Dive Brief:
- Dickies appointed Denise Anderson as its new vice president of global marketing, according to a press release sent to Fashion Dive.
- Anderson joins the VF Corp.-owned workwear brand from VF-owned Smartwool, where she spent nine years in marketing, first as marketing director and later as head of global marketing and creative, per her LinkedIn page.
- Her appointment comes at a transformational time for Dickies, which saw a 16% revenue decline when VF reported Q3 earnings earlier this month. The heritage line appointed Todd Dalhausser as its global brand president in April 2023, and Werner Bossenmaier replaced Andreas Olsson as EMEA general manager the following month.
Dive Insight:
Dickies has been aligning itself with high fashion over the past few years, showcasing its workwear aesthetic in popular collaborations including a 2022 gold-studded Gucci collection, a 2023 collaboration with Willy Chavarria, and ongoing capsule releases with VF-owned Supreme.
Anderson, who brings 20 years of marketing experience to the brand, “has a track record of evolving and modernizing consumer communication,” per the release. She has previously worked at outdoor performance brand GoLite, equipment manufacturer Peak Pilates, and technology firm AltaVista, per her LinkedIn.
However, Dickies presents some challenges. The 102-year-old workwear brand, along with fellow VF-owned lines including Vans, Timberland and North Face, has seen revenue declines and may face further hurdles as VF attempts to rightsize its revenue. VF said in its Q3 earnings that it was initiating a “strategic review of the brand assets within its portfolio” with its board of directors “to ensure the company owns the brands that it believes create the greatest long-term value.”
“We do not think VF will sell The North Face or Vans as they are in attractive categories and have strong international and direct-to-consumer potential,” David Swartz, senior equity analyst for Morningstar Research Services, wrote in an analyst note on the company’s Q3 revenue report. “However, it may sell Dickies, which is in the unattractive work category or Timberland, which is in the more dynamic outdoor category but has not kept pace with The North Face in becoming a lifestyle brand.”
VF revenue for Q3 fell 16% year-over-year to $3 billion. The company attributed the decline to a “shift in timing of wholesale deliveries” mainly in regards to its The North Face brand and the EMEA region.
