NEW YORK, United States — Fresh off a stunning runway presentation at the Brooklyn Navy Yards, Christopher John Rogers (the person! the brand!) kicked off this season with back-to-back milestones. A few weeks before the iconic Met Gala’s opening of the In America: An Anthology of Fashion exhibition, Rogers took the stage at The Metropolitan Museum of Art with journalist Alina Cho to regale the crowd with never-before-revealed stories behind the brand’s meteoric rise in his first-ever in-person interview.

While no one’s journey can be replicated, Rogers imparts a rare mix of strong business acumen and creative chops to consider in building a brand for the 21st century. Below are a few of our favorite lessons:

LASER FOCUS ON AESTHETIC MISSION

Rogers declared “accessible glamour” as the raison d’etre for CJR. For designers of every ilk, putting forth a clear and digestible visual message is a vital competitive advantage. In a ruthless arena of seasonal drops and collaborations galore, the discipline and diligence to keep laser focused on an aesthetic vision is a long-term one. His definition of ‘accessible glamour’ represents this idea of dressing for the every day, but with an unabashed sense of self-expression. Cho described it as “monochromatic dressing with a twist” and highlights his use of “color as the hallmark of [his] designs.” Standing out aesthetically is a strategic point of survival.

UNDERSTAND THE BUILDING BLOCKS

“We love a DM!” Rogers exclaimed to knowing laughter. In the early days of brand-building, Rogers was working a day job at Diane von Furstenberg and seeking celebrity placements with stylists via social media. Knowing the critical role of stylists, who are carefully shaping the image of their clients, prioritizing those relationships provided an essential foundation to draw brand acolytes and future ambassadors. It was revealed that Cardi B. was his first celebrity client, who donned an oversized coat from his earliest collection for one of her first major performances — all through the ease of a DM. “This was the first time I really felt the power of Instagram; at the time, I had around 7,000 followers and I got 5,000 followers that day,” said Rogers.

LEVERAGING LOCAL SUPPORT

The story behind their first presentation was a lesson in connecting the dots on a local level. In search of a space to hold the show, enter: Ebony L. Haynes, founding director of new gallery space 52Walker. Rogers recalled, “at the time, she was the director of Martos Gallery in [Chinatown]. David [Rivera] on my team said we really cannot stay on Instagram. I was hesitant [thinking] where would we get the money?” When the team inquired regarding the fee to utilize the gallery’s space, Haynes replied there would be no fee. Her generous support allowed CJR to move from the two-dimensional to an in-person experience and more importantly, led to “a lot of buyers reach[ing] out about seeing the collection.”

LEAN INTO THE WHY

While it is certainly a desire of emerging designers to take over at a major house, Rogers shared an additional dream of his: "a big dream of mine is to create a place where people can come and work and feel free… and feel they can support themselves and come up with ideas, have them be listened to and have them be expounded upon. In fashion, so often especially in design, it’s so hard to find a place where you can feel you are being heard.” A deeper mission beyond beautiful clothing is apparent in the way Rogers celebrates his entire team in the success of the brand. Not a singular effort, but the collaborative contingent paving fashion’s future.

Lead Image courtesy Christopher John Rogers