Mark "Jappy Gonzalez" Shows Us What It Means To Have Staying Power in Fashion

Longevity is an unlikely reward if your business is heavily influenced by hype, but that’s exactly what Mark “Jappy” Gonzalez has been able to manifest; he’s been defying the odds since 1995 as a veteran retailer who makes luxury lucrative in a developing economy. From the early days, he just had that uncanny sense to sell something people would want, including fits from Belgian enigma Martin Margiela, during a time when the Philippine market was deeply indoctrinated by the mainstream draw of heritage houses such as Chanel and Dior. 

It’s a brave move whose legacy continues through several multi-brand stores like Homme et Femme, Univers, and Hoodwink, and a number of monobrand stores like Comme des Garçons, Balenciaga, Lanvin, and Off-White. As Univers turns 10, Gonzalez drives the point home on why The Business of Fashion lauded his achievements for its BoF 500 list, which names the people shaping the $2.4 trillion fashion industry. It includes the likes of designers Miuccia Prada and Ralph Lauren, and fellow retailers Carla Sozzani of 10 Corso Como and Adrian Joffe of Dover Street Market. Though they come from different backgrounds, they all share something in common: the ability to last in a competitive enterprise. Like them, Gonzalez not only sells what’s novel and trending — he creates assets that keep on giving to the consumer, the industry, and the culture at large.

How’s the year shaping up so far?
So far, so good. Busy. As Univers is turning 10 this year, it’s a turning point for us now as it was when it opened a decade ago. It’s actually great to reflect on how as a brand and as a company, we’ve grown.

What’s keeping you busy lately? Describe your typical weekday.
It’s currently Fashion Week, so my team and I are rather busy with intense deadlines.

The pandemic caught the retail industry off-guard. How has it been for H&F and your other stores and brands? Is expanding digitally on your agenda?
We’ve been present digitally since mid-2019. We’ve had to make its presence more known since the pandemic, thus driving our PR and advertising efforts digitally. For H&F in general, as with the rest of the known world, we’ve definitely been caught off-guard. This also gave us the opportunity to strengthen our infrastructure to meet the demands of the future we have planned.

In what way has social distancing affected your buying habits personally and professionally?
In a germaphobe scale of one to 10, I’d probably be around seven. Needless to say what that number went to! Professionally, it’s given me more time to reflect on our future.

What’s your read on the state of affairs in the business of fashion? For instance, do you still find live fashion shows necessary?
It’s been three to four Fashion Weeks since the pandemic. Primarily, when we are doing the work, it didn’t seem as a necessity, but as the next Fashion Weeks rolled on, and the detachment from live shows became more evident, presentation became increasingly important in getting a clear message about a brand’s message — in particular, our brands, which are directional in nature. So listening, as much as looking at how the collection is constructed from an idea can be lost in translation.

Is your process more intentional or instinctive? Do you follow your head or your gut? Is one more important than the other?
Both are very important. Balance is fundamental for us in this respect. One underlying factor though, if your instinct is not in the right frame, your intentions will definitely fall in the same place.

You’ve started your retail career in Cinderella. What are the crucial lessons you learned during that time that helped you in starting your own business?
A lot. I believe structure, discipline, and developing work ethics are the fundamentals pillars for development. I’m lucky to have had the chance to begin honing these at a young age.

As someone whose ventures gravitate between food and fashion, what restaurants and shops do you crave and miss the most especially that travel isn’t encouraged?
The cities I go to primarily have been the same for the past 20 plus years. I’ve developed a sense of home in these places. The instinct of “I have to get some necessities before I head back” (either to the hotel or apartment), means differently to every city — which grocer, butcher, vegetable, and fruit market to go to. A particular craving that can only be served in a particular restaurant — like crepes in Breizh Café, couscous merguez in Chez Omar in Paris, Indian food at Dishoom in London — really everyday places, not fancy restaurants (Although I have those too). It’s in the everyday, familiar things and habits I’ve developed over the years that I really miss deeply.