Peter Saville: How to rebrand a fashion label
It’s totally diminished. Styling is so adroitly employed that you are no longer prepared to make immediate readings of it because it’s more than likely to be artificial.
There is always the truth, though. There’s always what people are genuinely thinking now. The problem is it might contradict another agenda. So if there’s nothing to believe in anymore, or there’s nothing to buy anymore, that’s kind of a difficult premise on which to sell something. But there’s always a feeling, even if it’s one of complete lethargy or despondency or withdrawal.
Luxury, for me, at this time in my life, is withdrawal. Just to withdraw from the field. But, of course, for a 24-year-old, it’s completely the opposite.
Jamie Stoker
They’re deeply involved.
People always use themselves as the litmus but often forget that they age. I have a good friend, the hairdresser Peter Smith, who can be quite philosophical sometimes and when we were having this conversation years ago, he tapped me on my shoulder and said, “Peter, you have to remember: they have fresh eyes.” I think it’s quite important to remember that.
Is there any one thing in particular that a good piece of branding will always achieve?
It needs to distil the values of the brand rather than the forms, and then it’s those values which will inhabit the future. Part of the process is to say, “OK, what is it conceptually, spiritually, abstractly that is important or special about this company? Who were they?” Maybe it manifested itself originally as streetwear, but that was merely the initial form. What was the spirit? It’s that spirit that can then transcend its origins and live on in other dimensions.
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
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