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Emory Jones

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Emory Jones is a co-founder of Paper Planes and its Chief Marketing Officer, and Head of Lifestyle at Roc Nation, the practical link between the two organisations rather than a titular one.

He grew up in Cambridge, Maryland, a town of about 13,000 on the Eastern Shore, and his account of the brand starts there rather than in New York:

> "Coming from where I come from, yes, I was a dreamer, but I was never taught > that I was going to ever get on a plane. I wasn't taught that I was going to > make it to New York. Paper planes back then helped me dream."

The brand is that sentence, made wearable.

Style photo for Emory Jones: Co-Founder of Paper Planes He was never taught he'd get on a plane, so he built a brand around one. Emory Jones, Cambridge, Maryland, and the idea that became Paper Planes. Emory Jones
Photo: Murat IŞIK / Pexels

His philosophy, in his own words

Jones describes fashion as one of three universal languages, "music, sports and fashion", and style as his navigator: "I've always used fashion as my communicator."

The other recurring idea is pace. His account of building the brand is a patience argument: "I still needed the team to understand the importance of walking this down, not being in a rush to figure out that sales is the thing." The early Crown roll-out, gifted only, never sold, was that philosophy in practice: "We could have sold a million hats then."

His role

Co-founder and CMO. In practice that covers what the brand says about itself - positioning, the story, and the decisions about how and where it sells.

The strategy of selling wholesale to small independent retailers rather than to chains is the clearest expression of that. Why the brand sells through independents →

Fitted photo for Emory Jones: Co-Founder of Paper Planes He was never taught he'd get on a plane, so he built a brand around one. Emory Jones, Cambridge, Maryland, and the idea that became Paper Planes. Emory Jones
Photo: Jimmy Jimmy / Pexels

The Roc Nation link

Head of Lifestyle at Roc Nation, which is what makes the parent relationship operational rather than structural. Paper Planes and Roc Nation →

The logo

The account of the paper plane mark, arriving somewhere mentally before you get there physically, comes from the founders, and Jones is the one who has described it publicly. What the logo means →

Quotes from Emory Jones on Boardroom Talks with Rich Kleiman, also on YouTube.

Related

Who owns Paper Planes · About the brand

FAQ

Who is Emory Jones?

A co-founder of Paper Planes and its Chief Marketing Officer, and Head of Lifestyle at Roc Nation.

Did Emory Jones found Paper Planes with JAY-Z?

Yes. Paper Planes was founded in 2014 by Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter and Emory Jones.

What does the Head of Lifestyle at Roc Nation do?

The role covers Roc Nation's lifestyle and apparel side, which is where Paper Planes sits in the structure.