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 …
Karl Lagerfeld Background: Lagerfeld was born on 10 September 1933 in Hamburg, to Elisabeth and businessman Otto Lagerfeld. His father owned a company that produced and imported evaporated milk, while his maternal grandfather, Karl Bahlmann, was a local politician. When Lagerfeld’s mother met his father, she was a lingerie saleswoman from Berlin. His parents married …
Most of us recognize the value of a strong network. So many jobs and internship opportunities never see the light of day – on a corporate website, job board, or anywhere else. In this, the fashion industry is no different from any other. Many opportunities are filled through word of mouth and connections. Most emerging …
New to the Fashion Industry? Here’s Where to Network Read More »
Halston Halston and all his muses photographed for Vogue in 1972. Photo source: Duane Michals Background: Roy Halston Frowick was born on April 23, 1932, in Des Moines, Iowa to an account father, and a stay-at-home mother. He developed an early interest in sewing from his grandmother and he began creating hats and altering clothes …
Halston (1932-1990): Changing the Face of American Fashion Read More »
