The Fashion Industry's Shifting Landscape: Tomorrow's Bold Move
In a move that's sure to turn heads, Tomorrow, the innovative brand development platform, has just sealed a deal with Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki, the recent winner of the prestigious 2025 LVMH Prize. This partnership is set to revolutionize Otsuki's eponymous brand, Soshiotsuki, as Tomorrow takes the reins of its wholesale operations and embarks on an ambitious expansion of its international reach, starting with the upcoming Fall/Winter 2025 season.
But here's where it gets intriguing: Tomorrow's recent string of deals suggests a strategic shift in its operations. Last week, they inked a distribution agreement with the iconic Roberto Cavalli, and earlier this month, they partnered with Temily, a New York-based womenswear brand renowned for its artisanal eveningwear. These moves mark a new era for Tomorrow, which has undergone significant transformations over the past few years.
The group's journey has been nothing short of fascinating. In 2022, they relocated their headquarters from London to Milan, a move prompted by post-Brexit logistics challenges. This shift also signaled a departure from their previous focus on British talent. In 2024, Tomorrow sold off A-Cold-Wall and London's concept store Machine-A, both of which they had acquired majority stakes in earlier.
Currently, in addition to these three new partnerships, Tomorrow collaborates with an impressive roster of designers, including Meryll Rogge, the 2025 Andam Prize winner and Marni's new creative director; Hed Mayner, the Israeli designer who's Pitti Uomo's guest designer for the January 2026 edition; and Ottolinger, the 10-year-old Berlin-based brand.
Tomorrow's CEO, Stefano Martinetto, has had an intriguing career path. Starting at his family's agency, A-L-E-X, he later worked with renowned designers like Walter Van Beirendonck, Raf Simons, and Helmut Lang. In 2011, Martinetto merged his work with Jens Grede, CEO of Skims, forming Tomorrow London. This merger saw the company focus on British talent and occasionwear, working with designers like Roksanda and Jonathan Saunders. By 2016, the focus had shifted to contemporary labels, with partnerships including Nanushka, Ambush, and Marni.
From 2018 to 2020, the group concentrated on capital investment and equity ownership in independent designers such as Coperni, Martine Rose, and Charles Jeffrey. Martinetto states that Tomorrow is currently not looking to acquire stakes in other brands, instead focusing on providing distribution and advisory services while helping invested brands achieve independence.
The brands Tomorrow is prioritizing today are less trend-driven and more focused on an evolved fashion taste, according to Martinetto. He believes the younger generation, Gen Zs and millennials, are seeking something less directional but still exciting and unique. This shift in taste has led Tomorrow to support brands like Temily, which Martinetto trusts for its craftsmanship and taste, and Roberto Cavalli, an iconic brand with a legacy that he believes will see a resurgence in maximalism and femininity.
Martinetto has been an admirer of Otsuki's work for years. He describes his encounter with Otsuki's collection as an immediate and visceral recognition of exceptional menswear. He sees Soshiotsuki as a brand that honors tradition while pushing boundaries, and he's honored to support Otsuki's journey.
Otsuki, through this partnership, aims to scale his business. He chose Tomorrow as his partner after visiting their showroom, drawn to the luxurious atmosphere and Martinetto's passion. Otsuki's ambition is to grow his sales to a level that allows him to present two shows a year independently.
This partnership between Tomorrow and Soshi Otsuki is a testament to the evolving nature of the fashion industry and the innovative strategies brands are adopting to stay relevant and successful.
