Textile Insight

TRENDSETTER | BROOKS BROTHERS Grant McClelland Creates Classic American Looks with a Techy Twist. By Suzanne Blecher oing from the sales floor to becoming global brand manager of men's sportswear is no easy feat. In fact, it hadn't been done in 30 years at Brooks Brothers. That is, until Grant McClelland came along. "I did it the old-fashioned way," said the exec about giving an elevator pitch to a VP of stores who happened to visit his outlet store one day. She took his resume and corporate gave him a chance in 2006. Fast-forward through jobs in planning, e-commerce buying, merchandising, and even as a fit model, McClelland is now looking to build his own American legacy for the Brooks Brothers brand. Textile Insight asks the exec about his learnings and tenure. One of your first jobs in merchandising was with the luxe editorial line, Black Fleece. What a great way to learn about fabric. "Yes. I was working with designer Thom Browne himself. I loved it. I realized quickly that fabric was something I really had a passion for. I was always going out of my way to meet with every mill I could and see who was pushing boundaries. Although Thom's not a talker, I observed him a lot. By the end, he had almost turned over the reins to me and approved of my taste level. When our partnership came to a close, human resources wanted someone to bring up the mainline in sportswear. We were re-launching Golden Fleece, an ultra-luxe line, and they gave me that, too." Which technologies currently catch your eye? "eVent is one of the things I'm most excited about. When I started at Brooks Brothers, you'd see a polyurethane or membrane fabric that was waterproof or windproof, but the downfall was breathability. eVent is so permeable that it removes vapor through the membrane, even under water, and that blew my mind. Back then it was only used for high-tech outdoor stuff. But I thought, why not put it into lifestyle? It's so much lighter and more breathable. You want the comfort of ath- leisure, but not sacrifice the aesthetic. The first style (Waterproof Walking Coat) ran this Spring. We're taking the dichotomy of classic and technical and making it into something that this guy can wear, stand underneath a waterfall and not get wet. But you can see someone wear- ing it in the city on any given day. It had a great response when we presented it to our international markets. It had high sell- through and gave us some data that if you're able to deliver, the customer is willing to pay a premium for the comfort. People don't want to bother with layers. You want garments that can thermo-regulate. Brooks Brothers isn't known as an extremely high-tech brand, although we've been pushing the boundaries on that." Who purchased the coat and why should customers buy tech garments from you (as opposed to an outdoor brand)? "We originally thought it would be a Millennial, but there were also guys 50 and up (our core age demographic is 40s-50s). The coat was a little slim, so we skewed slightly young. For Spring 18's eVent jacket, we've made it more of general fit for a slightly wider customer base. We put a hangtag on it and taught our sales staff about it. For that first coat, we used a brushed fabric that looked tailored, but really, it came down to styling. It's a coat you'd want to have in your closet anyway, with some added value. The challenge for us is that we're the oldest retailer in the U.S., but we also want to change with the times. We're a heritage brand." Everyone wants a piece of the Millennial customer. What are you doing to wrangle this guy? "Well, he's a fickle one. We have lines that target him like Red Fleece, which has lower pricing. Mainline has a generous fit and is classic American, but wasn't designed for me. When I was in my early 30s (I'm 35), I was making great product that I couldn't wear because it wouldn't fit me. It's like they were asking me not to shop here. I love our aesthetic, but we've looked at our fits. It's not about making it slim fit, but a better-balanced garment. It's about raising the armholes for better range of motion. Your sweater is going to wear better and not hike up. There's technology in the make of garments. We're also embracing social media and our website (which does up to 40 percent of my entire business). The big misconception is that Millennials don't have money, which is untrue. They are selective in where they spend it and they like brand stories. We outfitted Abraham Lincoln, but that doesn't mean that we're stodgy. It makes us an authority on a lot of things. The button-down collar shirt was invented by us. We created something that's an American icon." O High-Tech Heritage Grant McClelland textileinsight.com 56 • Textile Insight ~ September / October 2017 The Waterproof Walking Coat ($698) contains a waterproof breathable membrane by eVent Fabrics for enhanced comfort. The coat features thermal seam-sealing, laser cut details and genuine horn buttons crafted in Italy.

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