BERNICE PAN OF DEPLOY
“So whilst now the awareness for sustainability is rising it seems that we are making some progress, the problem is actually much more serious than it was back then when no one cared, thought, or talked about it. We really can’t turn a blind eye anymore.” - Bernice Pan
Bernice studied architecture at the University of Cambridge. Following her time at Cambridge, she rose to the role of Design Director at a major New York fashion house and, having witnessed fashion with all its glories and flaws, realized her mission as a designer – namely, to use her passion for design to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives and to tackle the social and environmental problems endemic in the fashion industries. Bernice took a master’s at the Royal College of Art, followed by a Ph.D. in fashion design process and supply chain customization. DEPLOY was launched in 2006, based on the new concepts and business model developed in her doctoral thesis. Sister brand Hennumi Millinery was subsequently co-founded with Tosin Trim in 2009.
Can you talk a little bit about DEPLOY, what your goals are for it, and how the idea came to be?
The goal for DEPLOY is to reform fashion for 360 Sustainability. We are not just a brand that sells clothes. Our message, marketing, and merchandise aim to offer consumers a different way of fashioning that isn't just about overconsumption and resource depletion, which is, unfortunately, how the majority of the global fashion industry operates. There is a different way of staying stylish whilst being truly sustainable. And this kind of sustainability is a whole holistic ethos that permeates every single step of our business model and our supply chain.
The inspiration for DEPLOY came when I worked in the fashion industry 25 years ago. At the height of fashion glory days with catwalks, celebrities, and every single new season launch, it gradually became clear to me how problematic the fashion industry is and how much fashion was creating darkness. This was before people ever thought about sustainability. Clothing was not satisfying people whilst depleting the environment and exploiting people. So I really wanted to figure out this whole fashion industry and marketplace. How can I really take apart the fashion system to work out what needs to change and what can change and how can we change that?
And so that was really the premise of my PhD research, and why I wanted to do it all: to find a new solution as a startup.
Were there any challenges in creating a company with the goal of being sustainable?
In any event, creating a new business was a tough road. Whatever it is that you're starting up. But particularly for sustainability, back then it was not what people cared about. We talked to buyers or press and they're just like, yeah, Get real. And what I decided to do was thoroughly unconventional. So we started up as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand because we wanted to reach and serve customers with a new and more thoughtful way of fashioning that was kinder to both people and the environment.
Do you have any advice for turning passion into entrepreneurship?
Three things.
Who are you really selling to?
Can you wholeheartedly help with or improve their conditions?
2. What is your objective?
Are you trying to make money or to do good? These things are not mutually exclusive, and for us, the principle is always to do both, but they can't just make money and not do good. It is really important to consider every single thing from your R&D, to your resource consumption, to your procurement and recruitment etc. to ensure you are following your objectives while sticking to our true ethos.
The whole life cycle of the business doesn't really stop so really think about the impact we make as a business because every single business has the opportunity to be an agent of change. Do you want to change just for your personal benefits, shareholder’s interests, or do you want to do something good that benefits people, society and the environment?
And how do you define good? And that is an important question to regularly ask yourself, your team, your co-founders, and your customer.
3. Get real, and be hands-on
As startup founders, it is a common place initially, not to know what the end solution might look like exactly. But if you can't figure out how to engage with the real problems or the methodology to find solutions because you don't understand what it involves, then it's dangerous.
What’s it like being a global entrepreneur and how has living and working around the world affected your experience?
So being a global entrepreneur is quite grand! We just won Marie Claire's 2023 sustainability award as the Ethical Brand of the Year. I think working in different parts of the world has really influenced my experience in an absolutely positive way. By being on the ground I understand different demographics, and different cultures including different body shapes, businesses, careers, and age groups. I learn from their values, etiquette, spending, fashioning, and styling. For example, Japanese people are very different from Korean people. Within the same country, East Coast-ers are very different from West Coast-ers. We really get as much feedback as possible and inject that directly into our creative direction, our product development, our merchandise planning, our marketing messages, and our social media posting. And it also just gives me plentiful inspiration all the time. Our deep and personal understanding of preferences and expectations amongst different people and cultures has enabled us to cater to different regions. And our sincere drive to serve them better — with our sustainable offering that enhances their lifestyles with thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, environmental materials, versatile (multi)function, and impeccable fit — has really reaped loyalty in different parts of the world.
Since the beginning of your career, how has the fashion industry evolved?
In a myriad of ways.
First, is that direct-to-consumer versus wholesale has really changed.
Back in the late nineties, everyone wanted to sell to big department stores like Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman. Of course, if one does sell there, it's still great. Now, the power has shifted away from big department stores, so the dynamic between brand owners and big stores has really changed. Every brand wants to speak to its consumers directly.
Secondly, the playing field has really opened up.
The good thing is that there's much more diversity in brands and selection options. The problem is that this also means there is an even wider flood of stuff crowding the market, increasing fashion waste and environmental problems. Our global consumption of fashion, clothing, and textiles has escalated enormously to the point where 100 billion garments are produced every year, cumulatively. And there are only 8 billion, people in the world, every year.
Only 1% of all of this clothing gets recycled, and about 60% goes directly to landfill, shortly after being produced or purchased. Some of them are brand new and unworn. This is a colossal 4X larger volume than in the clothing consumption level of the nineties. That is how serious this fashion industry problem is. That is a big change. So whilst now the awareness for sustainability is rising it seems that we are making some progress, the problem is actually much more serious than it was back then when no one cared, thought, or talked about it. We really can’t turn a blind eye anymore.
Digitization is the other biggest change. Now you can shop around the clock, around the globe with no boundaries.
Do you think that sustainable fashion is the next step for the fashion industry?
Yes, absolutely. But not just the fashion industry– for all industries.
Fashion to this day is completely unregulated. And so I often use this analogy: it doesn't matter whether you use Dior or Dove as your facial soap, it could be the difference between $2 and $200. You'll always choose something that suits your skin because you will not use dishwashing liquid on your face. So why is it that we would choose a $5 clothing product that falls apart, is made using toxic chemicals, and is harmful not only to our own well-being but to that of other people and our shared planet? So I think, that is how, from a consumer’s point of view, everyone should think about price when you buy something from the big, fast fashion.
In the EU, the Green Deal is critical for the transition to a circular economy and is really starting to implement different legislation and set new policies. This is now not a trend. But an obligation. And it will hopefully soon be an absolute must and a given as opposed to a unique selling point (USP).
QUICK TAKES
Do you have a favorite item of clothing if you had to pick one item?
I’d say it’s a DEPLOY piece as it really is my go-to for everything. It's called the Abacus. It's a five-way suit dress. I wear it as a dress, a coat, a short jacket, a skirt, and it's become our absolute signature.
What is one life lesson you carry with you?
It's something that my mom said to me when I was quite young. She said that when you are young, it's all your talent and your forté that makes you excel. When you get older, it's whether you can actually overcome your shortcomings or blind spots that make you continue to succeed.
Can you name your favorite fashion hack or a way to reuse a clothing item for a new purpose or to be sustainable?
The inside of a shirt collar is always the first part that starts to get worn out. So I take the whole collar off and turn it inside out so that you flip it the other way and you can continue to use the same shirt for a while more. Or you can take the cuff off which is even better for women 'cause the three-quarters sleeves are quite charming.