new showrooms, further collaborations with selected partners, and – above all – the B2C business. The emphasis is clearly more on B2C than on B2B, as we believe that the brand is ready for this step. For us, collaborations like the one with Loredana, which above all contribute to the marketing and perception of the brand, are essential. We strive to achieve even more visibility through our own stores, more shop-in-shops, and the internationalisation of the brand. Currently, we are entering the Middle East region, and we will significantly expand in North America. As you can tell, we have plenty of balls in the air right now.

This is proof that a good idea can also sometimes be realised spontaneously: Thorsten Stiebing, Managing Director of Joop, engaged rapper Loredana for a capsule collection.

The brand is communicating the launch of the Loredana x Joop collection via a 360-degree marketing campaign with a focus on digital channels, especially social media, and a big launch event including a live concert. The collection will be available exclusively at a few selected retailers.