We recently connected with Dez Bara and have shared our conversation below.
Dez, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?
Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various capacities within my industry. As a fashion creative, my work had been focused mostly on design, styling and illustration, but an unexpected stint in the world of Retail Management is really what shaped some of my most valuable lessons and outlook on the industry.
I had moved back to my childhood home to recharge following job opportunities that had me bouncing between Montréal, Los Angeles and New York. Ottawa, my hometown, is NOT a fashion capital, but despite limited opportunities, I took on a managerial position in Retail at Banana Republic to keep me aligned with fashion given the slim pickins the city had to offer. It was incredibly strange to go from corporate fashion and studio environments to large-scale retail operations. ‘Retail’, for the fashion elitists and industry snobs, always seemed to be frowned upon as a profession and I fell into the trap. I was very quick to make it known my that time in that world would be temporary so as not to take away from my ‘perceived value’ or get siloed in that part of the industry. To be clear, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with working in Retail; Many within the industry could benefit from the ‘hands on’ consumer experience and business acumen that work entails.
Little did I know, the retail side of career would grow to span 10 years and that this time would become my greatest wealth of knowledge. I moved from Banana Republic to Club Monaco Ralph Lauren where I went on to manage several flagship stores, following a company transfer from Toronto to New York City. Originally, internally, I was mortified by the responsibility. As a creative, it wasn’t rooted in my nature to think ‘business, profitability and growth’. I was senior business leader with global exposure and in order to become extremely effective, I had to learn ALOT in terms of what it took to make a business run at full efficiency. I studied business KPIs, performance metrics, and had to become well-versed for high-profile stakeholders who put me in place to drive growth. Very daunting to say the least but it forced me to learn and step outside my comfort zone to become a stronger asset to my peers, my business and my industry. This experience is what gives me confidence, to this day, to overcome the heavy daily challenges of ‘Fashion’ as a whole.
My biggest take away from my time in Retail was ‘Don’t let anyone label you or put you in a box – yourself included’. It’s ok to learn new skills to add value to what already makes you YOU. On the flip side, many will want you to stay in a box to support their objective or prevent you for reaching yours. The idea of a ‘Creative with business savvy’ can be hard to understand, and many will want you to commit to being either Creative or Analytical. In a world where the industry requires for people to be more dynamic and own multiple responsibilities, I’ve always found it strange that many in the industry (ie. Recruiters, hiring managers, job boards and platforms) will want to silo you, often minimizing the incredible and expansive skills you can also bring to their business and projects. What’s the use of being a Creative director if the only thing I can do is be ‘Creative’? I always encourage people to draw from difference sources and experience and leverage that as a superpower. I’m not only someone who understands aesthetics but I also understand marketability and THAT to me is a superpower I created for myself by exploring more than one area of my industry. We all have different paths but I encourage people to have the courage to learn in non-linear environments that will make the stronger assets within their industry.
Dez, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m a fashion-driven creative director with over fifteen years of experience specializing in concept design, styling, storytelling, and strategy.
My ultimate focus is to source and develop visual collateral to guide storytelling for campaigns, brand activations, experiential events within luxury fashion. Visual direction, Presentation, and Strategy are among my regular touchpoints, as well as fashion illustration which is a side hustle i’m looking to expand in 2025.
Together with my leadership background, I blend artistic intuition with analytical skill to bring compelling fashion narratives to life.
In my daily practice, I continue to build valuable partnerships with companies that share my passion for style, identity, and vision. My authentic, impactful, and dynamic approach gives me a unique perspective that spans beyond an extensive resume. Industry leaders and peers recognize me as a catalyst for fashion innovation, with strong management skills, and the ability to nurture meaningful connections to deliver exemplary creative work. My broad creative background serves as the foundation to my desirable skillset and sophisticated taste – A true superpower :)
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Fashion is a tough industry that’s also going through significant changes. Despite my incredible network and energetic nature, it’s still hard to find the right opportunities and you deal with an incredible amount of rejection despite strong work. For years I took it personally and would really beat myself up when I didn’t get a project or a job. With time, you grow tough skin and I show more gratitude for my victories as I grow. There was a time where I lost my tenured job, felt lost, and didn’t believe my creative aspirations would sustain me. This job loss impacted my visa status at the time and I had 60 days to leave the US, where I had been living for almost 8 years. I had to start again from the ground up in many ways. I was also going through and incredible amount of changes in my personal life and felt the world was totally against me. Despite this, I fought to get back to my beloved New York and managed to get my visa to come back to the US. I got my Extraordinary Ability visa (O1) using my body of work within fashion and gave myself not only the credentials to back up my skillset but also the ability to work independently as a creative in America. I didn’t give up on myself despite the hardships and it truly paid off.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal is to disrupt industry norms. I want to ensure that artists that don’t have a traditional career path are still recognized for their skills and ability to create incredible work. It’s a shame to see talented people give up on their aspirations because they don’t feel they have the right accolades or affiliations. I’m lucky enough to have worked for high-profile brands but I think the industry needs to look deeper than that and tune into the diverse backgrounds from candidates and freelancers that can re-energize their brands. Change is GOOD. A lot of brands are making the mistake of filling/backfilling roles with the same old ‘industry standards’. Yes – having experience and exposure is important but i think there’s also something to be said about skills that span beyond accolades that can help keep creatives of all backgrounds employed and thriving. Enough with ‘Starving Artists’ – Creatives genuinely deserve to thrive for the simple sake of a beautiful world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dezbara.info
