Lecture

I attended the Captains of the Fashion Industry lecture on Gurus of Denim.  Adriano Goldschmeid and Jerome Dahan shared their stories of how they became integrated into the denim world, their knowledge of production and their overall vision.  Goldschmeid began by admitting that he initially disliked the fashion industry and the fact that one pays so much for overpriced clothing.  He began his first business in a little store in Italy that he was persuaded to purchase by his friend.  Here, he said, he learned more in the first 30 days than he would learn in the next 30 years.  One of his greatest discoveries was learning that a mediocre product could be sold if it was presented in a great way.  From here, he moved into retail, starting his own companies.  He stressed to the audience the importance of learning from your mistakes and putting passion into everything you do.  Dahan, on the other hand, had a very different experience.  He started his career with Guess but wanted something more global.  He accepted a proposal from Lucky Brand, who offered him a percentage of the company.  Dahan explained that with every company he worked with, he would stay long enough to pick up what it is he could learn from them, and then move on.  The fit, he said, is the most important aspect of a jean; everything else comes second.  An important discovery he made was that he could not do everything by himself.  In order to produce a great product, it was necessary to trust others in the process.  His perpetual need to evolve kept him busy, jumping from company to company.  He seeks a personal sense of accomplishment, not monetary success.  Never satisfied with just making money, he always looks to taking his companies and the denim world to the next level.