Gemma Slack is a New York-based Creative Director, by way of Paris and London, whose career has moved between fashion, art, culture and advertising.

Before advertising, she studied at Chelsea College of Art and London College of Fashion, worked with Gareth Pugh and launched her own fashion label in London. Her collections showed at London Fashion Week, appeared in Vogue Italia and i-D, and were worn by Lady Gaga. Her work was photographed by Steven Meisel, Steven Klein and Nick Knight — who also photographed Gemma for i-D’s 30th anniversary issue.

Eventually, she swapped clothes for ideas.

Over the past 15+ years, Gemma has worked across Droga5, Grey, 72andSunny and Ogilvy, creating work for brands including Pringles, Harley-Davidson, COVERGIRL, TUMI, Gillette and Verizon. Today, she is an SVP Group Creative Director at Leo in New York, leading creative across Starbucks’ global business.

Her work sits somewhere between sharp strategic thinking and a more instinctive desire to make something people might actually care about — repositioning brands, building visual worlds and occasionally putting strange things into culture simply to see what happens.

Along the way, she has been recognised by i-D, Campaign and the usual collection of advertising awards shaped like pencils, lions and other objects that mean considerably more inside the industry than outside it.

The fashion designer never entirely disappeared. She still approaches ideas visually first, cares probably too much about casting, photography and the exact shade of something, and believes the most interesting work happens when culture, craft and a little mischief collide.

(Gemma doesn’t like having her photo taken, which is why she’s scowling,
but she’s normally a relatively friendly person)

Say hi
gemma.slack@gmail.com