When fashion industry trends are combined with creativity, a new style and individuality are born. In this era, fashion and apparel businesses tend to adopt business plans that are more innovative, creative, unique, attractive, trendy, and customer-focused. To enhance and bring customer experience to a new high, brands in the fashion and apparel industry take to building an Apparel and Media business model type. This business model integrates fashion and apparel with media by applying product development skills, strategic retail planning, media-driven marketing and advertising, and merchandising products. The combination of these two industry sectors can contribute to brands enhancing and elevating their brand awareness, visibility, customer engagement, merchandise, and market responsiveness.
In line with building a strong business plan that increases a brand’s presence in the market, here we shall delve into this article that shares deep insights into how an Apparel Executive – Eddie Miyoshi partners with FORMER, an American and independently owned Apparel and Media business, to lead it as a Chief Executive Officer, Partner, and as a General Manager in apparel brand management. FORMER was co-founded by four artistic friends who are all individually talented and skilled, creative and innovative, who came together to build this brand from the ground up with only passion, commitment, and drive for creating, designing, and producing what we like to wear and be a part of. FORMER is a small operation run by Craig Anderson, Dane Reynolds, Austyn Gillette, and the late Dylan Rieder. Established in 2016, the brand is now led by Eddie Myoshi as the CEO since 2020 for managing operations with a strong business plan.
From Passion to A Vision – A Rider-Owned and Operated Clothing Brand:
Co-founders – Craig Anderson, Dane Reynolds, Austyn Gillette, and the late Dylan Rieder founded and established FORMER with the goal that intends to “defy normality, corporate idiosyncrasies, industry traditions, and predictability.” Craig and Dane who share the same passion for surfboarding and Austyn in skateboarding, partnered to do something different and innovative. With individuality in the arts and culture, the four friends came together to “create something cool”. Dane was a best-selling surfboard model who founded two successful surf media platforms, starred in surf films, has friends in the same community, and leads the operations and decisions on the creative aspects of the fashion and apparel brand. Craig another surfboarding enthusiast and family-oriented man is committed to FORMER’s retail strategy goal of being a rider-owned and operated organization that reflects their creative collective for freedom and individuality. Austyn, a pro at skateboarding, met the incredibly talented trio – Craig, Dane, and the late Dylan on a “Team Average” trip. Austyn became fast and easy friends with Dylan – who introduced him to Craig and Dane soon after. This meeting was FORMER’s conception and its idea for a clothing deal was conceptualized.
To stand out from retailers and other fashion and apparel producers, FORMER’s official online website formermerchandise.com has a very retro-grainy look and has black and white images and background. Being unique to their brand in producing premium, quality, and stylish fashion and apparel, FORMER “creates, designs, and produces clothes that people want to wear and be a part of” – a community. Co-founded in 2016 and located in Signal Hill, California, USA, the brand sells its clothes which are produced with great detail and attention to the fabrics and materials used, the fit, color, quality, and affordability of the community.
The Apparel Executive Redefining FORMER with A Business Plan:
Dane Reynolds, the co-founder of FORMER comments on the brand’s introduction to the market by saying that “…It was really just an idea. We didn’t have any business plan or strategy or angle, we were just like ‘We don’t align with any brands in our industry so let’s make shit that we like!” On how FORMER was started and how he felt about the brand, Dane reminisces saying, “I ran it out of my garage for 18 months. It was gnarly, but I loved it. I loved handling the product and talking to customers. But in reality, we were just treading water.” With no actual foundation and business plan built to fortify the brand and its goals in customer experience enhancement, the co-founders at FORMER brought in an Apparel Executive with over 25 years of expertise in the field to come and join in driving the brand’s mission of fostering a brand’s identity that deeply connects the lifestyles and cultures of its co-founders while focusing on the creativity, customer engagement, authenticity, and individuality.
Eddie Myoshi, an expert in architecting and developing profitable and sustainable business models for streetwear and lifestyle brands, joined FORMER in 2020. Imparting his 25 years of expertise in the field at FORMER, Eddie oversees the general management areas of the business in “Manufacturing and Distribution, Product and Fashion Business Development, Sales/Marketing, and the Executive Management of wholesale, e-commerce, and bricks-and-mortar channels.” Acting as the Chief Executive Officer and Partner of FORMER, Eddie “has taken our idea and turned it into a real business with a plan. It’s been exciting working with someone with experience and logical, rational, and strategic thinking”, shares Dane Reynolds. Before joining FORMER, Eddie was the President at VOLCOM, the CEO at HUF Worldwide Apparel, the Founder of Factory 344 LLC, a Board Member/Partner at Mixwell Worldwide Inc., and a General Manager/Partner at Rivvia Projects. While still managing operations at FORMER, Eddie co-founded Kasa Maison in 2022.
Further commenting on FORMER, Eddie shares that, “The interesting thing about building a brand like FORMER based on athletes and creatives, is we don’t have a predetermined, targeted, and planned position in the market. The co-founders are seen enough in carrying the question of market position and competitive advantage.” Positioning the brand to overcome the near-term macroeconomic challenges, and constantly changing in line with the ever-evolving innovation in fashion retail and the apparel industry, Eddie leads FORMER to its glory in achieving global expansions and brand-building from what Dane, Craig, and the late Dylan have specially built.