Joseph H. Hancock II is a professor at Drexel University, USA. He has worked in management, branding, merchandising, and leadership for landmark companies, including The Gap, The Limited Corporation, and Target Corporation. He is principal editor for the journal Fashion, Style & Popular Culture, and co-editor of The Fashion Business Reader (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2019).

You don't have to follow fashion to enjoy Fashion Brand Stories ... Reading feels like strolling along a sparkling shopping corridor as Hancock explains how retailers gain prominence, revealing the strategy and mythology behind what we see in the windows.

• Preface1. Once Upon a Time: Brand/StoryFashion and Popular Culture: Interview with Jessica StrübelWhat Is Fashion Versus Style?What Is Fashion Branding?Public Relations Branding: Interview with Anne Peirson-SmithFashion Branding and StorytellingThe Goals of this BookMoving Beyond Fashion Brand StoriesDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration2. The Past, Present, and Future: A Conceptual OverviewPostmodernism, Philosophy, and TheoryPutting It All Together: Rhetorical Fashion, Encoding/Decoding, and HyperrealityPostmodern Branding SemanticsHypermodernism and Fashion FormsMeaning and Individual StyleBranding and Consumer TheoriesContext, Consumers, and MeaningFuture Consumption of Brands: Interview with Lorynn DivitaCultural Branding TheoriesStorytelling and Success BrandsLifestyle Merchandising and Emotional MeaningsScouting Future Fashion and Patterns: Interview with Krista LowtherShifting Views and Consumers Speaking OutDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration3. Democratization of Merchandising: Ralph LaurenHistory of a MerchandiserThe Polo LineFilms and FragranceRedefining the Lifestyle and Going GlobalLuxury Branding: Interview with David LorangerThe Empire GrowsRalph Lauren Home, Out of Africa, and the New York Flagship StoreFrom Exotic Fragrances to the Rugby StoreInnovation and ScrutinyPhilanthropy and StardomDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration4. Rebel Brand Style: Vivienne WestwoodA Marriage of Music and FashionQueer and Punk Influence on Brands: Interview with Marvin TaylorLife Changes and GrowthGod Save the Planet: A Focus on PhilanthropyStreet Style Success and Subcultural LeadershipWhat Will the Future Hold?Discussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration5. A Designer of Branded Occasions: Vera WangVera Wang: Wedding Expert and Role ModelWho Is Vera Wang?Vera Wang’s Branding StoryFashioning Personal Brand Success: Interview with Amanda BuchananWang Builds Her Brand NameVera Wang’s Mass MerchandisingThe Career ContinuesDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration6. The Branding of Masstige: The Gap, Inc.Gap History and the Sweat WallNew Fashion Gatekeeping: Individuals of Style and Everyone in KhakiBranding Mass Fashion and Off-Price Retail: Interview with Nancy MairInto the Twenty-First-Century GrooveLabor Controversy and ChangeMoving ForwardDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration7. Celebrity Collaborations and Philanthropy: MACHistory of Estée LauderEstée Lauder TodayBranding Sneakers: Interview with Sean WilliamsMakeup Art Cosmetics: MACPhilanthropic Branding with a Twist: VIVA GLAMCelebrity Endorsement, Collaborations, and Genderless BoundariesDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration8. Retro-Branding: Levi Strauss & Co.History of Levi Strauss & Co.Denim Overalls Become Blue JeansStreet Style Influence: Interview with Brent LuvaasMaking Statements: 501 Jeans and Brand/StorySales, Strategy, and a Return to Heritage Discussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration9. Branding Affordable Eyecare: Warby ParkerThe Eyeglasses MarketLuxotticaSilhouette International and Viva InternationalMarchon and SafiloCharmant, Marcolin, and De RigoA Branding King of Retail Operations: Interview with Michael J. EdwardsDoing Things Differently: Warby ParkerWarby Parker Moving Forward with VisionFalling from B Corp StatusCOVID-19: Being There for ConsumersDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration10. Rebranding American Manufacturing: ShinolaHistory of ShinolaThe Product Line and EducationWatchesPaper Journals: Edwards Brothers Malloy, MichiganBicycles: Waterford Precision Cycles, WisconsinShinola Jewelry, Leather Goods, and Pet AccessoriesSustainable Design and Branding: Interview with Chris BaezaShinola Controversy“Bougie Crap” and DiversificationDiscussion QuestionsExpand Your KnowledgeFurther Exploration