Branded merchandise was once solely found at business conventions and in the wardrobes of fervent fans, but it’s enjoying a renaissance as Gen Yers and Zers seek new ways of expressing their identity. What does this resurgence reveal of the shifting nature of consumer-brand relationships?
Will Williams is the creative director at Forpeople, an independent creative agency that has worked to shape the future of some of the world’s best-known and best-loved brands. The company’s expertise covers everything from graphic, product, spatial, and interaction design to moving image, writing, research, and strategy.
Ulrich Lehmann is an associate professor of design practice and theory at Parsons School of Design. His research interests include the histories of ideas and of material culture in Europe from the 1780s to 1850, and the meaning, materiality, and praxis of contemporary design. He has contributed to a wide range of journals and his published books include Tigersprung: Fashion in Modernity and Fashion and Materialism.
Gregory Babcock is the editor-in-chief of Grailed, a resale marketplace for men’s fashion and streetwear. He has extensive experience in the menswear, streetwear, and broader fashion industry both in-house at brands and as a journalist for titles like Complex and Highsnobiety.
