Adrian Santos, Cole Haan
How is Cole Haan navigating the new normal of an emerging post-COVID world and all the business uncertainties involved?
From a consumer perspective in the past two years, consumers have made dramatic shifts in what they value, how and where they live their lives and spend their time, and what they wear while they do it. They are drawing a hard line in the sand, insisting upon maintaining the comfort to which they’ve become accustomed over the past two years but seeking a desperately needed style upgrade to propel them into new hybrid office life, new commutes, and more formal in-person events. For nearly 100 years, Cole Haan has consistently delivered products that provide consumers with a unique alchemy of style, comfort, and versatility. Never have these three attributes been more important to society than this moment in time, when the brand is rewriting the rules of office sartorial etiquette alongside its consumers.
From a business perspective, The COVID pandemic accelerated our digital channel significantly, and we saw this as a significant component of our future growth plans internationally. However, store growth is equally as important, especially in markets where we have just started to launch Cole Haan. Store and door openings in the most important malls within a given country are critical and an important component of our international growth plans.
With sustainability taking precedence in the years to come, what is Cole Haan’s position on this?
Sustainability is something that Cole Haan takes very seriously. This past February, we launched Generation ZERØGRAND II- the inaugural product of Cole Haan’s new Change Forward™ initiative for Sustainable Innovation and Natural Design. Change Forward™ represents the Company’s intention to better itself and the world around them by actively seeking naturally derived or recycled materials for many of its product components. This initiative also formally extends work the Company has undertaken over the past several years to reduce waste throughout its supply chains, such as introducing recycled materials in packaging and shipping cartons. Going forward, all Cole Haan products labelled SUSTAINABLE will include a minimum of 25% naturally derived or recycled content by weight.
We are actively seeking environmentally conscious, naturally derived or recycled materials for many of our product components. And, for leather components, we are prioritising responsible leather sourcing. Additionally, we work with our factory partners to ensure adherence to our Code of Conduct through internal and external audits, focusing on management systems as well as through collaboration with other brands, and as informed by our partnership with Social Accountability International, a global non-governmental organisation advancing human rights at work.
We know we are not a sustainable brand, nor can we name ourselves as such yet. However, we are working on it and have been working on it for the past few years, with more to come soon.
Sneakers have dominated the footwear scene for quite some time now. Do you feel it will still be the go-to for consumers?
Absolutely. Cole Haan has a rich heritage as the go-to brand for those entering the workforce, and we’re continuously reimagining for a new generation — the sneaker generation has gone to work, and we’re the perfect complement to their workwear style. All of our products represent Cole Haan’s signature combination of craft, style and versatility. Our assortment is made to support work, play, and the everyday moments that matter.
Over the course of the last several years, we’ve been attracting a younger audience through various strategic launches and partnerships. We’re constantly innovating with the customer in mind, and our 90+ year history has given us the benefit of being appealing to many generations.
When putting out a new shoe design, what are some considerations that go into the process?
First and foremost is Cole Haan’s consumer. We are hyper-focused on what our consumers’ style needs are, what are their functional considerations, and how they are using it. Where are they using it? What time of year and seasonality? And, of course, we consider where it’s going to be sold or part of the world geographically it’s going to be sold and the type of distribution.
How does Cole Haan strike a balance between craftsmanship and technology for its footwear?
Our Cole Haan design ethos is a principle we call Future Familiar. It’s about striking a balance between close to 100 years of tradition, nostalgia and craft in concert with forward-thinking design, innovation and modern engineering. For example, if we are creating a more traditional product like a pump or dress Oxford, we will lean into more familiar or traditional design cues, and we might choose to imbed the innovation and features & benefits on the inside. Or in contrast, with our more forward-facing products, such as the 5.ZERØGRAND WRK sneaker, we will intentionally amplify iconic innovation externally and more subtly imbue the product with familiar design traits. For all of these attributes, we can tune them up or down depending on our audience, channel of distribution, or product use occasion.
Cole Haan is no stranger to innovations. How does Cole Haan continue to innovate to ensure it stays ahead of its competitors?
We obsessively focus on our consumers and the things that they are doing in their lives and how their lives continue to evolve. At this moment, we are in an incredible time of change where so many components of our lives have shifted so dramatically. As an example, consider how our work lives have evolved. We are constantly transitioning from the office to home and beyond. Moments like this create opportunity, new use occasions and new needs that never existed before. These are the white spaces we’re looking at and pioneering products that will define today and tomorrow.
Cole Haan has been collaborating with various brands over the years. How does Cole Haan identify the right collaborators to work with?
We’re always keeping our eyes out for the next great partnership that will serve to infuse the Cole Haan brand further into culture and generate awareness amongst a new audience of consumers.
Cole Haan’s latest campaign is Work For What You Believe In. How does this statement resonate with your personal life?
I believe in hard work and building teams and brands and I’ve done that through my entire career. One of the most exciting experiences that I had is working with Cole Haan. we grew exponentially over the course of 10 years, barely had any international markets, today we distribute in over 90 countries and we’re very excited about celebrating our 100th country launch in 2023. We’re also going to celebrate our 400th international door opening in 2023. So very exciting times for me personally and for the company.
Finally, what are three styles of shoes every guy should own?
A pair of beautiful dress shoes whether it’s a slip-on or lace-up. A casual shoe with high versatility and a pair of running shoes whether they run or not. It’s all about athleisure and comfort.
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