Janek Feldmann has always remained a numbers man. However, his originally envisioned career in traditional banking proved too dull. So Janek switched to the fashion industry, advising numerous labels on setting up and expanding their e-commerce operations and helping to bring big names like Tommy Hilfiger and Marc O'Polo online. At some point, though, he says today, he felt the need to run his own label.

In 2021, Janek initially became an investor in WRSTBHVR; since 2023, he has been the managing director of the Berlin-based label. And lo and behold: Today, WRSTBHVR is not only one of the biggest supporters of the Fashion Council Germany as a patron – but also by far the largest fashion brand in the capital. Janek explains how this was achieved in the interview.

Janek, five years ago you initially joined WRSTBHVR as an investor, but then in 2023 you also took over the operational business as CEO. What led to this decision?

Initially, my idea was simply to participate, offer some encouragement from the sidelines, give advice, and perhaps even point out some problems. However, quite quickly after I joined as an investor, a considerable hype developed around WRSTBHVR – and such hype can sometimes be dangerous. At that point, it became clear to me that I also wanted to be involved operationally to help mitigate the risks.

Can hype be dangerous? What do you mean by that?

In 2022, the brand more than doubled its revenue. That was obviously great news – but the company nearly collapsed in the wake of this success. At the time, we still had our own small logistics operation in Ulm, including customer service. However, it could barely keep up with the incredibly high demand that suddenly arose: right in the middle of the Christmas season, we had to rent a large beer tent and set it up next to the logistics center to create more space. We then heated the tent with gas heaters so our hoodies wouldn't freeze. It was a crazy time, during which we felt even more acutely the potential of this brand – but also that we had to make significant adjustments in management, because otherwise the onslaught would have destroyed the company.

How did WRSTBHVR become the largest fashion label in Berlin?

It starts with the name, which is simply brilliant: "Worst Behavior" resonates with so much. It sounds unconventional, rebellious, like the small, agile, clever fish in the big shark tank, which is how I would actually describe us and with whom our customers totally identify. At the same time, it's a name we have to cleverly differentiate ourselves from on the business side, so that the "bad behavior" doesn't become our motto (laughs). Certainly, the label's move here, even before I joined, was a good decision: A label that's deeply rooted in Berlin's culture – that still sounds particularly appealing to many people.

And what exactly were the levers you pulled on the entrepreneurial side to turn a hyped label into a stable fashion company?

When this momentum arose, we sat down and first discussed how we could survive this hype, stabilize the business, and expand it for the future. Product considerations were central to this: During the hype, we generated 70 percent of our revenue with hoodies and T-shirts – today it's only 25 or 30 percent. So we figured out how to expand our product range so that hoodies and T-shirts, while still an important part of our success, weren't the only part. This was crucial because we already knew back then: At some point, people will have three or four WRSTBHVR hoodies in their closets – then we need to be able to offer them something new. Especially something for spring and summer. Back then, we generated 60 percent of our revenue in November and December; today, it's distributed much more evenly throughout the year. In addition, we have of course made many adjustments in sales, marketing and the commercial sector to turn an initial spark into a proper campfire and finally into a solid, long-term heating operation.

Have there been any external developments in recent years, i.e., from the fashion industry itself, that could have contributed to such success?

I would definitely say that the business has developed positively in many ways, especially over the past ten years. It's much easier to start a fashion company today – although that doesn't necessarily mean it will actually be successful. But when I think back to when I joined WRSTBHVR, there were significantly greater hurdles, particularly on the production side. Today, it's easier for young labels to find a company that also produces small quantities – producers have simply realized that this demand exists, and therefore the opportunity to make money with smaller runs. Many have also restructured so that they can produce not just two large collections a year, but much more flexibly and frequently with smaller drops, and, so to speak, a continuous supply of bestsellers or basics as a baseline. They've simply gained a better understanding that the cycles have changed dramatically, not least due to online retail. Today, for example, Skims – a company with a billion-dollar valuation – generates 90 or 95 percent of its revenue through online sales in the US. Even ten years ago, many people didn't realize that online would become such a big thing.

Digitization has also made it extremely easy for fashion brands to get in direct contact with customers.

Sure, the whole issue of reach has become totally democratized. However, developments, especially in social media, are so rapid that it's sometimes not so easy to keep up. WRSTBHVR is, so to speak, part of the Instagram generation – but we want and need to have a much stronger presence on TikTok, because this channel is becoming increasingly important. This, in turn, is a good development for small labels: TikTok is less about polished content planned and produced with a large budget, and more about spontaneous, authentic videos. All you need is a smartphone, a microphone, and the product to get started.

Which developments in the industry would you describe as more difficult, especially for young designers who want to start their own businesses?

Precisely because of the positive effects I just described, competition has also increased dramatically. There are simply many more small labels vying for similar customers today. Competition has therefore intensified – but as we know, this also stimulates business.

Digitalization has also enabled small labels to not only communicate directly with their customers, but also to sell directly to them – whether through their own online shop or via an account on a large platform. What does this mean for traditional retail from your perspective?

I still find traditional retail incredibly important because it can contextualize a brand in a completely different way. A presence in the right concept stores or department stores allows brands to position themselves very clearly. This is especially important for labels in the higher price segment because social appeal is crucial for them: above a certain price point, for most customers, it's not just the product itself, its style, and its quality that matter, but also the image the brand projects. For example, if we at WRSTBHVR are located right next to Acne Studios and Balenciaga, that also conveys a sense of value. In that respect, traditional brick-and-mortar retail can offer an ideal platform – quite apart from the fact that it can, of course, generate reliable, profitable sales.

At the same time, brands also relinquish control in brick-and-mortar retail. A concept store might not place WRSTBHVR next to Acne and Balenciaga, but rather somewhere where you wouldn't see your brand at all.

That's right, which is why trust plays a major role when deciding to collaborate with a particular wholesale partner. Of course, things become easier if your label is currently experiencing a surge in popularity or has already established a bit of a presence, allowing you to leverage your existing strengths and facilitate negotiations. If you can clearly demonstrate that the brand performs particularly well in a specific environment, the stores will also be more inclined to follow suit. Sometimes it's helpful to start with a pop-up shop or other collaboration, allowing both sides to explore how a partnership could work. For example, at the beginning of last year, we launched a capsule collection with the Borchardt restaurant and then set up a pop-up shop at KaDeWe: We recreated a miniature version of the iconic restaurant in one of the department store's retail spaces and sold our Borchardt shirts and bomber jackets there. It was a resounding success, and today we have our own store-within-a-store concept at KaDeWe.

You're represented both offline and online in several other multi-brand stores, including Breuninger and Farfetch. In addition, you have four of your own WRSBHVR stores in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, and London, and of course your online shop. Can you describe the strategy behind this relatively dense distribution network?

First of all, we've discovered that these channels don't cannibalize each other. On the contrary, they complement each other, and we can reach different WRSTBHVR customers through our various presences. Multi-brand customers, who tend to choose based on parameters like style or combinability and therefore like to combine several brands, find us in concept stores in an inspiring environment. People from our WRSTBHVR community, on the other hand, who are specifically looking for new designs from us, are more likely to visit our own stores or our online shop. Price-driven customers, in turn, search for specific products and then look for the best price. For us, a broad distribution network simply makes sense – although we are very careful not to over-distribute and to strategically spread ourselves across the most important touchpoints. For example, we are very happy with our presence at Breuninger in Stuttgart and at Engelhorn in Mannheim – so we wouldn't open our own stores in either of these cities for the time being.

But generally speaking, are your own businesses still particularly important to you?

Absolutely, because they function like a kind of showroom. We can't present and explain WRSTBHVR as comprehensively anywhere else as we can in our stores, where our brand world fully unfolds. This is especially important for offering something to our existing community and simultaneously attracting new people to WRSTBHVR. When we opened our store in Hamburg, for example, it also gave our online shop a huge boost: We've had at least twice as many online customers from Hamburg since then, because they first experienced our store, perhaps even made a purchase there, and then continued browsing our online shop. That's what I meant when I said that our channels mutually reinforce each other.

You recently expanded your Berlin store significantly by moving to new premises just a few doors down. What was particularly important to you in the redesign of your flagship store?

The previous flagship store simply wasn't big enough anymore. We wanted to offer more, especially to members of our community who come to Berlin as tourists from other cities and countries and undoubtedly have high expectations for our store: a true brand experience across approximately 500 square meters, reflected in the interior design. Lots of concrete, stainless steel, and glass not only represent WRSTBHVR but also the raw, edgy feel of Berlin. A large central staircase in the store is designed to evoke the entrance to a subway station – that typical, cool Berlin escalator atmosphere. Just as important as the visual appeal, however, is the content we want to convey with our new store: We plan to regularly create special experiences, such as listening sessions in collaboration with a YouTube podcast that regularly features exciting DJs. We want to present the complete WRSTBHVR brand world to both our Berlin community and tourists.

Many smaller labels from Berlin are also members of the Fashion Council Germany. WRSTBHVR is a brand new addition, joining as a patron, meaning one of the biggest supporters of our association. How did this decision come about?

Precisely for this reason: The Council's support of young designers aligns with a need we at WRSTBHVR also have. We want to offer independent brands the kind of support we ourselves didn't have. Initially, we had no real connection to the industry, no network, no access to experts, stylists, or celebrities. Everything that makes WRSTBHVR so strong today, we've built entirely on our own, through a very difficult path. It can work – but it can also go terribly wrong. Being able to help young designers avoid such an experience is something I find very rewarding.

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