Evisu
2009 · Japan
Global CEO & Creative Director
Evisu, the cult Japanese label born in Osaka, made the first $300 pair of jeans I ever bought. To me, they were the gold standard. When the brand needed a reset, I jumped at the opportunity, bringing an American perspective to denim and design.
What I learned was invaluable and humbling. The brand was pulled in different directions. Asia wanted logos. America wanted no back-pocket branding at all. Europe wanted something different in almost every country: the Italians one thing, the Scandinavians another, the British something else entirely.
After eighteen months of rebranding, repositioning, and a massive reorganization, we reached a difficult conclusion: leave the United States and concentrate on Asia, where the brand was strongest. The right path forward meant leaving me behind. It remains my clearest lesson in focus and in accepting reality even when it breaks your heart.
What the work covered
- Global brand strategy and repositioning
- Creative direction across three regions
- Organizational restructuring
- Market by market assortment
- Board reporting and the decision to exit the US
Of note
- The first American CEO in the brand’s history
- Worked alongside founder Hidehiko Yamane
- Led across Asia, Europe and America
- Eighteen months of rebranding and reorganization
Evisu shop in Tokyo (2010)
At my desk, Evisu (2010)
Osaka with Hidehiko Yamane, founder of Evisu, and Yoshiyuki Hayashi, co-founder of Denime (2010)