Search Results

Article

Snippet

Author

Tags

Member Interview With Alex Bergholz-gander Of Donna Karan

Alex Bergholz-Gander takes us through the golden rules of customer service at Donna Karan. Alex Bergholz-Gander, client relations manager at Donna Karan Just how important is customer service? Retail guru and Industry member, Alex Bergholz-Gander talks about being client relations manager at Donna Karan and enlightens us with her pearls of wisdom on customer service. What does a client relations manager do?  Essentially my job is to make sure all our clients are receiving exceptional service at all times. I do this by serving as a role model, assisting my colleagues and Store Management with client related issues. I put forward ideas and organise in-store events for Donna Karan and DKNY here in London, meaning that I often liaise with hotels, their concierges and their marketing teams. I'm frequently in touch with our PR office for any help they may need in terms of garments for photo shoots and/or celebrity dressing and I work with stylists who want to use Donna Karan and/or DKNY for their clients. After 16 years at Donna Karan (with a one year break) I have an extensive client list that all need dressing. We go through the collections every season and prepare their wardrobes for the coming season. This is one of the favourite parts of my job!  How much emphasis does a brand like Donna Karan place on customer service? Huge! We wouldn't exist if it weren't for those loyal followers who love the brand. Not only do they know that they can come to us to look even more fabulous but also that they will receive superb customer service that goes above and beyond expectations. As a company we have a comprehensive training program that all new employees go through in order to make sure they are knowledgeable about the brand and our expectations. We make sure that they feel empowered to take on the responsibility of representing the brand and looking after our clients. How does a proper customer relationship management strategy benefit a business? We ensure we are renowned for our customer service, that we are somewhere you can not only come to buy beautiful clothes but somewhere you can enjoy the experience thoroughly. Through events and mailings we keep our clients informed and entertained, in the knowledge that they are special to us. Through Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter we widen the reach of the brand too: you must have heard of our now mega-famous DKNY PR Girl, Aliza Licht whose Twitter handle is @dkny. She is followed by over 400,000 people!  Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Right here, the grass is really green! In what capacity are you looking forward to working with other members? I am innately sociable and love meeting new people. It's nice to know that you are part of a bigger group where you can find inspiration and share experiences. I have attended a couple of meetings before and found them extremely instructive. And if I can meet stylists and/or others who want to know more about us, even better. Get in touch with Alex via The Industry Directory By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe Would you like to join Alex in the premier members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page.

Harriet Bowe

Alex Bergholz-Gander, Aliza Licht, DKNY, Donna Karan, Facebook, Harriet Bowe, The Industry, Tumblr, Twitter

Member Interview With VerÓnica Moncho Lobo

The Industry chats to Verónica Moncho Lobo about the benefits of setting up shop on London's Elizabeth Street. Industry member, Verónica Moncho Lobo is the creative director of her own luxury womenswear brand Industry member, Verónica Moncho Lobo started her eponymous womenswear label back in 2008; a business decision that was swiftly followed by the launch of her own Belgravia flagship three years later. In addition, her dresses stock shelves in boutiques all over the world, including England, Ireland, New York, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The Industry speaks to the creative director about the differences between retail and wholesale. What inspired you to start the Verónica Moncho Lobo label? After seven years of experience in the fashion industry, I felt I had collected knowledge that I was ready to invest in my own line. I had arrived at a point where I felt I had grown creatively and after working for the likes of Donna Karan and Catherine Malandrino, I wanted the freedom to design on my own. As I began to develop my own style, I realised I just had to put it out there and test the water. What is the greatest challenge that your fashion business has faced and how did you turn it into an opportunity? Everything has been a challenge since the very beginning, but a challenge I embraced with love and patience. Opening my own company has not been an easy task to fulfil, and as the company grows I find more and more that responsibilities multiply, and not just in the design area but in every aspect of the business. One of the initial challenges was to find the right production facility balancing the small start with the ongoing growing logistics of production and shipments. I started in Spain, moved production to New York, then Italy until I finally settled down in London. Recently it has been a major trend among UK designers to produce in the country as local manufacturers have become increasingly more competitive. Another personal challenge was to deal with merchandise pricing with multicurrency suppliers, production facilities and clients in a rapidly changing economic environment. I call it 'personal' because my background is not finance, but I have achieved and learned what seemed unimaginable a few years back with the help of my business partner, who is also my brother. And the most rewarding challenge of all has been to find the appropriate balance in my style which allowed me to gain acceptance not just here in London but in what are seemingly very different countries and societies, like the Middle East, Latin America, different parts of continental Europe and the US. You opened your own boutique in Belgravia just three years after launch. How do you find retailing within your own bricks-and-mortar store in comparison to selling wholesale? Having your own point of sale makes an unimaginable difference. First of all I have a space where clients can come and experience my world, try the clothing and get to know me and my vision as a designer. I have immediate feedback, which is most valuable to me as I design future collections. I establish a direct relationship with the client that allows me to enrich their experience, discover what their needs are and interpret future trends directly. Having a physical space facing the street also gives me much more exposure to the world, and has already brought me to a subset of people in the industry that I did not have direct access to before. I have been discovered by new clients, new stylists, personal shoppers and international media in a way and speed that can hardly be replicated without a retail space. I also perceive that I am seen differently and in a stronger position when it comes to wholesale. The fact that I am expanding on my own gives me independence and at the same time renders me more reliable for the fashion trade. Where do you see Verónica Moncho Lobo in five years? In the next five years I see myself growing gradually as a brand, expanding the breadth of the collections with a couple of flagship stores around the world. What other Industry members have you worked with? I have worked with Courtney Blackman and Laura McCluskey through Forward PR. Get in touch with Verónica via The Industry Directory By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe Would you like to join the premiere members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page.

Courtney Blackman

Catherine Malandrino, Donna Karan, Harriet Bowe, Laura McCluskey, The Industry, Verónica Moncho Lobo

Member Interview With Negarin Sadr Of Negarin

We look at how Negarin Sadr's eponymous label earned supermodel status. Industry member Negarin pictured with BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ, Sarah-Jane Crawford wearing Spring/Summer 2012 Negarin Sadr is the creative director of the eponymous womenswear brand, Negarin. After learning the tricks of the trade at the likes of Benetton and Donna Karan, Negarin went on to lauch her own label last year. We catch up with the Industry member to find out how it all came about. You've worked for some of the biggest names in fashion – when and why did you decide to start your own label? I started my own label about a year ago when I realised that there was a gap in the market for practical, flattering and well-made clothing. People around me – myself included – had problems finding affordable yet eye-catching, good quality basics that are compact enough to travel, versatile and easy to match with the rest of your wardrobes. No matter where I was in the world, I always found myself searching for such garments to no avail. This is when I decided to create my own label. Tell us a little bit more about your design concept? I always imagined a collection where everything works together, one where you could put it all in a bin, shake it up, pull out pieces at random and still be able to wear what came out. Also I avoid the colour black. Black is a safety solution for fashion emergencies – something that I believe will never be necessary with my collections. What did you learn from working for Donna Karan and Benetton? Benetton is a high street label known for its affordable yet good quality basics whilst Donna Karan is notorious for pleasing the wardrobe of a practical woman. However, the majority of the population cannot afford to dress head to toe in Donna Karan. This is why I took the best from both brands. Negarin combines the two concepts and has introduced an affordable luxury brand to the market. The consumer gets value for money on all levels: garment quality, practicality and design. It was great to work with both houses – they each work to different design systems and this has helped me to find the right balance between creative freedom and strict commercial approach. Negarin has been championed by supermodel Erin O'Connor – how has this level of celebrity endorsement impacted your brand? To be honest when I first started working in fashion I didn't think celebrity endorsement would be so essential. Today I think it really helps start-up brands boost their public awareness. And let's not forget, clothes look amazing on supermodels! Where do you see Negarin in five years? We have had two very successful seasons and I remain optimistic and enthusiastic about our sustainable growth. Certainly the first objective is to keep increasing our customer base, fans and followers reflected in steadily increasing sales. However in five years time I picture us as a lifestyle brand covering accessory and jewellery lines with a flagship store. Get in touch with Negarin via The Industry Directory By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe Would you like to join the premiere members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page.

Harriet Bowe

BBC, Benetton, Donna Karan, Erin O'Connnor, Harriet Bowe, Negarin, Negarin Sadr, Radio 1Xtra, Sarah-Jane Crawford, The Industry

Fashion Entrepreneurs Make Rich List

Fashion showed its worth this weekend as the industry's billionaires topped The Sunday Times Rich List 2012. Topshop's Sir Phillip Green is hot on the heels of Selfridges's George Weston in The Sunday Times Rich List The Sunday Times published their renowned Rich List over the weekend, with Britain's highest earners including George Weston and Sir Phillip Green. Along with his family, Weston made the top ten richest people in Britain boasting a net worth of £5.90bn. Operating fashion businesses at both ends of the spectrum, his holdings include Selfridges and Primark. The Arcadia empire came next in line, with Green and his wife ranking 17th at a total of £3.30bn. Others included Lawrence Stroll of designer labels, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger and Pepe Jeans. Christina Ong and family also made the list with their shareholdings in Mulberry and franchises with Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan. Despite the UK's turbulent economy, the fashion industry proved itself as one worth investing in as the combined wealth of Britain's 1,000 richest men and women rose to record levels this year. By The Industry's Features Editor, Harriet Bowe Would you like to join the premiere members group for those shaping the future of fashion? Visit our JOIN page

Harriet Bowe

Arcadia, Christina Ong, Donna Karan, George Weston, Giorgio Armani, Harriet Bowe, Lawrence Stroll, Michael Kors, Mulberry, Pepe Jeans, Primark, Selfridges, Sir Phillip Green, The Industry, The Sunday Times, Tommy Hilfiger