The Man, The Label, Todd Snyder
When I arrived for the event, the doors at the 92nd Street Y were not yet open.
There was a line of fashionable people out front so I knew I was in the right place.
The woman in front of me was wearing widely-cuffed khaki trousers, ironpipe-colored socks (think Farrow & Ball) and bright white Jack Purcells.
Classic but with a little more enthusiasm than usual. A little more wardrobe department.
We were all there to see design impresario Todd Snyder do a sit down interview with fashion editor Fern Mallis.
Mallis opened with a litany of big ups to get the audience excited, calling Snyder "the inheritor of Ralph Lauren's mantle” and "today's patron saint of menswear.”
She then listed the famous brands he's designed for - Ralph Lauren, GAP, and J. Crew - and collaborations he's done with - Woolrich Black Label, J. Press, Jack Purcell, Timex, LL Bean.
Then Snyder came out on stage, the house lights went down, and they talked.
Here are the items I will remember from their conversation ...
Todd Snyder’s first job was de-tasseling corn in an Iowa corn field. He did that for one hot, dirty summer and knew it wasn't for him.
His next job was indoors, in the men's department at a traditional department store where he would call customers "Mr. [last name]" excessively until they would respond "Please call me [first name]".
By his description, most customers would come in shrunken. "I have to go to a [wedding, meeting, funeral]." Then he would put them in front of a mirror and make recommendations to try to help them look their best.
It didn’t take long for him to realize that his job was not only about dressing the person and making a sale. It was about building confidence and helping people to express and enjoy themselves at life’s important events.
That led Snyder to learn sew. He designed and made his own clothing. People loved it. This resulted in a foundational portfolio which he used to get a foot in.
The getting-a-foot-in stories were exciting. Calling. Calling back. Asking confidently by name for people he didn’t know. Knocking on doors. Asking. Asking. Asking.
He was focused and tireless as he strove to work alongside the best of the generation ahead of him. Sometimes in multiple separate stints. "Never burn bridges" he said smiling.
During these years he was maximizing his contacts with tailors, mills, merchants and other designers - for the purpose of doing his own thing. Some day.
He was also traveling. During trips to Tokyo he encountered unexpected only-in-Japan brand collaborations, which he would later adapt for his own purposes.
It was a long stint at J. Crew working with Micky Drexler and Jenna Lyons that would finally prepare him to go out on his own. Their productive run together - the Ludlow Suit, the Weddings line, Crew Cuts, the Liquor Store - gave him the momentum and the wherewithal to make his move.
In his telling, it seemed both spontaneous and predestined to follow his father’s advice: Work with others. Only work with the best. Learn from them. Don't start your own thing too early.
After venturing out on his own, he worked day and night for 10 years and then sold up to a conglomerate for tens of millions of dollars, and for whom he now works as Chief Brand Officer.
This position keeps him on his toes as he plans to rapidly scale up the Todd Snyder brand, with 10-15 more retail locations to open in the next year or so.
And as he pushes the boundaries his design territory. One favorite of mine is a recent collaboration he did with LL Bean on the interior design of bungalows at Hidden Pond in Kennebunk, Maine.
And as he produces glitzy international fashion shows. The YouTube video of his 2024 Pitti Uomo show is amazing for what he calls "sillouette and fabric". Not to mention the dramatic lighting and setting.
So here we have Todd Snyder, man and label, doing what they do. Taking old ideas and making them new again.
I’ll close with a quote from the interview that IMO really captures the spirit. "I have made a successful business out of taking anything I might find in my grandfather's closet, and reimagining it for myself or one of my friends."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Snyder_(fashion_designer)
