Baldwin Names Johnathan Crocker President
The Kansas City-based men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and premium denim label has tapped former AG Jeans exec Crocker with a plan for further growth.
Baldwin, the premium denim-focused, ready-to-wear men’s and women’s label founded in Kansas City, Mo., has named Johnathan Crocker as president. Crocker previously was vice president of Global Communications for AG Jeans, a post he left in August. He began consulting for Baldwin before coming on board as president.
Crocker will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the brand’s creative services, design, product development, communications, sales and retail. “My job is making sure we as a brand are positioned in each of those categories in the strongest way we possibly can be,” he said. “I know that doesn’t sound different from what any president does, but I will be very hands-on until we are established in our new chapter.”
The brand, a past Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund finalist, was founded in 2009 by Matt and Emily Baldwin, who remain part of the company as inspiration guides. Crocker describes the product offering as “readyto-wear with denim as a core offering,” but part of his MO is to grow the rtw component to “reposition us as a true contemporary fashion brand.” The denim and men’s design teams are based in Los Angeles and the women’s design team in Kansas City.
Baldwin’s retail footprint comprises five stores — in Kansas City, Mo.; Leawood, Kan; Dallas, New York and Los Angeles. The latter three stores were all opened in the last six months (the L.A. store occupies the former Marc by Marc Jacobs store on Melrose Avenue). A store in San Jose’s Santana Row will open in a few months, with two more are planned for the U.S. in 2018.
The brand also sells in key specialty doors such as Mario’s, Nordstrom and Barneys New York, mostly in the U.S. and Canada. Crocker’s other goal is to expand its wholesale presence in the North America and abroad.
Baldwin is backed by a local family-owned investment group whose ethos is “very much in keeping with Matt’s original vision.” Crocker said he would reveal key appointments and more plans in the coming weeks.