Fragments From The Mind Nº2: It's All In The Choices
A contrarian Cannes dispatch, Fashion Week Observations, and the power of taste at scale.
So, I broke my rule. I said once a week. And missed a week.
My excuse comes down to a few things (meeting people, making new connections, and generally trying to turn Esprit into another major role) and Cannes. It was my first in about a decade. (Not for the lack of trying, but there’s a lot of sneering in some agencies about the value of it. Thankfully debunked.) There’s a lot you can say (or not) about the festival, the frivolity and facileness inherent in the event. But there’s also a fearlessness that can go through at work and in some of the talks. But boy, do you have to dig to find it. But it's essential and, in truth, could do with people who sneer or dismiss it, engaging around it to make exciting things. One of my takeaways was the sense of stifling orthodoxy and an overly Americanized experience in what’s meant to be a global creative and marketing world.
Take, for example, the deluge of athletes - almost all of them American, almost all of them wonderfully generic, espousing their ability to turn their fame into, well… more fame. If you’ve seen one NFL player have a podcast, you’ve seen them all. Good luck to them, but it narrowed the lens of an already narrow-band experience.
Ai naturally dominated. But the best actual presentation on AI was a Substack post. Read Rei Inamoto’s incredibly illuminating, instructive, and helpful guide to AI on the Sociology of Business.
AI’s looming shadow aside (and the passage of time since I went) shone a light on how the Cannes Lions themselves feel like sideshows. A little island on a giant tech planet. It didn't feel great. Happy for the winners (and the near winners) for their moment in the sun. I wish their ideas and creativity were celebrated more. I left deeply concerned that the work that can drive change and bottom lines is being sidelined ever more at the altar of Ad tech. A CFO’s fever dream. All their talk of optimization, streamlining, and efficiencies left me cold. But I’m not unaware of its importance.
The point is that CMOs must work out how to be more persuadable and compelling in shaping creative bets. It’s why e.l.f’s success has been so heartening and timely. Investments pay off, but they need time. Tom Roach had some excellent research around this point, and I felt myself nodding firmly with Sean Summer’s assessment of the week.
Elsewhere, it felt like the real interesting action was up in the hills. The beach was for grazing; the hills were for provoking. Ideas run downhill. Brands and Culture hosted its second event on Tuesday, and the thinking was immediately sharpened. Panelists were thoughtful, articulate, and unafraid to speak their minds clearly on topics that shape how many brands looking to find cultural relevance need to act (guess what, it’s not in targeting and test message push notifications).
The apex came slightly further up the hill. Collins put on what the blueprint of an event is by making it feel immersive and otherworldly. (both literally and figuratively). An invite-only event that slowly and generously opened its doors). Turning Collins House turned into a 3-day rolling conversation and exploration of issues around ideas, people, communication, and byways in between. Not only did the invite list give you a sense of something active to contribute to, but it also gave you a moment away from the noise. A chance to digest and to disseminate. Cannes won’t solve the industry’s problems, but more exciting spaces and conversations with tension will make the event more valuable beyond the bottom line.
My hope is that more brands and partners pull themselves off the beach and into this world. It would greatly help.
Towards the end of the trip, I plugged in a mix someone had sent from the DJ duo Musclecars. From the first song (Loft classic ‘Loves Masquerade’) to the almost spiritual end song, this was a mix for the ages. An art that certainly feels like it’s diminished in impact. What makes this mix special is its blend of classic and new. Finding connection points in between as a result. It chugs along slowly but surely, gaining momentum and energy. I saw Musclecars at the Gilles Peterson GoodRoom event, and they crushed it then. Well worth a save on Soundcloud.
Men’s weeks have officially wrapped in Milan and Paris. BoF and Vogue Business have their summaries as you would imagine. I enjoyed elements of the Gucci show (more about their strategy soon) as I believe that the Ancora strategy is something deeper and resonant for the brand going forward. I also finally saw that come to life, when the dropped what feels like could be the first true Gucci hit - the brothel creeper style Horsebit loafer.
What I could see from inside and outside the show, was the contours of Gucci Man evolving. Louche, but buttoned up and interested in details. I’ve appreciated the socks and shoes sensibility on Paul Mescal.
For me, Ancora is a great idea in need of clarity and consistency. This is even more urgent, Because…
…Alessandro Michele returned. And the compare and contrast between what was, and what is, will come into starker relief. 171 looks, 2 months. A burst of energy that i’m sure most people will just say Gucci (I did) upon first look. But, a dig around the Valentino archives reveals a deeper and long history with this sensibility. As Lauren Sherman in Line Sheet rightly pointed out Michele is master merchandiser and the big V bags are already a template for status and deconstruction. There’s lots there to build on.
Valentino’s early history very much floated (literally) around these ideas. So its not a stretch to say he’s gone right back to the start to reboot the brand forward.
AWGW was a bit of a mess. Interesting ideas, and I appreciated the attempt. But it won’t matter - because the energy and clout that it releases will blunt any criticism around the work, both from a craft perspective and a larger fashion concept. Edition+Partners reinforces this point in their SOTA newsletter today: Are Celebs Beating Brands at Their Own Game?
The Sphere continues to be a marvel in creative hands. Dead &Co’s run at the space has demonstrated what you can truly do inside this space with a bit of verve and creativity. But outside, it’s been a bit of mish-mash. Horrible direct-response style marketing, and huge CPG brands seeing a big screen and making it more tacky. Not exactly a heady mix.
So it’s no surprise to see luxury brands wade in, and demonstrated what you can do with it, with a deft touch. More of this please.
Speaking of Chanel, the Le Petit Salon at Le19M, designed by Aline Asmar d'Amman looks wonderful. Le19M is the home of Chanel’s couture crafts brands, where the brand looks to maintain and grow these industries. As well as use it as a pseudo-innovation hub to explore other ideas. (The metaverse was mentioned back in 2021, but let’s not speak of that further).
Anyhow, d'Amman’s space, building on her own practice Culture In Architecture integrates the work of the aforementioned craftspeople into the space. I like it because it’s obviously very Chanel, but equally, but it expands the languge of the brand. If you respect craft and care inside the house, it’s reflected outside the house. All the way to something like the Sphere.
An evergreen memorandum. (Via Sebastian Groebner)
Finally, a quick though on Vogue World. You can’t argue with the production values and the timing was excellent. (It was at the least this contextual to a moment that helped bring it closer to an actual cultural moment.) But I struggle with who this is for. (Apart from Vogue club members). Why do I need to tune in? What value am I getting out of the experience? What is meant to say at large? What happens when Vogue World exhausts the four major fashion capitals? Its an impressive feat of creative production, an advertising & partnership boondoggle, (see Ebay for more on that) but demands a focal point of why you would engage. ‘Celebration’ isn’t a sharp enough reason, no matter how many earned eyeballs you’re getting. And are we celebrating Paris? Fashion? Sport? Vogue? I found it an incredible creative feat, diffuse in purpose. The fact that it could be stacked combination of these four reinforces the larger point. Judge for yourself.