True - only in Paris - story.
CHANCE MEETING
Wandering around Marais on a very rainy Thursday afternoon and end up in Ted Baker. A well and colorfully dressed gent says hello and asks what's my name. JT I tell him (I tell him my actual real name however). And he says he is Ted Baker. "No shit?!?" say I. "No shit!?!" says Ted.
Fun conversation ensues. I told him how much I loved his clothes and about how his designs were becoming a big deal in the States. He proudly proclaimed that they did no advertising and their growth was by word of mouth only.
Then I tried on a phenomenal pea coat - elbow patches, leather-lined collar (inside the fold), incredible inner lining, 4 rows of buttons and a deep blue instead of black or dark navy. I like it a lot. So I say, "What do you think Ted?" and Ted replies that he had only me in mind when he conceived it.
Then he asked me if I had ever heard of this American he had recently met and did I know anything about this person? We proceeded to Google to see what was up. All-in-all a pretty memorable experience.
BACK AT THE RANCH
Anyway...back at the ranch, I decide to Google Ted Baker. Guess what: No such guy. Seriously. Ted Baker is a brand / concept that was conceived by Ray Kelvin in the 1980s. The guy in the store was Ray Kelvin - he's the CEO and creator of Ted Baker. I sort of knew this before but I had more or less forgotten and when the guy introduced himself as Ted Baker, I just went with it. Because really, the guy IS Ted Baker. I'm glad we didn't ask to take his picture because he's famous for avoiding any and all full-on pictures of himself. His stated intent is to focus on the brand and the product and not on the personality of the designer or any one person.
Imagine any designer (Hilfiger, Lauren, Jacobs, etc.) not putting their own name on the label. Now also imagine a clothes store where every single thing you see, you like - a lot. Now imagine the same brand expanding with exponential growth without any advertising. This is Ted Baker. Impressive.
END RESULT
Now I have a coat that I love and an amazing story to go with it. Plus, I have a new favorite clothing brand to explore. Look up Ted Baker and Ray Kelvin - some good lessons to be learned about brand, marketing, quality and focus. read more