Complex: The new Twelvebar site just launched. Congratulations.
Nick Jackson, Twelvebar: Thanks. For us as a brand, we took a step back and were like, “Look. Until we open a physical space—which we plan to do—this site is our window to the world.” Our site is about two things: it’s about selling product, and it’s about music. So when you come our site, you first see the store, and then you can access The Twelvebar Sessions, which are a series of DJ recorded sets based around a theme. The Sessions is all about the DNA of the Twelvebar brand, which has its roots in music.
C: Cool.
NJ: When you check out the site, you can see that we like these DJs, that they support the brand. You can read their interviews in kind of a quirky way, check out their Soundclouds, check out what we’re listening to each week, and understand the roots of it, where it’s from, and why we’re listening to this new stuff and this old stuff and bringing it together coherently. And through sharing this part of our lives, we want to share with you why it makes sense that these jeans are called this, why these graphics are what they are, and why this logo is based on a heart. We want the user and consumer to visit our site, and say, “OK, I get it.”
C: And the content play is to help bring people back to the site consistently.
NJ: Yes. Really we want people coming back as much as possible, and we’re doing that by sharing product updates, but also by being consistent with regular content. It’s not a blog. We’re not interested in doing a, “Hey, this is what we do all day, here’s my lunch.” Instead we want to share, “This is what the brand is all about.” And we want you to be a part of it. Come and buy the gear, come and spread the word, be the ambassadors for it, and in a word, spread the love, which is the message. And to help sell product, of course.
C: Does this site mark a change in brand?
NJ: The site is more a redefiniftion of the Twelvebar platform that we’ve always tried to promote and an attempt to take control of our brand’s destiny. If you want to build a large wholesale business you come under a lot of pressure. We were going into Barneys and they were like, “We love your denim and your t shirts, but we need some outerwear and we need some accessories and we need some socks.” So when it goes down that path, the buyers are pretty much dictating how your line comes to be. We’ve taken a look at it and said, this is what we’re best at, this is what we’re going to do, we’re controlling our distribution, and we’re not really at anyone’s beck and call. That doesn’t mean that your production timetable or the work you have to put in is less onerous, it means that you kind of live and die by what you deliver rather than someone else.
C: And having a digital strategy through your own site helps with margins, I’m sure.
NJ: Of course. It also allows us to manage our production, and it’s great for longevity. Controlling how our brand is perceived, and now allowing another online retailer to do so, is the way to a longer path. I still do think that a physical space is very important, to touch and feel and explore the product. It adds massive value to the brand experience, so we are planning on going there. But for now, this is the first step in gaining control of our offering. With the sites and with the dynamism of the technology, you can provide a real experience that people get and that people embrace and come back to.
Check out the new site over at twelvebar.com
