The fashion industry is unique and paradoxical. It’s about a product that is a basic need of humanity, yet it’s also part of a cultural and social phenomenon, and the goal for much of the industry is to create constant change—and generate the desire in the customer to replace one item with another. Yet in …
How to Create a Winning Strategy for Your Fashion Brand Read More »
Giorgio Armani Background: Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, a small town outside of Milan, to a poor family (his father was a shipping manager). Giorgio and his two siblings experienced the hardships of the Second World War as children. He lived through difficult and challenging times, and years later, would say that the cinema …
How do you stand out in the crowded fashion industry? What does it mean to have a unique voice? In fashion, we know how important it is to stand out from the competition, to have a unique personality and your own stylistic language. And your brand DNA is key to standing out amongst the sea …
Emanuel Ungaro Background: Emanuel Ungaro was a child of Italian political refugees, who settled in Provence. Ungaro’s first toy was a Siemens sewing machine. His tailor father, Cosimo, encouraged and taught him to sew at a very young age, and when he was a teenager, Emanuel Ungaro started working alongside his father at the family …
Emanuel Ungaro (1933-2019): The Adventurous Fashion Designer Read More »
If you’re a fashion designer or fashion entrepreneur, you possess great aesthetic intuition, are highly creative, and know exactly where you are going with your design vision. And you’ve probably out of necessity filled many roles along your entrepreneurial journey, adding to your skill set and the tools in your fashion business toolbox. At some …
Why You Need a Business Plan – and How to Create One Read More »
Franco Moschino Background: Moschino was born near Milan, in a rural town called Abbiategrasso. His family owned an iron foundry that his father hoped he would work. However, Moschino was interested in fine art and aspired to be a painter. In 1968, he ran away from home to Milan where he enrolled at the Marangoni …
Franco Moschino (1950-1994): The Fashion Radical Read More »
At some point in our business journey, most of us in the fashion industry could benefit from hiring a consultant. Whether you’re a designer just preparing to launch your designs or an established fashion brand that’s planning a growth initiative, there are many points in the life cycle of a business when the need for …
Valentino Garavani Background: Born near Milan, in the north of Italy, Valentino became interested in fashion when he watched movie stars Rita Hayworth and Gene Tierney at his local cinema. On leaving high school, he was adamant he wanted to pursue fashion design education, and he left for Paris to study at the prestigious Ecole …
Valentino Garavani (1932-): The Last Emperor of Fashion Read More »
Paul Smith Paul Smith in the office surrounded by books, magazines and samples. Photo source: Nick Ballon Background: Born in Nottingham, Paul Smith’s early ambition was to become a professional cyclist. He left school at the age of 15 and started to work at a clothing warehouse while practising cycling as a hobby. Following a …
When we first meet someone and listen to what they have to say, we’re listening to their stories. And they’re listening to ours. It’s our way of connecting, understanding, relating, and bonding. Storytelling is in our very nature; it’s part of the fabric of humanity and has been since early humans started painting on cave …
