Laura Kim, creative director for Oscar de la Renta and Monse, shares her philosophy on collaboration and expanding a design aesthetic across diverse product categories. This episode offers valuable insights for ecommerce operators looking to extend their brand into new verticals or seeking to optimize their creative and production workflows. Kim's experience with Crate and Barrel highlights the strategic considerations for successful brand extensions and multi-category merchandising.
Key takeaways
Collaborate with established retailers for brand extensions: Laura Kim's partnership with Crate and Barrel demonstrates how leveraging a retailer's infrastructure and customer base can facilitate entry into new product categories like home goods.
Apply a consistent creative vision across diverse product lines: Kim emphasizes that designing clothes, home goods, and even cooking share a similar process of conceptualizing an atmosphere and executing it, highlighting the importance of a transferable design philosophy.
Recognize the commonalities in content creation across categories: Kim points out that the end stage of content creation, whether for a fashion runway or a home goods photoshoot, serves a similar purpose in showcasing the final product and brand aesthetic.
Delegate effectively and build strong teams: Kim's success across multiple high-profile roles underscores the necessity of collaboration and delegation, emphasizing that 'you can't do it all by yourself' in creative leadership.
Focus on the 'atmosphere' in product design: Kim’s approach to design, whether for fashion or home goods, prioritizes creating a specific atmosphere, providing a valuable framework for product developers to consider the overall user experience and emotional connection.
Embrace an iterative creative workflow: Kim describes a process of collecting images, sourcing raw materials, and working with a team to execute, showcasing a structured yet flexible approach to bringing ideas to fruition.
Fashion designer Laura Kim, the creative director behind fashion labels Oscar de la Renta and Monse, is on a roll. Kim has been with Oscar de la Renta for over 20 years and started Monse in 2015 with her creative partner, Fernando Garcia, who also happens to be the co-creative director of Oscar de la Renta.
Aside from designing and leading two fashion brands, most recently, Kim made her debut in the home category. Announced on June 6, Kim collaborated with home goods company Crate and Barrel on a collection that includes over 110 pieces across kitchen, decor and entertaining essentials.
"Designing clothes, cooking and what I did for Crate and Barrel designing home goods, it's all very similar. You have an idea and you have to think about the atmosphere at the end and how it's gonna come together," Kim said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. "You buy raw materials, you collect images and you have a team that helps you execute it. [For Crate and Barrel], we did a photoshoot when everything was finished, and for fashion, it's a runway or a photo shoot. The content creating at the end is very similar."
On this week’s episode of the Glossy Podcast, Kim discusses how she navigates designing for two major fashion brands and what's next for her in the creative space.
Collaborate with established retailers for brand extensions: Laura Kim's partnership with Crate and Barrel demonstrates how leveraging a retailer's infrastructure and customer base can facilitate entry into new product categories like home goods.
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Apply a consistent creative vision across diverse product lines: Kim emphasizes that designing clothes, home goods, and even cooking share a similar process of conceptualizing an atmosphere and executing it, highlighting the importance of a transferable design philosophy.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Recognize the commonalities in content creation across categories: Kim points out that the end stage of content creation, whether for a fashion runway or a home goods photoshoot, serves a similar purpose in showcasing the final product and brand aesthetic.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Delegate effectively and build strong teams: Kim's success across multiple high-profile roles underscores the necessity of collaboration and delegation, emphasizing that 'you can't do it all by yourself' in creative leadership.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Focus on the 'atmosphere' in product design: Kim’s approach to design, whether for fashion or home goods, prioritizes creating a specific atmosphere, providing a valuable framework for product developers to consider the overall user experience and emotional connection.
