Varvatos comes into this role with decades of experience, having propelled brands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Converse, and his namesake brand, John Varvatos, with his design aesthetic, mastery and acute sense of detail. A true visionary, John created both the boxer brief at Calvin Klein and the laceless sneaker for Converse during the fifteen year collaboration with the John Varvatos brand.
Under Armour Announces John Varvatos as Chief Design Officer
A stock that moved dangerously close to under 5 bucks a share is climbing back to relevance. Watching the opening of stores like the UA Battersea Power Station in the UK, smart offerings like the SlipSpeed (which hasn’t taken off, but is a very smart design), paired with activations like Dawg Class with Kelsey Plum and Steph Curry’s basketball camp in the Bay Area, Under Armour appeared to be aware of the strategies needed to recast the brand in a positive light. UA has even introduced a Rewards Program which has the potential to bring their DTC strategy closer to the consumer.
What is more important is that within the Under Armour catalog I’ve long been a fan of various aspects which have been severely underutilized. When the UA team built the UA HOVR FT Sneaker, they had a concept which should have been fleshed out by the company, but it wasn’t. What I labeled as an urban ninja after reading and seeing the information around the sneaker told me that UA has the right creative minds inside to create the product needed to crossover. Unfortunately, like many other times for UA, they never capitalized on the moment. Which is too bad because buried in the site right now, without the hiring of Varvatos is a collection of footwear and apparel simply needing to be styled, photographed and merchandised correctly.
A Transitional Lesson and a Powerful Shift in the UA HOVR Summit Fat Tire
I’m a huge fan of Under Armour, but what demographic is the brand hoping to capture with this move? You would think the debacle of Under Armour Sports (UAS) and bringing in Tim Coppens was a learning experience for UA, but the hiring of Varvatos when compared to Teddy Santis at New Balance, or Salehe at CROCS, is just mindboggling. Just when it seems Under Armour is turning a corner, they do something that doesn’t make sense. Varvatos’ aesthetic tends to be rock-n-roll influenced in many instances. Using BingAI and asking the question “Who is John Varvatos’ target audience?” Here is the response, “John Varvatos is an American fashion designer who has been known for his rock and roll-inspired clothing line. His target audience is men who are interested in rock music and fashion.” This doesn’t necessarily appeal to sneaker culture or fashion as it relates to the market Under Armour needs to target. When UAS launched with Tim Coppens, I questioned why although I tried to give it a chance, but if UA proceeds with Varvatos in a similar manner, the result could be the same when all the brand needed was right inside of its berm.
Dope S–t I Like: UAS Modern American Sportswear | I May Be Wrong