The hire path

If you’re looking for a career forecasts suggest that fashion is a great place to start. By 2025, 600,000 new jobs will be created in the European textile and clothing sector according to Eurostat. Many skill sets will be in demand, especially in Italy, which heads the list of European countries making investments in manufacturing. In fact in Italy there are expected to be an additional 50,000 hires. This is a minimum because according to Sistema Moda Italia 47,000 workers in the fashion industry will have retired by 2023. “That’s at the very least,” says Claudio Marenzi, president of Confindustria Moda and the head of Herno, who adds: “With ‘quota 100’ going into effect, there could be even more workers heading towards retirement.” Beyond the numbers and potential effects of this early-retirement initiative introduced by the Government in January 2019, what counts for Marenzi is the management of strategic resources. “We need professionals at all levels, but we shouldn’t underestimate the importance of those behind the scenes managing the production processes. These include experts in time and motion analysis, quality control, budgeting and time-management. Then there are those who conceive and assemble each piece, translating their ideas into finished products.” He is referring specifically to Italy, which produces 42 per cent of all of the clothing made in Europe. Yet these considerations are important for all countries where manufacturing plays a role. Eurostat also points out that in Europe there are 176,400 companies in the textile and clothing industry, employing a total of 1.75 million people. Only 1.1 per cent of these companies have more than 250 employees, while 86 per cent of them have fewer than 9. Over the medium term, these numbers will probably remain unchanged as the challenges become more testing in a world that is becoming ever more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (the VUCA concept). “So for companies it will be crucial to have the ‘right’ resources,” explains Erika Andreetta, consumer markets consulting leader for PwC’s Italian office. “The battleground among companies is shifting from clients to employees. It is more important to attract the right talent as opposed to having just another sales clerk. Only businesses that are able to attract and maintain the best minds will be able to ensure a competitive advantage over time.” Advancements made in new technologies – such as Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet Of Things (IoT), Blockchain and everything else driving Industry 4.0 – are changing the landscape of employment. All or almost all of the big names in fashion are understood to be working to make the most of the potential of these technologies. To do so they are relying on additional individuals and teams with highly specialised skills and training. LVMH made news when word leaked that the company had recruited a blockchain team that worked for more than a year on a cryptographic platform able to authenticate all phases of the manufacturing cycle in a safe, unambiguous way. Reported last March by the specialised portal CoinDesk, the French conglomerate neither confirmed nor denied the story. If true, however, it would represent a real turning point for the entire industry. And it has been reported that LVMH’s Bernard Arnault is minded to extend the platform to his company’s competitors. In other words, anyone would be able to take advantage of the blockchain technology developed by the group. “Advancements in new technologies offer a unique opportunity especially for SMEs, which can carve a niche for themselves and play a leading role in international markets,” says Alessandra Simonella, senior consultant for executive-search company Consea’s Fashion & Retail division. She adds: “In terms of requests for 4.0 talents in the textile and clothing industries, China is at present the most active market. European companies, specifically Italian companies, are only now entering the playing field, but the opportunities are endless.” One such opportunity is the development of à la carte manufacturing: if deep-learning technologies are utilised to their full extent, it should become possible to anticipate client demand and manufacture exactly the right amount of product needed to meet it. This would be something truly miraculous for small companies and at the very least helpful for big companies too. It could eliminate fashion’s ecologically irresponsible compulsion to destroy or mothball unsold products in order to prevent them from entering the counterfeit networks and diluting brand exclusivity. The challenge that must be met to achieve this nirvana revolves around altering manufacturing’s emphasis from that of supply chain to that of demand chain. This is Prada’s latest objective. The company is working with Oracle to better understand the sales dynamics within its own network of 634 stores throughout the world. Confirmation, albeit indirect, comes from Lorenzo Bertelli, head of marketing and communications for the Prada Group. In one memo, he points out that “the collaboration with Oracle is part of a larger strategy that includes big investments in improving efficiency and effectiveness in operating processes.” Another factor affecting the demand chain is the rapidly advancing “phygital” world that includes virtual fashion influencers able to inspire hundreds of thousands of fans to make purchases. These include the already famous Noonoouri, the virtual ambassador loved by brands including Dior. There is also Daisy, the avatar from YooxMirror, which is the artificial intelligence feature in the Yoox Net-A-Porter app that allows customers to try looks on virtually. Clothing and accessories can be mixed and matched and then shared on users’ social media channels. It was developed internally by the e-tailer’s R&D team. The fashion world is opening up to the potential of new types of technologies as tools to rationalise the convergence between traditional and virtual sales channels and with which to meet the need to offer products and services tailored to individuals. Carlo Caporale, CEO of Wyser Italia, the executive-search firm within the Gi Group that focuses on hiring managers, confirms that these technologies are driving recruitment demand. “Some of the most sought-after figures in the fashion world are digital innovation managers and digital marketing executives (SEO/SEM specialists) as well as professionals from the tech companies like full stack developers, solution architects, user experience experts, digital content specialists and scrum masters.” The good news for young people is that they can find their dream jobs in the fashion world, whatever educational path they’ve taken or still need to embark upon. PwC comments on this again in its Expectations at Work study looking at the desires of more than 2,400 millennials (those born between 1980 and 1994 who, by next year, will make up 50 per cent of the workforce) and members of Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2010). Of the millenials, 61 per cent aim to work in fashion. Among Gen-Xers, that number is 65 per cent. “It is certainly a passion,” says Erika Andreetta. “There are three major factors for both of these groups when it comes to the work world; the salary, including bonuses and benefits, professional development, and work stability.” So there is no question that a large pool of potential talent is keen to enter the fashion industry. The question is whether these people are equipped, or prepared to become equipped, in the new technologically driven specialisms that employers are so urgently seeking out. Company heads worry that there is a serious skills deficit. This is what emerges from a CEO survey carried out by PwC. According to 55% of CEOs surveyed, they fear that there are not enough skilled workers to meet current and future demand. Companies say that there is often a disconnect between the teaching on offer in the education system and the most pressing needs of the professional world. “Education is most certainly an important topic,” agrees Claudio Marenzi, before adding that urgent steps are being made to meet the demands of industry. The agreement signed at the end of the 2018 between SMI (Sistema Moda Italia) and MIUR (Italy’s Education Ministry) aims to define a common platform for training teachers. Furthermore, MISE and MIBAC, national technical and professional ministries, are working to collaborate with European institutions and other industry associations on streamlining the needs of employers to match the output of educational institutions. The Camera della Moda has also created a working group to address the issue. “Today, there are about 9,000 kids in Italy studying in professional schools that focus on textiles and clothing,” says Marenzi. “After graduation, employment levels are really high. In some of the most prestigious schools, students are ‘reserved’ by employers years in advance.” Stand-out schools in Italy include Polimoda in Florence and the Istituto Marangoni, Milan’s Polytechnic University (which has a master’s programme in “Design for the Fashion System”). “90 per cent of our students find a job when they finish their studies,” says Marangoni’s director Barbara Toscano. She adds: “We focus on adapting our training programmes to market requests. According to a recent Deloitte study which we commissioned, some of the most sought-after professional categories include strategic store manager, omnichannel manager, merchandiser, strategic brand manager, and technical roles like 3D printing engineer, sustainability expert, and fabric & research manager.” Danilo Venturi, director of Polimoda, says: “Our approach is two-fold: human-centric and content driven. It might sound like a slogan, but it isn’t. First and foremost, we teach our students to think with their own minds and we teach notions that are immediately applicable to the world of work.” The proof of this is that Polimoda students currently enjoy a post-graduation employment rate of 91 per cent. For Marenzi from Confindustria Moda, knowledge alone is not enough to secure a career in fashion. Emotional intelligence is also necessary. He explains: “The ability to work in a team, proactivity and passion never go out of style. How do I choose my employees? Instinct. There is that special something which no school can teach: you’ve either got it or you don’t.”

VALENTINA MAGGI: THE SKILLS YOU NEED TO GET AHEAD

Few people understand the qualities that make a great fashion creative or executive better than Valentina Maggi, director of the Milan outpost of Floriane de Saint Pierre et Associés – the leading independent headhunting firm in the luxury sector. Here she shares some key insight and advice gleaned from a career helping those at the top get there.

Creatives like Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry and Lacoste’s Louise Trotter, as well as most of the team behind Moncler’s “Genius Building” project, not to mention top managers like Marco Bizzarri, Cédric Charbit and Emmanuel Gintzburger. These are just some of the outstanding names drafted in by Floriane de Saint Pierre over the years to lead the world’s most famous fashion houses. The hyper-exclusive talent boutique was founded in 1990 by the then 26-year- old Ms de Saint Pierre, who was once Christian Dior’s finance controller and is now the undisputed leader in recruiting for the fashion and luxury goods industry.“But don’t call us head hunters,” smiles Valentina Maggi, Floriane de Saint Pierre’s right-hand woman.With a focus on the selection of creative directors, and after more than a decade in Paris, Maggi returned to Italy five years ago to direct the company’s Milan branch. She explains: “We work on a few dozen dossiers a year, and to get the best results we delve into the heart of each company to understand its real needs.”

What exactly do you do?

We help companies to conceive and implement their strategic vision. It’s not always the case that companies who want to change their creative directors really need to do so. Sometimes an adjustment in the team might be sufficient, or you only have to dig a little deeper to find that the “rare pearl” is already there and just needs to be given an opportunity to blossom.That’s what happened with Alessandro Michele, for example, who was already at Gucci under the creative direction of Frida Giannini. In particular, most creatives are generally given two-year contracts.

What about CEOs and other C-level posts?

Permanent contracts are a must for executives, and their pay package is quite complex between basic salary, MBO and equity. This means part of their pay is in shares, which spreads the attainment of financial benefits over time by linking them to the results achieved.Then there are giants like Kering that usually bring up their top people internally, perhaps making them do a tour of duty around the group’s various brands.That goes for both creative and executive figures.

What kind of profile does the “right” creative director have?

There’s no formula that works for everyone. Each company has its own peculiarities.What’s certain is that today the creative content director comes out on top, in other words someone with a 360-degree vision of the maison who can show it off in the most unusual contexts, catalysing cultural, social and political influences.And, unlike the recent past, these figures don’t necessarily come from the product side of the business. Miuccia Prada, for example, has been ahead of her time as a creative content director.

But vision is also a trait of successful executives, isn’t it?

That’s right. Remo Ruffini is a perfect example. With the “Genius Building” project he mustered the talents of the moment. He did a genuine Moncler-style “editing” job to assemble the best that the international scene had to offer.The results have been excellent in financial terms too. It’s also worth noting that everyone does collaborations, but not everyone knows how to do collaborations well.You need the right “fit”.There’s one thing that has to be said, though...

What’s that?

Today’s emerging talents can compete on equal terms with the legendary giants of fashion and luxury like never before. The advent of digital technologies has overturned all the equilibriums, mothballing the hyper-referential and elitist model that was considered inherent to the system.Anyone can be called into question.The rules of the game are dictated by values like transparency, sustainability, diversity...And all it takes is a tweet or a little more to shake even the big players.

But you stay focused on the names that count. How can budding talents emerge?

That’s no longer the case.We’ve designed a special platform precisely to discover the most eclectic creatives, wherever they are. It’s called Eyes on Talents and it aims to put individuals in touch with the maisons that matter.We currently have over 5,000 profiles on our books. Each portfolio is published subject to our invitation, while for companies there’s an annual subscription.To young people I say: write to us. It may be worth it.

L’Uomo Vogue, giugno 2019, n.005, pag. 217

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