Joe Fresh Brings Reality To The Runway
By Sarah Stefanson April 5, 2010
Joe Fresh Designer, Joseph Mimran
On March 31, the Fall 2010 collection from Joe Fresh hit the runways at Toronto’s LG Fashion Week. Designer Joseph Mimran, an icon of Canadian fashion, presented the latest in his line sold exclusively at over 340 Real Canadian Superstores and other Loblaws grocery stores across the country. What set this particular show apart from others at Fashion Week, including Preloved, Andy The-Anh, Comrags and Project Runway alums Evan Biddell and Jessica Biffi, was a sense of reality rarely seen on the runway. Not only is Joe Fresh incredibly affordable and available at the same place customers do their food shopping, the line is also created with real women in mind.
The Joe Fresh Style concept was not an original one. Target in the U.S. and Tesco and Asda in the U.K. had successfully established a standard for “cheap chic” clothing by the time Loblaws approached Mimran in 2004 about partnering with them to design a clothing line that would be sold in their stores. With his 25 years in the fashion business, Loblaws knew that Mimran’s involvement would supply their clothing with instant credibility and Mimran jumped at the opportunity to forge a comeback in a niche market after a tough period in his career.
Joe Fresh Style was launched in 2006 and aimed at mothers in their 30s who didn’t have the luxury of taking time for themselves to go clothes shopping. Joe Fresh gave them the option of combining the task with the necessary errand of grocery shopping and offered them quality, stylish pieces at affordable prices. The line has since expanded to men’s and children’s wear as well as incorporating beauty and bath products.
It was soon clear that Mimran and Loblaws had a hit on their hands.
The success of Joe Fresh reinvigorated Mimran’s career, which had taken a downturn after he was fired from his position as chairman, president and CEO of Club Monaco, a clothing retailer giant he had co-founded. This setback came after years of triumph in the fashion industry during which he had a hand in creating and promoting popular brands Alfred Sung, Club Monaco and Caban.
In 2000, Mimran sold Club Monaco and Caban to Ralph Lauren Polo Corp. for a reported $52 million, but when sales slumped a year and a half later, he was dumped from the company. Through his consultation company, Joseph Mimran & Associates, he lent his expertise in design, product development and branding to a variety of clients, including Pink Tartan (his wife’s high-end clothing line), Tevrow + Chase and Loblaws President’s Choice line of home products. It was the relationship he established with Loblaws while acting as creative director for President’s Choice Home Collection that encouraged him to get involved with Joe Fresh when the idea came forward.
A few years after its introduction, the Joe Fresh brand is stronger than ever and receiving critical praise as well as enjoying considerable sales. Due to his background in manufacturing, Mimran has been able to produce garments inexpensively and pass the savings on to the customer. A coat that might be sold for $800 in a higher end boutique can be replicated by Joe Fresh and sold for $89 instead. For the average woman, the low prices and convenience of shopping for Joe Fresh are highly appealing.
Mimran carries this real life attitude onto the runway when presenting his new collections. This year, he chose models of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds to don his creations. For past shows, he has selected high profile models like Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha and Rolling Stone’s guitarist, Keith Richards’ daughter, Theodora Richards, but this year his focus was on the kind of women that purchase his clothes.
To that end, he hired plus-size model, Crystal Renn, to open and close the show. Renn admits that when she began her modelling career at the age of 14 she developed an eating disorder that threatened her health in order to fit the excessively thin ideals of the modelling industry. Eventually, she came to her senses and allowed her body to go from a dangerously underweight size 0 to a more natural size 12. At a curvy and healthy weight, Renn has walked runways for Jean Paul Gautier, appeared in several international editions of Vogue and penned a memoir called Hungry: A Young Model’s Story of Appetite, Ambition and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves.
Also strutting down the runway wearing Joe Fresh clothing this year was 39-year-old, mother of two, Kirsten Owen. The English model is twice the age of most runway models, but Mimran boasts that she looks amazing and represents another aspect of his customer base. Starting at the age of 17, Owen has achieved many career milestones including appearances in Elle, i-D, Italian and French Vogue, as well as walking runways for Prada, Jil Sander, Dolce & Gabbana, Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Jean Paul Gautier, Donna Karen, Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent. She has also been the face of Helmut Lang, Fendi, Emanuel Ungaro, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs.
With his presentation at Toronto Fashion Week and his continuing commitment to creating fashionable clothes for real women at reasonable prices, Mimran is doing his part to carry on the conversation within the fashion industry about promoting diversity and healthy body images. If the fervour over the Joe Fresh show at Fashion Week and the brand’s sales are any indications, it seems Canadian women are appreciating his vision.
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Submitted on April 5, 2010 in Industry News.
Sarah is our Western Canadian correspondent. She recently left a long-standing position as editor and writer for TheSoko.com, DriverSense.com & LiveDress.com to focus on book and novel writing. Sarah continues contribute weekly articles to AskMen.ca and Models & Moguls. Sarah thinks she might have been a model if it weren’t for the blessing of Slavic hips and thighs.
Sarah Stefanson has contributed 64 articles to Models & Moguls.
