The Tamesis
Prado calls the debut a “call to action” moment. “We talked with Kaia and her team for some time before she officially signed on in January. In terms of development, the product life cycle takes about 12 to 14 months. When Kaia signed on, we got her into the office as quickly as possible so that we could bring her into the first collection, the new creative direction that will come to fruition in July.” Gerber’s selections from the collection were fast-tracked at Re/Done’s Los Angeles facility along with the archive of reissues, and were released in May. Launched its first capsule collection in March to create buzz.
Following the launch of the brand’s first advertising campaign and curated collection, Gerber and Prado sat down to discuss the process so far and what’s next for Re/Done.
Fashion:Kaia, why did you want to invest in a fashion brand – why Re/Done?
Gerber: Fashion has always been a part of my life and I’ve been in the fashion industry for a long time, but as I entered a new chapter in my life and wanted to be more creative, I started thinking about brands that spoke to my sensibilities. Re/Done is a brand I have always loved. I’m lucky enough to be able to model these very sophisticated clothes, but the clothes I wear in life are jeans and T-shirts – basically everything Re/Done makes to perfection.
Fashion: Why are you passionate about creatively engaging, rather than just investing?
Gerber: When the opportunity presented itself, it felt very real, like a natural progression of the relationship we already had [because I’ve always worn Re/Done]. I can’t have this level of engagement with a brand if I’m not aligned with myself on multiple levels. As I get older, I’m more interested in collaborations rather than just lending my face or my name or my image to something, and really wanting to be a part of the creative process.
Fashion: Philip, why would you want to bring in an investor – and a public figure – at this time to be involved in the business?
prado: Kaia understands American style, relaxed dressing. She understands the cultural conversations happening in her generation. This is crucial to its relevance today. We’re not looking for traditional celebrity endorsements. We wanted someone who could embody the brand’s personality and really help shape its future direction creatively and culturally.
Having her as an investor was important because it created a real consistency for where we wanted the brand to go long-term…She was involved in conversations around product, casting, storytelling, image, brand direction, everything. This is the kind of partnership I want; it feels very natural and more collaborative than transactional. The commercial implications are obviously self-evident.
Fashion:Tell me about the past six months of working together.
