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Tuesday, 06 September 2011 |
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 Previously financial types and creatives never found common ground when it came to business proposals. Now with the 21st Century seeing a new merging of mediums, bankers and lawyers seem to finding second careers within the
fashion industry.
Key examples of those who have successfully crossed boundaries, include luxe shoe designers Natalia Barbieri and Jennifer Portman of label Bionda Castana, a fashion insiders favourite, who set up the label after partnering together at Deutsche Bank and realised they could turn their skills into a profitable luxury business.
“I gained an understanding of cashflow and budgets,” says Barbieri, “And I am able to work in a fast paced environment.”(FT)
Nor is this trend confined to the UK. American Wall Streeter, Nancy Gibson, teamed up with financial friend, Jennifer Murray to create a sister arm to heritage brand, Robert Miller, called Edith A Miller.
With the currently booming menswear market, City boys are also getting in on the design act; Oscar Udeshi and Cad & The Dandy are tailors set up by ex-financiers.
And nor is it only the design area of fashion intriguing these newly turned creatives. Ruth Runberg, now buying director of Browns, started on Wall Street and recently former Goldman Sachs analyst, Megha Mittal, bought existing yet suffering label, Escada.
It seems now that the fashion industry is opening up and can benefit from those with a different mindset and set of acquired skills.
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