Brandon Maxwell and Walmart Celebrate One Year Together
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Brandon Maxwell was cleaning out his office when he found the notebook.
“We were moving right before [New York] Fashion Week and I had this little bucket list that I had written down years ago, like when I had started,” the New York-based designer and “Project Runway” judge told WWD. “It was things I wanted to achieve; my dreams for myself. I grew up shopping at Walmart and continue to shop at Walmart. So [working with Walmart] was just always a dream of mine.”
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That dream became a reality in March 2021 when the mass-merchant retailer named Maxwell the creative director of two of its own brands: Free Assembly and Scoop. The job meant Maxwell would oversee four seasonal collections annually (two at Free Assembly and two at Scoop), starting with his input in the Free Assembly and Scoop 2021 holiday collections. But the spring 2022 Free Assembly and Scoop collections, which launched Tuesday in Walmart stores and its e-commerce, are the first two that fully embody Maxwell’s creative visions.
“We work a year in advance,” explained Denise Incandela, executive vice president of apparel and private brands at Walmart. “So [Maxwell] joined nearly a year ago and it’s taken this long for his creative direction and leadership to get to the market. For holiday, he kind of supported us where he could. But it was too late when he came in to [impact] holiday with as big an impact as it is now [on the spring collections]. This is really his first true collection.”
Incandela added that the retailer made the decision to onboard Maxwell “because we had great respect for him as a stylist, as a designer and we shared very similar values. We both wanted to bring beautiful clothing at extraordinary accessible price points [to the masses]. We thought he could bring a taste level and a differentiation that didn’t exist at Walmart and enable us to grab more of our customers’ share of closet. And [Maxwell] was so passionate about our Walmart customer. He had grown up shopping in Walmart.”
When the duo finally met in person, Incandela said, “It just kind of all clicked.”
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Walmart has been on a mission to elevate its fashion status and become more of an apparel player, adding more than 1,000 brands to its lineup, over the last few years. Names such as Levi’s, Champion, Reebok, Free People, Jordache, Lee, Bonobos and Eloqui, as well as private lines, such as Sofia Jeans by Sofia Vergara and Free Assembly. “We probably add over a 100 national brands a year,” Incandela said.
In addition, three of Walmart’s own apparel lines are $2 billion brands, although the executive declined to specify which ones. “It’s a full 360 strategy that we’re working on to continue to attract our customer and establish Walmart as a fashion destination,” Incandela said.
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Walmart purchased the rights to Scoop and relaunched it as one of its own brands in 2019 with an eye on fashion-forward trends. Free Assembly, a Walmart original, came the following year. Both brands are available on Walmart’s website. In addition, Free Assembly is available in 1,000 Walmart doors and Scoop is available in 250 doors in the U.S.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re in a lot more doors for both of them over the coming years,” Incandela added.
Both brands offer an assortment of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories at slightly higher price points than Walmart’s regular assortment. (Free Assembly’s prices range from $8 to $48, while Scoop’s prices are between $18 and $75.)
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“It’s a tier above our core offering and brings this aesthetic at an extraordinary price point that we haven’t in the past offered,” Incandela said.
This seems like a sharp contrast when compared with Maxwell’s private luxury label (where dresses often come with $2,000 price tags). But the designer said creating a fashion line that was accessible for all was also on his bucket list.
“Fashion is transformative and it’s a way to say to the world, ‘this is how I want to be seen,’” explained Maxwell, who grew up in East Texas. “That’s powerful and I think everybody deserves access to great fashion at an affordable price. And that is something I’ve always believed and I am really most proud of.”
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“It’s the little things that excite me,” he added. “Like when these clothes go into the store and my mom will be able to drive down the street and try them on. Or my sister, or my best friend from home. That’s very rewarding for me. I wear a lot of Free Assembly on a daily basis and I have been excited that people in my life have been buying Free Assembly and wearing it.”
For spring, the designer said the collections are all about optimism. “And being out into the world and blooming again. We wanted that to feel joyous and happy,” Maxwell said. “Each season we’ll change the prints, patterns and colors, but really, they’re meant to be seasonless. My hope is that everyone will shop both brands and mix and match them together.”
The collections include lots of bright colors, like dandelion yellows, fuschia pinks and pastel ginghams. There are also sustainable pieces, made from organic cotton.
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“[Brandon] brings a very different eye and a very strong point of view,” Incandela said. “And I think the collection has changed under his creative direction. That more kind of Americana look and inspiration, that classic style with a modern twist, that all comes from him.”
These days, Maxwell travels back and forth between Texas (his sister just had a baby, he said, and he’s looking forward to spending more time with family, in addition to visiting Walmart stores in the area) and New York City, where he lives and works with Walmart, while also running his own fashion house. He’s also one of hosts of the hit show “Project Runway,” which just completed its 19th season.
But Maxwell gushes about all of it over the phone.
“I’m more excited than ever,” he said. “It’s been really nice to meet new people and try new things and to learn and to grow. I learned a different skill set, working with Walmart, than I do with Brandon Maxwell. I’m thinking about marketing one way at Brandon Maxwell, which is primarily through a fashion show. I get to make a lot more imagery and storytelling at Walmart than I get to do at my own brand, outside of those runway moments. It really expands your thinking. [For example], where will this image live [at Walmart]? And how does this image that we create apply to in-store signage versus e-comm? You’re learning a new skill set of things that I’ve had experience in before, but not on such a big level.”
As for crossing off items on his bucket list, Maxwell said, “There are still things I haven’t done, like having a baby. I haven’t gotten around to that part yet. For some reason, I feel like it’s probably time, but I also don’t feel ready. I’m 37, but in my mind I feel not 37. I can tell you [though] that that is not in the pipeline this year.
“Right now, I’m just really focused on what’s in front of me,” Maxwell continued. “Growing something and building a brand vision is really exciting to me. That’s why I wanted to start my own brand. And we have a lot of exciting work to do here at Walmart and I’m working on new collections at Brandon Maxwell as well. So, I’m pretty busy at the moment.”
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