LEARNING THE ROPES.

When faced with the early-20s unease of what to do for a living, I knew I had to find a way into this mesmerising industry.

Luckily that opportunity presented itself at PUMA, where I got an immediate education into the appropriate dress code for a Design office.

On Day 1, I turned up to their slick Tottenham Court Road office looking more Car Salesman than Sportswear aficionado : shirt, suit trousers, brogues (all River Island).

By Day 2, it was PUMA Baskets, turned-up denim & a branded sweatshirt - a uniform that I pretty much swear by to this day.

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After a few brilliant years learning the industry ropes as part of PUMA’s footwear creation team, I moved to the Pentland Group to work on another awe-inspiring brand that resonates with my sport-infatuated youth : Lacoste.

And during my 7 years working there, I’m proud to say that a lot of good things were achieved, among them :

• building a $300m global business

• leading teams of freakishly-talented people across Design, Marketing & Category Management

• partnering with the biggest retailers on the planet

• writing long-term, purpose-led strategy

I also take a lot of pride in the product I’ve helped bring to life (with the support of many, many, many talented people) over the years, so I’ve showcased a few here :

A DIFFERENT PATH.

As mentioned, I grew up obsessed with the stories and product that brands in the Sportswear & Fashion world represented, and consider myself massively fortunate to have worked for some historic companies that mean a lot to me personally.

But the more I became professionally embedded in that world, the more I realised that the conventional way business was done was becoming more broken, totally unsustainable and essentially no longer fit-for-purpose.

It’s my overwhelming belief that our industry urgently needs to overhaul how it conducts its business for its own future prospects, not least in light of the bewildering environmental & social damage it is responsible for.

I also believe that a purpose-led approach to building brands, devising strategy & making commercial decisions in the industry is the only way forward now, yet - for the most part - brands remain reliant on the traditional, failing business models of yesteryear.

Trust me: I’ve been one of those people in one of those brands who has blindly ignored the irresponsible impact of their decision-making in the quest for growth at-all-costs.

Hence the creation of ASSEMBLY.

This is the vehicle for me to play my small part in the effort to transform the industry responsibly, for the enduring health of its brands and its people, so they can continue to inspire and energise future generations.

THE VISION.

Looking ahead, I’d like to see ASSEMBLY as a gathering point for those of any discipline who are experiencing similar thoughts about what purpose our industry serves, and how best to future-proof it.

At the moment, as a one-man-band, I can help companies take honest steps in the right direction by ensuring genuine purpose, robust strategy & efficient process are in place, but it will take a multi-talented team to turn those steps into industry-shaping strides of change.

So I hope for ASSEMBLY to be that force for good one day.

I can also definitively say that - today - ASSEMBLY does not possess expertise in sustainable practices.

But it absolutely intends to - through my own learning journey and the integration of those more knowledgeable than myself (who, on that basis, won’t be too hard to find).

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If the above resonates with you in any way, then please feel free to reach out and share your own story - the learnings from these exchanges can be immeasurable and powerful.

I’ve said more than enough - time to get on and actually do it I suppose…