Jannis Kaiser Embodies The Modern Man Through His Work at Hugo Boss
HOW HE DOES IT, SEASON II, EPISODE 7
Growing up in the city of Berlin, Jannis Kaiser had an unrivaled platform to explore art, culture and fashion.
Photography, Jonas Huckstorf
Words, Beck Salgado
VIEW GALLERY
EPISODE DESCRIPTION
Is balance a myth? While Jannis Kaiser plays an integral role in nurturing digital communications globally at Hugo Boss, he also believes in prioritizing a harmonious work life balance; a task that seems almost impossible in today's world for anyone with the multitude of responsibilities Jannis himself shares.
On the season finale of How He Does It, Season II, Igee Okafor and Marcus Richardson end on a high note by speaking to Jannis Kaiser about balancing one's professional and personal life, measuring success and the foundations of staying grounded.
When Kaiser told his father, a surgeon his dream was to work in fashion when he was just 13 years old, his father simply said “amazing, just make sure you are going to be the best in the fashion industry.” This support and sentiment is still something that Kaiser carries with him today. “I have this mentality to always work hard and do my best. It’s all about constantly getting better at what you are and what you do,” said Kaiser.
finding all these new People and new experiences Is what life is Really about.
Now serving as the acting Global team leader for influencer marketing at Hugo Boss, Kaiser has fulfilled his dream to work in fashion while also getting to do what he loves most, which is traveling.
A seasoned world traveler now, Kaiser has lived in seven different countries such as England, where he studied at the London college of fashion, and Dubai, where he attempted to create a tech/ fashion start up in his 20s, just to name a few.
“In December, I decided to travel and live my life in a box for a bit. I stayed in Mexico for seven weeks and traveled the West Coast and East Coast,” said Kaiser as he recalled his travels during COVID-19, “traveling and working was perfect for me, just traveling would be too boring so I needed my work.”
Kaiser spoke about his time with Hugo Boss where he started as an intern in the e-commerce department — something that he said was foundational for learning about Hugo Boss and the fashion industry as a whole. “What do you do if you need knowledge? You start at the bottom, and that’s where I learned a lot about, how people shop online and what the customer experience is.” said Kaiser.
We never think about the past, we always think about the future, and we go where our customers lead us.
Kaiser explained that, much like himself, Hugo Boss is a very modern company and the ways that they are willing to redefine the way they do business fit perfectly with his upbringing.
“We never think about the past, we always think about the future, and we just go where our customers lead us,” Kaiser expounded, “we used to invest our money in magazine print and television, but we noticed our customers spend a lot of time on social media.”
One way Kaiser says Hugo boss is modern is how they are willing to experiment with the ethos of their brand. For example, he mentioned how Hugo Boss has redefined their image of the modern man. “In the 80s and 90s, I feel like men had to be this tough, Wall Street kind of guy” said Kaiser, “Now, we feel as a brand, the modern man can be whomever he feels he wants to be, we don’t have those stereotypes of what he needs to be.”
As Kaiser progresses into his career, he mentioned that he can look back and honestly say that he feels he has achieved personal success.
For him this isn’t dictated by job titles or awards or salaries, but rather simply being able to wake up in the morning and be happy. As his career keeps going he said he wants to strive for new experiences.
“Making new friends and going new places is what excites me. I feel like this is what life is about, to wake up and experience a whole new day that you didn't experience the day before,” said Kaiser, “finding all these new places, finding all these new people, finding all these new experiences, that’s what life is about.”
the modern man can be whomever he feels he wants to be, we don’t have those stereotypes of what he needs to be.
THE BOND OFFICIAL PODCAST
ABOUT | How He DOES IT
The ‘How He Does It’ podcast establishes a relationship with its listeners by holding uninhibited interviews with various voices of male culture - from fashion, to lifestyle, the arts and more. Hosted by BOND OFFICIAL founder, Igee Okafor and Marcus Richardson, all episodes give listeners an inside look into the psyche of today's thought leaders highlighting all of what it takes to be on the up and up.
