Even if you've never heard of his name, chances are you've copped or even worn something that Till Jagla has worked on. One of the industry's most important figures, he was the Global Head of Energy over at adidas for eleven years before departing from the Three Stripes earlier this year to work on his NFT venture, Flowers For Society .
A tour de force in creating sneaker collaborations and partnerships with a true purpose, we sat down with Till himself for our latest Under The Influence segment to discuss what got him into sneakers in the first place, his time at adidas, his upcoming brand, and so much more! This is one that you definitely do not want to miss!
To kick things off, can you tell us a little bit about how you got into sneakers in the first place? I started to become a collector myself quite early. In the beginning I was amazed by all shoes that pushed the boundaries. The technology piece has always been something I liked a lot, adidas Equipment, ZX, Disc, Pump, Air, I was addicted to innovation and the fast forward thinking.
The shoe that made me collecting was the adidas Equipment Support from 1991. It used to be the most expensive shoe and clearly out of reach for me. This probably triggered my motivation to get into the game.
For the past few years you've been adidas' Global Head of Energy. Can you tell us a little bit about what that means? Well, adidas needed to get more agile and more desirable. Energy Marketing didn’t exist back then, hence I pitched for a global team that takes care of storytelling for the modern sneakerhead in order to create more heat around the products, franchises and the brand. We had so much fun!
It was a pleasure to work with such a fantastic team, so many talents with endless creativity. In the end I ramped up a team that was located around the world and operated out of four different creation centers (Portland, Tokyo, Shanghai and the HQ). I left because of several reasons. I guess if you identify yourself so much with what you do it’s sometimes tough to work in such a corporate environment.
What are your top three adidas projects of all time? Impossible to answer this question. I’ve worked on too many projects that have been very different to each other. My biggest success for sure was my team. I was lucky enough to have the chance to build high performance teams. We worked very different than other teams at adidas. We have always tried to stay as agile as possible and do what we believed was the right thing to do for the brand.
When I reflect on products we have worked on the following are top of mind. Bathing Ape, Futurecraft, Sean Wotherspoon, Irak, Bad Bunny, A-ZX, Rimowa, Towelie, Krusty Burger, Lego, Arizona Iced Tea, Highsnobiety, Overkill, Home of Classics and shoes such as Ultra Boost and NMD .
When you begin a collaboration with someone, what's the process like? I always start with listening! I want to understand the human, the brand in front of me. I have to know their style, their vibe, their motivation and even strategic directions. Also it’s crucial to have an own opinion and vision where this collaboration can go. An advice I always give to my teams is to create a perspective and an idea and if needed put that idea on drugs. The market is full of shit. Collaborations are everywhere and marketeers think this is the only way to succeed. For me a collaboration is the cherry on the cake not the commercial business. If cooperations start to fill business gaps with collabs the end is near.
Looking back at your amazing career, is there a single moment that you're most proud of? Most proud I am about the people. I met people as interns or assistants and over the years I helped them to unfold their strength and potentials. Now many have meaningful jobs. This is the ultimate feedback, witness people developing.
Tell us about three up-and-coming fashion brands that you're most excited about! Obviously I am most excited about my own new brand, Flowers For Society, I can’t wait to present the product and the brands USP to the people. Other than that I observe the market quite closely. There has never been a time when so many great brands got introduced. Personally I also like to look outside of the sneaker and fashion bubble. Actually I am not too much into fashion, more into streetwear. In particular I love when traditional brands invent themselves over and over again. New Balance , Stüssy , Arc'Teryx and Birkenstock are good examples, I guess.
What do you think of the current state of the sneaker industry right now? To be honest, I believe something incremental need to happen. Everyone is sick and tired of the same old. It became almost impossible to get a sneaker you would like to have. I am not a major brand, but I will try my best to offer an alternative with Flowers for Society.
While we're on the topic, can you tell us a little bit more about Flowers For Society? I have worked for two major brands and spent half of my life with sneakers. Footwear, the process of building shoes and the community have become an integral part of my life. In 2018 I started to think about a new experience within the sneaker industry. Now, as I am free, I haven’t had an excuse anymore and forced myself to give it a try.
Flowers For Society is a footwear metaverse for collectors, sneakerheads and NFT investors. That means you become part of a community and with that you can get any single sneaker release. Be it a limited edition, collaboration or GR. You will have lifelong access rights. Obviously you can collect, trade or sell your rights to someone. All up to you.
When is it set to launch? We will have a slightly different market strategy. The first time you will be able to invest is at the end of October.
You give off great vibes over on Instagram! How do you stay positive? Obviously I have the same shit to deal with like anyone else, but I always try to see the positive, even in bad times. Stress and negativity starts and happens in your head. Everything that happens in your head you can control. Most of the things that make you feel bad are not important. Surround yourself with good humans. Be good to humans. Kindness is a boomerang. Give it a try…
If you could give your 18-year-old self some advice, what would it be? That’s tough. I am even happy about many mistakes I have done. See your life as a journey. Try to excite people with kindness, positivity and most importantly empathy. When I was young, I often wanted with the head through the door. Nowadays I am more chill.
How have you been keeping busy over the pandemic? For work the pandemic was great. I was able to re-organize my day. Became so much more efficient. Today I can’t believe that I was sitting in an office for 12+ hours. The best things happen when you are surrounded with good and creative humans. Wherever that is…
Do you have any advice for those looking to get into the sneaker industry? Firstly, double check if this is what you really want. The industry might look different from the inside. There are many ways to get in. There is a general rule you can apply to many situations in life. Make people aware of you and your skills, once you are in, invest more than anybody else!
Anything else that you'd like to add? I want everyone who read this article to tell their loved ones that you love them! Give them a flower! Stay healthy and safe fam.
