Talking the Talk, Fashion CEOs on the Future
Some are, of course. But not every chief executive officer needs to have a hand in every nuance of the business empires they oversee. The best, in fact, are generally good at delegating.
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Still, when it comes to the regular exercise of reporting financial results to Wall Street — and painting the broader picture for investors — the corner office set is filled with, let's say, selective control freaks.
CEOs are once again 'controlling the controllables.'
The parsing of high-level business speak is an inexact art. But 'controlling the controllables' is often a kind of low-key warning that there could be some tough sledding ahead — and if there is, the CEO is being as proactive as possible.
It's an acknowledgment that the future has gotten so much murkier.
Much of that has to do with the turn-on-the-dime trade policy of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war(s) and the uncertain impact of consumers. But there's also the rise of AI, geopolitical uncertainty and more.
While it's the numbers that really speak in earnings reports, the CEOs always have some more to say. Here, an annotated look at how the big corporate chiefs have been talking to analysts over the past two weeks as they examine their present and guess at the future.
The Good News First
'This strong early performance gives us confidence to take up our full-year guidance, even as we remain cautious on the second half of the year due to potential tariff-related pressures on broader consumer behavior.'
— Patrice Louvet, president and CEO, Ralph Lauren Corp.
The Almost Ready to Turn Around
'In spite of all the macro noise out there, we delivered above our guidance this quarter, a good start to the fiscal year. But the much more exciting thing happening is inside the company.…Turnarounds, by definition, start with declines. It's been two years of resetting the table and soon we, too, will move to growth.'
— Bracken Darrell, president and CEO, VF Corp.
Planning to Turn Around
'While still early, we are beginning to see signs that our strategies are working. Although the global macroeconomic environment remains dynamic, we are on track to stabilize our business this year while establishing a strong foundation for a return to growth in fiscal 2027.'
— John Idol, chairman and CEO, Capri Holdings Ltd.
Building the Hype for a Turnaround
'We're undertaking a bold reinvention and rebuilding with purpose to become a sharper, more focused brand one that blends sports, style and innovation with financial discipline and edge. This isn't about fixing the past, it's about unlocking our full potential.…World-class financials don't build world-class brands. It's actually the other way around. The only way we win is by creating a brand people can't ignore. Our current numbers don't yet tell the whole story, but the signs are there. Brand health is starting to gain traction.'
— Kevin Plank, founder, president and CEO, Under Armour Inc.
Still Riding the Wave of the Future
'For the past 14 years, we've been ahead of the curve, making luxury resale desirable and accessible. Now the circular economy is on the rise. We are not only leading the cultural shift in luxury resale, we are also helping to define it. Our operating and consumer expertise and growing brand affinity drives our market leadership.'
— Rati Sahi Levesque, president and CEO, The RealReal Inc.
The Resale Benefits of Trump's Trade Policies
'The closure of the de minimis exemption is likely to cause higher prices for ultrafast fashion goods and to reduce production volumes, both of which could continue to be positives for ThredUp. Second, the increase in the price of new apparel that may result from broad-based tariffs could enhance the comparative value proposition for consumers who are shopping for value on ThredUp.'
— James Reinhart, cofounder and CEO, ThredUp
The Classic, in Control
'As we look ahead, we remain focused on what we can control, elevating our brand, driving operational excellence and deepening connections with our customers around the world.'
— Dani Reiss, chairman and CEO, Canada Goose
The Bottom Line is a periodic business analysis column written by Evan Clark, deputy managing editor, who has covered the fashion industry since 2000.
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