LaQuan Smith, despite pandemic disruptions and "tokenism" in the fashion industry, shares how he maintained production and fulfilled orders by adapting his operations. He discusses the challenges of being an independent designer, the importance of brand confidence, and critiques how diversity is often superficially approached in the industry. This episode offers insights into agile operations and authentic brand building amidst adversity.
Key takeaways
Implement agile production strategies, such as remote work for specialized tasks, to navigate unexpected supply chain disruptions and maintain fulfillment (e.g., cutters working from home).
Prioritize direct customer fulfillment, even if it means unconventional methods like shipping from a home office, to ensure orders are met during crises and preserve customer trust.
Cultivate strong brand confidence to weather industry skepticism and leverage demand as validation, especially for challenger brands.
Be prepared to critically engage with industry initiatives around diversity, ensuring recognition is based on merit and individual achievement rather than generalized tokenism.
Understand that genuine support for diverse creators means celebrating their unique contributions and career trajectories, rather than lumping them into broad categories.
The ongoing demand for LaQuan Smith's signature sexy designs is both a blessing and a curse, as he put it on the Glossy Podcast. "It was a very humbling experience, because I had to find alternative ways to still be able to produce these orders," Smith said. "Thankful they didn't get dropped, but also, damn, because I'm now in a compromised position: How do I get these done, how do I fulfill all these orders on time?"
Smith pulled it off by having his cutters work from home while "packing and shipping from my living room," he said. To him, the fact that his designs are in demand despite a pandemic gives him further confidence in his self-named brand, which he said faced significant doubts when it debuted in 2013.
But he said he's recently faced tokenism, whereby his achievements as a designer have been flattened by his grouping with other Black designers.
"You can't group me with [someone] who just started designing three months ago on Instagram. That's not fair," Smith said, referring to the lists of Black designers to support, that have recently surfaced across media channels. "They're putting all these Black designers in one box. To me, this is not the way you do that. If you want to really celebrate designers of color, you do it the right way."
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Implement agile production strategies, such as remote work for specialized tasks, to navigate unexpected supply chain disruptions and maintain fulfillment (e.g., cutters working from home).
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Prioritize direct customer fulfillment, even if it means unconventional methods like shipping from a home office, to ensure orders are met during crises and preserve customer trust.
What does this episode say about brand & content?
Cultivate strong brand confidence to weather industry skepticism and leverage demand as validation, especially for challenger brands.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Be prepared to critically engage with industry initiatives around diversity, ensuring recognition is based on merit and individual achievement rather than generalized tokenism.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Understand that genuine support for diverse creators means celebrating their unique contributions and career trajectories, rather than lumping them into broad categories.
