Brand Reveller

In our latest piece for The Reveller, Jonny turns his head to geographic expansion, and why where a brand chooses to appear is never just a location decision.⁣
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On a recent research trip to Malta, what struck him was the abundance of international brands choosing the island for expansion. Not just the usual global retail shorthand of Zara and Bershka, but Matalan, Holland & Barrett, Next, M&S and more.⁣
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It raised a bigger question. When a brand enters a new market, what does it bring with it? Convenience? Familiarity? Cultural weight? Commercial noise? And what does its presence do to the texture of that place?⁣
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Expansion is often treated as a numbers game: demand, footfall, rents, tax, tourists, spending power. But geography carries meaning. Class codes, local habits, climate, architecture, aspiration, resistance. A brand can be technically present in a place and still feel completely out of place.⁣
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The smartest brands do not just ask, “Where can we grow?” They ask, “What does this place do to our story?”⁣
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Because growth is not just about being in more places. It is about knowing where you belong, where you can stretch, and where your presence makes the brand feel more itself.⁣
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Read Jonny’s full article on The Reveller, link in bio.

The stripe doesn’t really have a moment. It has a season. Right now, as soon as Europe starts to melt, the stripe reappears as if summoned by the solar rays. Breton tops. Parasols. Hotel awnings. Deckchairs. Cabana cushions. Loose linen. Towels thrown over loungers. Suddenly everything looks like it has either stepped off a boat, escaped to Biarritz or ordered an iced coffee somewhere with superb tiles.

This summer, the stripe is doing exactly what it does best: turning places into postcards. Jacquemus has taken over Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum, while Dior has returned to Il Riccio in Capri, dressing everything from parasols to deckchairs in signature stripes. At the same time, Tekla Fabrics, Cabana Magazine and Sunspel continue to prove the stripe belongs just as much at home as it does by the sea. It’s branding, yes, but it’s also pure sunshine theatre.

For something so simple, stripes carry a lot of history. On flags, ships and uniforms, they were practical: easy to see, easy to repeat, impossible to miss. In fashion, the marinière took them from naval uniform to summer cliché to permanent classic, with a little help from Coco Chanel.

It’s why stripes return every summer without ever feeling totally current or ever entirely over. They are crisp but relaxed, graphic but nostalgic, disciplined but breezy. They can suggest sailors, artists, old hotels, beach clubs, table linen and a very long lunch.

Not bad for such a simple design.