Sam and Naomi
Sam Edelman talks about tapping Naomi Campbell for his fall ad campaign.
“People have to be exhausted, we're hitting them with an awful lot of of information,” Sam Edelman said, reflecting on advertising in today's fastpaced digital world.
“Therefore, you have to make a very strong statement,” he said bluntly. “Therefore, Naomi Campbell.”
Arguably there are few bigger statement makers than supermodel Campbell. And Edelman has her, using the legendary beauty as his latest campaign muse, fronting his brand's fall 2022 campaign.
“We love where she is at in her life. We love the fact that she's a new mother. We love how beautiful she is,” he said during an interview from his New York City headquarters.
Edelman looked to David Lipman — an advertising creative the Edelmans have a long relationship with, having tapped him for past campaigns, including one with Kate Upton. Edelman — along with his wife, muse and business cofounder Libby Edelman — collaborated with Lipman on the creative direction of the campaign. The striking images were photographed by Steven Klein with makeup by Pat McGrath, styling by
Patti Wilson, hair by Jimmy Paul, and production by Jack Flanagan. “The dream team,” he said.
“It was an honor to work alongside industry veteran Sam Edelman, and the legendary team of artists that brought his beautiful story of fashion to life,” Campbell said.
“Sam's touch is modern, sexy, beautiful quality and above all, aspirational luxury.”
The campaign highlights key items from the footwear collection, both fashion styles and the brand's classics, with updates to Edelman's core assortment, all brought to life with Campbell's signature energy.
“It's been a difficult time in history with the pandemic,” Edelman said. “How do we sort of pull the whole thing together and really make a statement? Right now is the time for us really to scream the integrity of our brand. There's nobody that talks today about the integrity of being a fashion icon better than Naomi Campbell.”
Edelman continued, ”And, just as it's always been with Caleres [the St. Louisbased footwear company that acquired Edelman in 2010], we had tremendous support to manifest our vision with a very aggressive marketing campaign,” adding his gratitude to Caleres' chairman, president and chief executive officer Diane Sullivan and president Jay Schmidt.
It's not an overstatement to say the retail landscape has been in flux over the past few years, but Edelman's “aspirational luxury” has stayed on track. “The last 21 months — unbelievable,“he said. “The rest of the world during the pandemic got nervous, inventories got low, sourcing got difficult with supply chain issues. But Caleres maintained strength through this whole period. And they gave that strength to the divisions, like ours, so that if you wanted a size seven and a half in black, we had it. And we've been able to deliver that shoe in 24 hours.
“Our ability to service the customer has allowed us this great success. Just yesterday was more than 60 percent year-over-year growth,” he reported of the brand's e-commerce performance.
An American brand, Edelman's also expanded significantly abroad. It's found in 30 counties outside of the U.S and Canada. Since 2019, Sam Edelman has opened 43 monobrand stores in China across 21 cities as part of a joint venture with Luen Thai Holdings. According to executives, the brand is experiencing strong growth overseas and is on target to finish the year with a fleet of more than 50 stores with plans to add additional units in 2023.
Stateside, a possible economic downturn and recession have many brands skittish, but Edelman stands firm in how his collections resonate with his customer.
“I think that if the government's not giving out money, if interest rates are going up and if people are feeling a little tighter, that doesn't mean that they don't want to buy shoes, bags, belts, dresses, coats and jeans,” he said.
He sees a customer who will spend but carefully. “Sam Edelman is an aspirational luxury brand. We make shoes for $140. They look like $1,200 shoes,” he said of the value his brand offers his customer. “So if things get a little worse, I believe it's going to be even better for us.”
Edelman launched his brand in 2004 after many years in the footwear business with stints at Esprit and Kenneth Cole.
“When we founded Kenneth Cole, the one thing that Kenneth always felt very strongly about was that he didn't want to be only in shoes,” hence the name Kenneth Cole Productions. While Edelman earnestly calls himself “a shoe salesman at heart,” he has taken that road map and run with it, adding more categories, offering a fuller take on his world.
“Our outerwear and our dresses, they're absolute sellouts,” he said. “We'll be delivering our first denim in about three or four months.” The brand has done denim in the past and he expects the category to grow.
“I feel as though between Jack Gross [CEO of One Jeanswear group that does Edelman's denim line] and his team that we're going to tell a story that goes way beyond denim.”
Including denim, Edelman has signed six new licensees this year, giving the brand nine partners altogether, enlisted to produce various lifestyle product categories.
And it won't stop there, with Edelman and wife Libby looking to launch home and costume jewelry. ”The concept boards are done, we just need a partner,” he said.
Edelman had just returned from a meeting with Pete Nordstrom, president and chief brand officer of Nordstrom, one of the brand's key wholesale partners.
“It's a very important time to cement your relationships with your with your partners, “Edelman said of wholesale channels.
“There's a tremendous reach that they [retailers] have, both through brick-andmortar and through the internet. And they also offer benefits, they have points, they have loyalty programs. The consumer loves it.”
As for the brand's own retail, the company is gearing up for a redesign of its SoHo flagship, working with designer Christian Lahoude to “tell our lifestyle story even better.”
The fall Campbell campaign will roll out in both digital and traditional media, something Edelman and his team still firmly stand behind. “It's part of the piece of my legacy or what we've always done. And I really do believe in it,” he said of print and outdoor advertising.
“I think that also those older forms of advertising make all of us stop and spend more time with it,” said Libby Edelman, finishing Sam's thought. “Which is the total opposite of what everybody is doing. And I think there's nothing like taking the time to really touch the advertising or touch the vision.”
Work aside, the couple has more on their plate, with a passion for horses, renovating homes (27 or so, so far) and six grandchildren all under age 4. All of which keep them busy. “One of our houses needs a remodel, “he said glancing at his wife. “But right this minute, it's a good time to take a deep breath and enjoy.”
Edelman then turned back to the business. “Right now, we're betting with Naomi Campbell, we're betting with our retail stores, and our inventories — and we're betting that we can serve the customer.”
“Right now is the time for us really to scream the integrity of our brand. There’s nobody that talks today about the integrity of being a fashion icon better than Naomi Campbell.”
SAM EDELMAN