As a fashion business consultant, entrepreneurship professor, and owner of my own luxury leather goods label, one of the questions I’m asked most frequently is, “How do I network in the fashion industry—especially with little or no fashion industry experience?” Let me just say that, as an introvert who was once a complete fashion industry …
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Oscar de la Renta A key figure of the New York fashion scene, the designer built an internationally recognised brand through charm and grace and was thought of as one of the great gentlemen of fashion. Over the course of his career, his designs proved exceptionally popular with American presidential ladies, including Nancy Regan, Hilary …
Oscar de la Renta (1932-2014): A Renaissance Man of American Fashion Read More »
Many years ago, when I was asked to consult for an emerging fashion brand, I did so as a favor, and did not have any plans to become a consultant at the time. I had (and still have) my own fashion brand, and at the time I was also a full-time academic. But a former …
How Emerging Fashion Brands Can Find and Work With a Manufacturer Read More »
André Courrèges Where do his tennis dresses, his sailor dresses come from? Where did he find them? On the steps of Delphi. In the wardrobe of Electra. They are modern and they are antique.’ Violette Leduc ‘Is Courrèges Wearable? Vogue, 1965 Background: André Courrèges was born to a butler father and a homemaker mother. He …
André Courrèges (1923-2016): The Designer of Space Age Fashion Read More »
Fashion design: It’s glamorous, and you can showcase your own unique language, your unique style. But despite all that, I know many designers with talent who just manage to break even or are often struggling to make ends meet. Simply put, fashion is a very challenging industry, and it’s constantly changing. Yet determined people can, …
Mary Quant Mary Quant, considered to be a true pioneer in fashion, was at the vanguard of the ‘Swinging London’ scene, designing clothes that perfectly embodied the freedom and energy of the time. Famous for putting the mini-skirt on the fashion map, her influence is so much broader than this iconic piece of clothing; she …
Mary Quant (1930-): Fashion Pioneer of the Swinging Sixties Read More »
Only a few years ago, luxury brands viewed resale as either a competition or a place where they had to fight their counterfeit products. But the rise and importance of the resale market are here to stay, and particularly with the effect of Covid, we have seen a great change, a rather accelerated change in …
Yves Saint Laurent Known for his shyness and timidity, Yves Saint Laurent rose to become a moderniser of fashion and created the most desirable collections reflecting the changing era – from the stiffness of haute couture to the freedom of ready-to-wear. He would suddenly meet fame at the age of 21 when he took over …
Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008): The Moderniser of Fashion Read More »
I remember it was like it was yesterday: my cousin, my parents, my brother, and I were gathered around the dinner table at my cousin’s house in my hometown of Asenovgrad, in Bulgaria. She made us Turkish coffee, which perfectly complimented the homemade cake her sister baked. We were having a heated discussion about a …
What’s in a Name? How to Name your Fashion Brand Read More »
Hubert de Givenchy Famously associated with Audrey Hepburn, Hubert de Givenchy initially studied law before entering the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The designer worked alongside Pierre Balmain, Christian Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli, before opening his house in 1952. He was among the first to recognise the power of enlisting a film star as an ambassador …
Hubert de Givenchy (1927-2018): The Creator of Elegance Read More »
