Joining our list of Richer Brands this week is Dr. Martens – a powerful emblem of anti-establishment defiance. DM’s cult popularity can be in-part attributed to adoption by various countercultural titans of the 20th century, but it’s the enduring legacy after the punks have packed it in, that hints at something deeper.
What Dr. Martens have done so well is capture the spirit of self-expression and lace it tightly to the instantly recognisable form of their hero product, largely unchanged since its launch in 1947.
The array of influencers, designers and artists that are all carefully curated to partner with the brand play their role, but they are now retained to keep the dust off an icon rather than genuinely innovate.
For a mainstream fashion brand to be able to maintain a credible outlaw persona for over 70 years is itself, unconventional…but perhaps this loyal tribe don’t really want systemic change, they just want a little bit of rebellion in a cardboard box.