One might say the past two years may not have been the best start to a new decade, and rightfully so, but for Brandon Blackwood, it’s been an ideal inflection point for his business. In the midst of the early days of the pandemic and the social rise around the Black Lives Matter movement, people found new ways to incorporate more Black businesses into their lives and sought different avenues to show support and voice their allyship with the Black community.
Blackwood was one of the designers who used his platform to speak out, and as a result, he introduced the beloved End Systematic Racism (ESR) Tote. The ESR tote instantly became an ‘it bag’ and was worn by the likes of celebrities, supporters of the brand and activists. Before releasing the ESR Tote, business was steady. But according to a Business Insider report, by May 2021, the brand had already netted $14 million in revenue for the year from bags that cost no more than $650—aside from a select style made out of crocodile that retails at $8,500.
Building community, delivering great customer service and maintaining a personal relationship with customers are just some of the things that Blackwood has mastered. “I think it’s just really about keeping everything organic,” he says. “Honestly, with my customers I think because I’m so open and still kind of available (I ask them what colors and shapes we should use) we have an open rapport and I love that because I think that’s what has been instrumental in helping the brand grow so quickly.”
It’s a method that not many mega-brands can say they’ve adopted. “When you look at other brands, they’re not necessarily talking to their customers, asking their customers their opinions, or in the comments with them figuring things out,” he adds. “And I think because of that we’ve been really able to grow in a very kind of strange and almost different direction. I think a lot of the bigger fashion institutions don’t really realize how to consume or understand us because it’s been so strange. But I think it’s helped the brand grow because I don’t feel like I’m alone in this and I don’t feel like it’s just me and my team. I feel like it’s me, my team and half a million other people.”
Creating a personalized experience is something that has always been at the core of the Brandon Blackwood brand. Before the ESR Tote takeover, it was the brand’s customizable fur fanny packs, which most people customized with their names, that were a customer and celebrity favorite. On a daily basis, Blackwood reposts pictures from customers on the brand’s Instagram story, along with sharing a glimpse of his New York City life while asking customers for their opinions on future drops. “When you think of a Brandon Blackwood girl [all customers], it’s a very specific person because that’s literally who’s buying the product, who’s hyping the product up, who’s the ones posting on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, so your customer does mold your brand,” said Blackwood. “And I think the more you try to fight that, the less you will do well.”
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Once upon a time, Brandon Blackwood wasn’t stocked in high-end retailers because they struggled to understand the brand’s direction. Take for instance the brand’s newest New York City billboard that shared that the defunct retailer Barney’s once said the Brandon Blackwood brand had no direction. They couldn’t have been more wrong. Today, Brandon Blackwood’s bags are carried in several luxury retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom and Selfridges. In addition, Blackwood’s bags have been spotted in music videos from some of our favorite artists including Saweetie and
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