Phipps is a popular name in America. “The funny thing we discovered, which is new to me now that I’m back in the U.S., is that Phipps is a very common name here,” Spencer Phipps said during a phone call from Los Angeles, where he moved from Paris. “There’s a strip club, there’s a mall, there’s a supermarket, [and] a radiology center,” said Phipps, according to the designer’s research. There are even three separate North American lakes bearing the designer’s last name.
Luckily for Phipps, the man, and for Phipps, the brand, there doesn’t seem to be another fashion label with the same name. The designer took advantage of this discovery in his Spring 2024 collection, turning his logo into race car patches that looked less Formula 1 than NASCAR – “the downmarket version,” he joked.
This visual interpretation of his name served as a solid basis for the new collection. “It’s all very distinctive and they’re just weird American people,” he said of his premise, explaining that he was looking for the “countercultural ruggedness” found in workwear, LL Bean and Abercrombie, Carhartt from the late 90’s and clothes in souvenir shops. The Phipps twist was the sense of humor he brought to his plaids, denim and camos. “Especially with rugged American clothing, it’s all very serious, but I’ve come across people who have been quite funny and strange in their presentation,” he said.
There was also a slight kink – gay kink. “He knows what Tom of Finland is,” Phipps said of his customer. This was most evident in the handsome strangeness (and sexiness) of a pair of vintage leather chaps paired with jeans. Where does Phipps find old guys? “I have my weird places to get them,” he explained. “No one really wants old guys, they just sit there.”
Phipps has transitioned his company to a “see-now, buy-now” structure. “This model is more in line with the digital-first intimacy you get from online things,” he said. Late last year, the designer began making himself the focus of his collection images, posting videos to Instagram of himself dressing up in classic “GRWM” style (get ready with me). The positive feedback came immediately, he explained. There is value in speaking Unpleasant your customer vs bee them, seems to be the takeaway.
The fact that Phipps himself is a guy with a big beard and an interesting style who works out – and whose muscles are on display in the videos – certainly helps. (“Intimacy” is right!) His comments consist almost as much of questions about “thirst” as questions about shopping, but they’re pretty much all about the product – whether it’s how good he looks in a pair or jeans or how someone wants to buy them. to take them off in the same way. This is 2024 DTC marketing done right: meet your customer where they are, halfway down the scroll.
