As his brand evolves, Herron still wants to keep his earliest supporters and customers engaged. To do that, he’s delving into branded parties, music and film. Advisry will soon begin hosting screenings, and also plans to get into live music events. These open new revenue streams while cementing Advisry’s place in the cultural conversation. “A large facet of what created the brand — and what continues to hold its place within culture — is the curation of the brand,” he says. “We very much want to keep the other, multimedia facets of the brand alive.”
For ‘Season 10’, for instance, Advisry partnered with Spotify, which sponsored the runway show. The playlist the brand shared alongside the collection was a way of catering to its audience through music, rather than selling clothes, Herron says.
“We’re training that audience,” Herron says. By engaging consumers in non-monetary ways, and selling entry-level garments such as tees and boxers, the designer is building brand loyalty among younger consumers, who he hopes will keep coming back because of both the quality and the brand’s cultural cachet.
He sees Advisry evolving into a new-age lifestyle brand that’s about more than selling clothes. “I want to lead with my personal taste,” he says. “And, to hopefully champion and push forward the other really great acts that also come from my generation, whether that be like great music or great films — and eventually dip our feet into those worlds as well.”
Herron pauses. “But, for now, the focus is getting really good at making clothing.”
Key takeaway: Ten years in, Advisry is at a turning point. After founding the brand at 13 with a streetwear focus, designer Keith Herron has honed his skills and shifted Advisry’s offerings from graphic tees to full runway collections, replete with women’s and menswear offerings. With his most recent collection, the designer seeks to offer the industry a definition of the brand: a “jumping-off point” from which he’ll pursue growth in the fashion industry.
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