Against the odds of British fashion—and there are many—Barbara Campos has turned around the 40-year-old brand Joseph, which will post an operating profit for the first time since 2015 and open a new-generation store at 124 Regent Street here in October.
In 2020 Campos made the unconventional choice of promoting Anna Lundbäck, already a member of Joseph’s design team, and Lundbäck’s husband Frederik Dyhr, former global creative director at Tommy Hilfiger, as co-creative directors of Joseph.
In 2022 turnover grew 30 percent to 47.1 million pounds. Operating profit was in excess of 366,000 pounds, compared with a loss of almost 9 million pounds in the previous year. The company drastically pared its after-tax losses, too. I spent my first 100 days observing the business and talking to all our employees. I came to the conclusion that we needed to tap into the legacy of what Joseph Ettedgui left. It meant that products needed to serve a purpose in a woman’s wardrobe, and the business needed to be profitable and to stand on its own.
WWD: In 2020, you made an unconventional decision, choosing Anna Lundbäck and Frederik Dyhr, to be co-creative directors of the brand. How is that working out?It was Anna who proposed bringing her husband into the role of co-designer, which I thought was interesting. Once we met, it made so much sense because there was a symbiosis of the right and left brains. She brings her creativity and expertise in womenswear, and he brings his expertise in tailoring and menswear.
In terms of design, we definitely wanted something warmer and more organic than we’ve had previously, and with more natural materials. The store will also feature different textures which resemble those in our collection. It’s an important element of the concept. WWD: You spent most of your professional life at marquee fashion companies in Europe and the U.S. Can you talk about how you have brought your past experience to bear on his job?I acquired very different skills from those companies, but I would say there have been three key moments so far in my career, at DVF,and Hugo Boss. Working in New York for DVF, I really learned about risk taking. They are always making decisions. There is also this idea of the American dream — nothing is impossible.
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