Welcome to the Scoop: a weekly email series in which I quiz fashion insiders on the stories of the week. This will be a way for the Replica Handbag Store Business community to synthesize and reflect on the latest headlines and get a little inside scoop every Friday.
This week’s guest is Josh Bredehoeft, who I met a couple of years ago as the brand marketing director at outerwear brand Rains. Raised in a small town in Minnesota, Josh moved to Denmark a little over a decade ago to pursue a career in fashion. It’s not the most well-trodden route, but it’s paid off.
Josh started working in Rains’s marketing department in 2018, just as the company was being built. Eight years, countless fashion shows, stores, and campaigns, and one HQ move later, it was time for a scoop.
Hi Josh! What’s the scoop?
I have a new job at Bestseller, which is Denmark’s largest fashion company. They own more than 20 high street brands, including Jack & Jones and Only, and hold stakes in Asos and Topshop. I will be head of creative at Only, which is basically the OG in-house brand.
It’s super exciting because it’s a big step for me. I had an amazing eight years with Rains. I started there when there were only three people in the marketing department, and I left as brand marketing director overseeing large, diverse teams. It was a really successful run. But I was also ready for something new, and the ambitions at Only really sucked me in.
What is the job?
Head of creative is a completely new role for the brand, which means there’s a big journey ahead. I’ll be working with the brand, marketing, and comms teams, but also very closely with the design team. I won’t have direct responsibility for the actual product, but I’ll be a part of the development. And then taking that, of course, into how we communicate with consumers and our wholesale partners once it gets into stores. Only has been going for 30 years, and in terms of product, they have a really clear understanding of who they are. The part we need to work out is how to express that internal knowledge outwardly.
And how did the job come about?
I don’t mean to be woo-woo, but it was one of those things where the universe opened up as soon as I made the decision to leave my former position. Søren Stig Hedensted, the brand director of Only, asked me for a coffee. I didn’t know what we were meeting about, but I was super interested because Only is very successful. It’s the brand with the highest contribution to Bestseller’s revenue. The first question he asked me was, “What makes a brand?”
What makes a brand?
I think it’s trust. It can look very different from brand to brand, but if you can get into the hearts and minds of consumers and have a semblance of accountability for what you provide and how you make people feel — I think that’s a brand.
There’s a big wave of creatives who previously worked for more high-end brands now moving to the high street. What do you think this says about the future of fashion?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this. To me, the gold star was always luxury. And then, when I decided to make the move from Rains, there were conversations with brands in Paris that, five or 10 years ago, would have been so interesting. But right now, with how the industry landscape changes, I feel some of the most exciting energy is coming from the high street. When we talk about the challenges of luxury right now, perhaps some of it has to do with a lack of proximity to the consumer. And at a house like Only, the teams understand their customer like no other.
We’re in the last leg of a three-month-long fashion season. What are some trends you’ve seen on the catwalks that we will see in Only stores down the line?
I’m three days into my role at Only and have already noted that we have one of the most amazing teams of researchers and developers. It’s my first time being part of the process, so right now I am listening and seeing where I can add value.
When it comes to the runways, rather than trends, I think there are interesting sentiments. For instance, there is an idea of optimism that seems to be coming forth. Whether it be Jonathan at Dior or Michael at Celine, there is a ray of design sunshine coming through. I think that’s worth exploring.
And would you be looking at collaborations with other creatives in your new role?
Yes, 100%. You know, Only has an amazing platform for innovation. I cannot stress enough how incredible the teams here are, how strong they are, and how curious they are. The number of competencies I’m meeting hour by hour just feels like a library that needs more exposure. What we can offer operationally is insane. Of course, it needs to be the right match, and collaborations are a dime a dozen, but when it’s done right, it can be fantastic both ways.
The LVMH prize semi-finals are taking place this week. Do any of the brands taking part stand out for you?
There’s so much diverse talent there, it’s wild. If you look at someone like Petra Fagerström, for instance, what they’re doing on fabric innovation is mind-blowing. To have that sort of energy around commercial silhouettes would be fabulous. I also think Luke Derrick is creating a new uniform for today’s man. If anyone is confused about what to wear, they should just go to his Instagram. And then you have someone like Colleen Allen, who is nailing what the next It-girl looks like. I can definitely see that on the shop floor. Then, Ssstein is what I personally want to wear every day.
I just interviewed Donna Karan about her time as Anne Klein’s assistant and then designer for the brand. What was your first job in fashion?
It was actually within Bestseller. When I first moved to Denmark, I was so young and fresh, and I had worked for just a short stint in PR in the States. I wanted to pivot more into storytelling, and that was back in the day, when everyone had a blog. I also had a blog, Elektra. My friend was taking street style photos, and I would write snarky commentary and our thoughts about the fashion scene.
Then I won an award here in Denmark for Best New Blog of the Year, and the Bestseller team scooped me up. Like any young person at the beginning of their career, for three and a half years, I did a bit of everything: I started a blog for one of the brands; I did copywriting; then I did social media for a year. By the end, I was overseeing art direction across campaigns. It was the best education I could get inside of this industry.
You can catch up with last week’s Scoop with David Siwicki here.
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