Headline: Walmart Enlists American Fashion Designer Brandon Maxwell as Creative Director for Select Elevated Fashion Brands
BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 16, 2021 — Today, Walmart announced that acclaimed American fashion designer Brandon Maxwell is collaborating with the retailer as Creative Director for Free Assembly and Scoop, its exclusive, elevated fashion brands. This collaboration is a first for Walmart’s private brand apparel business, which has successfully expanded its assortment to include quality, on-trend and accessible fashion to help customers outfit their closet no matter their personal style or budget.Known as one of the industry’s leading American fashion designers, Maxwell will act as Creative Director for Free Assembly and Scoop, driving the design of seasonal collections for men’s, women’s, children’s and accessories. In his role, he will be responsible for collection design and providing input into material selection, sourcing and production. He will also be involved in brand marketing initiatives and campaigns for both elevated brands.Brandon Maxwell Intro to Walmart“Working with Walmart has long been a dream of mine. Like many people across the country who live in a small town, Walmart was the destination for everything where I grew up in Texas, including clothing,” said Brandon Maxwell, Creative Director for Free Assembly and Scoop at Walmart. “This partnership allows me to bring the experience and joy of fashion to countless people who live in small towns across the country. Everyone deserves to have access to well-designed clothing at an accessible price point. I am energized by this collaboration with Walmart, as it is not only an opportunity to make exceptional design accessible to all but with our charitable initiatives, we will work to help people improve their lives. That is after all the most fashionable thing we can do.”Born and raised in Longview, Texas, Maxwell is known for his red-carpet gowns and award-winning runway creations. He began his fashion journey as a child playing under the racks of the clothing store where his grandmother worked in Texas. This experience laid the foundation for a career in fashion styling and the launch of his eponymous brand BRANDON MAXWELL. Like Walmart, Maxwell believes that everyone should have access to beautiful clothing that makes them look and feel their best.“Brandon is a powerhouse in the fashion industry. His designs are beautiful, youthful, timeless and expertly tailored,” said Denise Incandela, Executive Vice President, Apparel and Private Brands, Walmart. “Our shared fashion values of accessibility and commitment to incredible design and quality make him an ideal partner for Walmart. Bringing his distinctive design talent to our elevated brand collections of Free Assembly and Scoop, allows Walmart to offer customers stylish, high-quality fashion at an extraordinary value.”Maxwell will oversee four seasonal collections annually for Free Assembly and Scoop. He will start by influencing the Holiday 2021 collections before his full collections drop in Spring 2022. Launched in Fall 2020, Free Assembly is a modern, fashion essentials clothing brand that offers elevated style with a focus on thoughtful, simple design at an incredible value. Scoop, the legendary fashion boutique re-imagined as a Walmart exclusive brand in Fall 2019, is a trend-inspired fashion brand, featuring elevated details to help customers build their “Ultimate Closet” at an affordable price.As a part of this partnership and his ongoing commitment to giving back to the community, Maxwell has also designed a line of face masks available exclusively at Walmart starting today. Timed to this launch of Maxwell’s exclusive face masks, Walmart will donate $100,000 to DonorsChoose.org, a charity selected by Maxwell for its dedication to helping public school teachers get the funding they need for materials and experiences that will help their students learn.For more details on Walmart’s partnership with Brandon Maxwell and to purchase an exclusive face mask, visit walmart.com/brandonmaxwell.About WalmartWalmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 220 million customers and members visit approximately 10,500 stores and clubs under 48 banners in 24 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2021 revenue of $559 billion, Walmart employs over 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart.