In announcing a design collaboration with Brandon Maxwell, Walmart laid out how the well-known designer’s influence would become manifest. Having previously created looks for Lady Gaga, Maxwell soon will add pieces and looks to two of Walmart’s in-house product lines, Free Assembly and Scoop.

As the creative director for both these brands, Maxwell promises to offer fashionable, stylish options to people living paycheck to paycheck—a goal that he says was borne from his youth in a small town in Texas, when Walmart was the only option available for obtaining new clothes. In addition to using fashion as an equalizer, with the argument that “Everyone deserves to have access to well-designed clothing at an acceptable price point,” Maxwell aims to transform the collaboration into benefits for society more widely.

For example, even before any of his clothing have appeared in stores (slated for later in 2021), Walmart introduced face masks that featured some of Maxwell’s existing designs. Proceeds from the sales contributed to a $100,000 donation that the company made to DonorChoose.com, a charity that aims to help teachers in low income schools supplement their classroom resources.

Maxwell might be focused mainly on the societal benefits of the collaboration, but Walmart also is determined to achieve some performance benefits for itself. Its close competitor Target enjoys a better reputation as a place to find fashionable clothing, a position that Walmart would love to undermine and achieve for itself. It previously has relied on more celebrity partnerships, such as a clothing line designed by the actor Sophia Vergara. But by bringing on an expert known exclusively for his design work, the retailer is signaling a new dedication to being a fashion destination, at the forefront of not just trends in clothing but also people’s minds when they think about where to get their latest look.

Discussion Question:

1. Can Walmart overcome the first-mover advantage that Target has, in terms of its reputation for being a fashion-forward retailer?
2. Does introducing more high-fashion product lines disrupt or threaten Walmart’s existing image? Why or why not?

 Source: George Anderson, “Will Hiring a Celebrity Designer Turn Walmart into a Fashion Destination, a la Target?” Retail Wire, March 16, 2021