Today, we had a guest speaker named Pip Jenkins, Design Director with Johns Medley. She narrated her journey – 13 years thus far – and growth in the company, where she started off as a Design Intern after winning a John Smedley competition. Her talent in design was evident and she rose to head the entire design team. Pip has creative knitting eyes on both menswear and womenswear collections, which has imbued in her the requisite skills to build both the classic and the fashion consumer for Johns Medley collections.
Her exceptional knack for knitwear construction has challenged her knitwear (in traditional design) which reflected on the brand’s signature collections for the London collection at the Men and London Fashion Week. Skilled in managing the design process through Shima, Pip is a team player and experienced Personnel Manager.
I asked Pip if it is advisable for one to work with a particular brand for years, or till retirement, with same hand-craft techniques, rather than move around.
My concern for a brand which is 235 years old, that continues to innovate while retaining the same handcraft finishing techniques, is: should they be concerned about the changing needs of customers and the market? The world of fashion and textiles revolves a lot, and nothing stays the same for so long to maintain market presence.
I believe they should be focused on market penetration – which can be done by creating social media presence, collaborating with some fast-fashion brands and celebrities.
Finally, I believe John Smedley should be looking at expanding to other global markets. For that to happen, they will need to invest more in product development. They need to offer more accessible items like blending their knitwear to youthful apparel like t-shirts and jeans.
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