Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to John McDavid Lehman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
John McDavid, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
To be honest I’m not sure I ever want to overcome my struggle with imposter syndrome…and yes it is a struggle, but it is a good struggle, it is a worthwhile struggle. I think it is quite important to struggle over your craft and your place in the world. There are so many greats in the industry that have carved out a beautiful and wonderful blueprint that I am not sure I can ever live up to and that weight, that stress is what I tap into to improve my craft, improve my art.
Imposter syndrome often comes when you view the process as a straight line, or a series of tasks. One must first complete task and A and then on to task B…C…D and so on and if you find yourself struggling with a particular task (which is normal and it is fine) it is easy to begin to beat yourself up and then that voice in your head begins to tell you that you don’t belong, “You never completed task A so of course you will never be good at task B!” However, this isn’t always the case, at times I find myself needing to master task B so that I can revisit task A…and then jump to D!!!
For me the truth is not about overcoming the idea of being an imposter or unworthy but finding the proper balance. Knowing when to beat yourself up in order to strengthen or improve your craft and knowing when to celebrate the glory of who you are and what you have created.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I make clothes, ha ha! I am designer and owner of McMarden, a Los Angeles based fashion house. With respect and passion I have worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. I began my career in accessories working for a handbag company and launched my own leather goods & accessories brand R.B. of McD almost 15 years ago. It was almost 10 years ago I made the massive leap to apparel (while still chipping away at R.B.) with McMarden, focusing on contemporary ready-to-wear.
Both brands represent my deeply rooted love and admiration for Los Angeles, the city I have always called home, for it has always been important that I design and sample here but that both brands are manufactured in the city as well. I have always known that in regards to fashion Los Angeles can produce at an extremely high level and it has been the mission of McMarden to share this truth with the world. This month we released our latest chapter or collection “Last Dance At The Westland” which is built around denim and elevating the classic Canadian tuxedo… the Calitux if you well. I wanted to take themes that we are very comfortable with, that being the jean jacket and matching jeans and carve out a uniform that can play well in multiple landscapes, feels extremely LA, while still expressing an international aesthetic. The collection is focused, well manicured, with a hint of sexy and most importantly, I think theres something for almost everyone…it is very wearable.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I’m a really good listener. I take good notes. I ignore the word “No”!
I’ll work backwards explaining this list. I think because the fashion industry is deeply rooted in heritage and tradition (which I truly love and respect) “No” is a heavily used first response to most questions. Showrooms have told me no, buyers have told me no, etc…they say “No” and I hear either “not today” or “not them”! As a designer but more importantly as an entrepreneur you learn quickly that almost everything has a “work-around” and it is your job to figure it out. If you are being told that the cost to build out a new collection is $15k but you only have $8k in the bank do you not produce the collection or do you get to work on the work-around?!?! I always get to work, and sometimes that means dialing down the collection, doing more of the leg work on my own, but for me no rarely means no and it never means ease up on quality or craftsmanship.
Being a good listener and taking good notes have always been important to me, for I am forever in student mode and is very important when I find myself having to do more of the leg work. I love to watch my pattern maker, my cutter, my photographer at work, for there might be a time where I might have to do that job (in fact, I have needed to do those jobs and because!) and because I was taking solid notes I am able to build up that required skill set.
The other quality that I think should go without saying is “passion” for if you are lacking passion, which at times trumps skill, don’t waste your time or the time and money of the community.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is one of my all time favorite books and I pull from his text often. For me it is the layered concept of what a person is willing to do for “love” which I substitute for “something you are very passionate about” and it is about playing the long game. The book is extremely fashion forward as well. The veneers we wear to, fit in, to hide, or to protect…that’s fashion baby!!! ha ha
Contact Info:
- Website: mcmarden.com
- Instagram: mcmarden
- Other: rbofmcd.com
daveybrand.com
Image Credits
John McDavid Lehman Amanda Alvarez
