Fashion Chat: Bon Bon Bodywear

Bon Bon Bodywear

This is the first Fashion Chat interview, but I hope to make this a regular feature on Searching for Style. I know so many interesting people in the fashion industry, and there are so many great individuals doing amazing things, so I’ve decided to document some of these wonderful projects through a series of informal interviews.

Here’s the deal with the Fashion Chat interviews: They are done on Skype using the chat function. I do edit them down a bit, but try and keep the general flow of the conversation. And I definitely sort out the spelling mistakes, since I am guilty of very bad writing when I’m chatting and typing very quickly. Hope you enjoy!

The first interview is with Vladimir Markovich from Bon Bon Bodywear. I met Vladimir a few years ago when we were both in China judging a fashion competition. He told me about his plans to start a men’s underwear line, but I never realized how serious he was. When I moved back to Vancouver late last year, I realized that Bon Bon had become a reality, in fact, not just a reality, but a fantastic collection of men’s underwear. Vladimir is very on the ball when it comes to branding, and it shows as Bon Bon has a great product, website, and imagery.

My Bon Bon World homepage (www.mybonbonworld.com)

Alexandra Suhner Isenberg: So, first question, can you tell us, very briefly, about your background in fashion and how you came to be in Vancouver?

Vladimir Markovich: Well, I got in fashion not knowing I was getting in fashion.

ASI: Haha, you’re not the only one

VM: It was a long time ago …almost 15 years ago, when I start working with friend of mine in music videos in Yugoslavia. Then I went to Greece. I spent two years in between Greece and Belgrade, working with fashion magazines … then I went to Germany to finish some schooling in multimedia communications and PR. Then I flew to Dominican Republic where I had a job with Antena Latina (Channel 7) part of Telemundo.

ASI: And why did you leave to go to Vancouver?

VM: In Dominican Republic I produced a TV show, which was very successful in one season, so I sold the format and moved to Fashion TV Latin America. But I was bored…so I moved to Vancouver.

ASI: Imagine being bored and deciding to go to Vancouver!

VM: I know… that’s why I say I came to Vancouver by mistake. There was no fashion industry here at the time.

ASI: There’s no doubt the Vancouver fashion industry has come a long way in the past few years.

VM: So I decided to do BC Fashion Week with Debra (Walker.) I think that BC Fashion Week definitely taught me about the fashion scene here in Vancouver.

ASI: We met in China in 2008, when the concept of Bon Bon was in its early stages. What made you decide to launch a men’s underwear line?

VM: I wanted to do it for long time… Bon Bon Bodywear came as concept in my mind.

ASI: Well, I have to say I didn’t realize how serious you were about it at the time, but I am super impressed about the way its come together. Tell us a bit about the brand and the four collections.

VM: I like to think about Bon Bon as fashion brand that does underwear, it’s meant to be part of a lifestyle. The idea is to cover all aspects of life, from fashion to basics. There are four collections: Colour Collection – more fun and playful, Black & White – as basics and more classy and sophisticated, Upgrade: Gold – for more adventurous and confident personalities, and Artist in residence – the first one is Jon Burgerman, which will be launched in August.

ASI: Your photo shoots also look amazing. What sort of people do you work with for the Bon Bon projects? Collaborations have become such an important part of the fashion industry.

VM: I love team work and I love to surround myself with people that are thinking about every project like it is their most important project. My experience in the fashion industry taught me that it is not one element that needs to be done well … but everything needs to be perfectly in order for anything to make sense.

ASI: Your website looks amazing, and there are so many components.

VM: yeah…

ASI: Tell us a bit about your plans there…

VM: Well, the website is going to be like a book of everything that represents Bon Bon, so from a shopping channel to entertainment. We will soon announce a Bon Bon Icon, too.

ASI: I love the idea of a Bon Bon shopping channel, let me know if you need a presenter… Why have you decided to run Bon Bon from Vancouver?

VM: The head office is in Vancouver, but we also have offices in Los Angeles and Melbourne.

ASI: Last question, where can we buy Bon Bon?

VM: In Vancouver, at Top Drawers. All over Australia, and on websites like International Jock and Banglads. We also have a few stockists in Continental Europe. And you can buy online at www.mybonbonworld.com.

Check out these two great videos on the Bon Bon website: Upgrade Gold: Behind the scenes and Colours: the commercial.