CREATe and

Goldsmiths

RESEARCHING FASHION MICRO-BUSINESSES IN THREE CITIES: LONDON, BERLIN AND MILAN. An interview and observations-based project.

FUNDED BY THE UK ARTS AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH COUNCIL

RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 1) How do small-scale / independent designers set up in business and

how do they find ways to manage risk, uncertainty and under-investment? What strategies do they develop to survive and succeed?

2) How important is protecting copyright and IP for young designers? What do they do when they find they have been copied?

3) How do small-scale designers manage the challenges of new technology and the rise of e-retail?

4) What are the key factors which shape the fashion design ‘scenes’ in the three cities?

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS WE ASKED:

• What are the most pressing issues for small fashion enterprises today? • What could the fashion schools and universities do to better prepare

graduates for the world of work? • Have you been able to take advantage of any local government

schemes to help new businesses?• Do you keep an archive of all your past work?• How many people do you employ, and on what kind of basis e.g. as

freelancers, part-timers or interns etc.?

MAIN FINDINGS IN LONDON:

• A polished and professionalised system, with support available on a highly competitive basis (see applications forms online for Centre for Fashion Enterprise, Mare Street, Hackney).• Either for young prize winners or for designers who have already

established themselves with a turnover /staff/ press. • See also Fashion East and New Generation schemes, all supported by

British Fashion Council

MORE FINDINGS FROM THE LONDON INTERVIEWS

1) best to work in a partnership with the relevant skills held by each person

2) find a niche and really develop that e.g. pure cashmere knitwear

3) its all about ‘brand building’ (by far the most important factor) copyright and IP absorbed by this BRAND ethos

4) getting an agent is a huge advantage (then sales are managed on your behalf)

5) high quality and high cost products will find the market in London

6) spend the early years devoted to the collections, at a later stage find some other work such as teaching, or collaborations

7) keep staff costs DOWN

8) rely on friends to help unpaid when they can.

9) its impossible to start-up without support in the form of prizes/recognition from the key players (e.g. Christopher Bailey Burberry or Wendy Malem CFE)

10) aware of the reality of being copied, will pursue if ‘serious’ but also find it not a major concern, even a bit ‘flattering’

Strategies for London:

• Working for 5 years after graduation in a bigger company then go it alone, this provides contacts, knowledge and possible income from one off projects or consultancies • A lot can be done in terms of orders and production electronically • It makes sense to have a partner (i.e. husband or wife) with a ‘regular

job’. • You have to know your customers and find ways of conversing with them • It helps to have a relevant network of media people re. getting free

publicity with interviews etc.

London Realities:

• winner takes all… other cities suffer• An elite professional /corporate system even when independent there

is proximity to the big brands • Few chances for ‘alternative’ or neighbourhood initiatives • Key directing role of the art/fashion schools Central St. Martins,

London College of Fashion and Royal College of Art. These offer a kind of passport and the promise of support after graduation.• Prohibitive cost of studio space

London Analysis: • The ‘magic’ formula is fashion-art and ‘big business’ plus support from

the key players and press • Little space for experimentation and ecological/environmental issues

and could be seen as tokenistic.• London is a ‘space of flows’, an international, often wealthy student

body, poorer people squeezed out …no longer is there a welfare state for start ups. No cheap market stalls, no affordable space…so critical/alternative fashion has little voice or visibility. • In the UK it makes sense to think about regional cities as new spaces

for start –ups ie ‘priced out of London”.

THE BERLIN INTERVIEWS:

• More dynamic and energetic, less dominated by the ‘business plan’• Awareness of the hardship and difficulties in finding the customer

base, but expressions of ‘job satisfaction’• Awareness of lack of support from the glossy magazines • Berlin ‘belonging’… the city impinges positively on the designer

scenes• Commitment to neighbourhood/environment, the ‘social enterprise’

element

Berlin Findings …

• Able to pursue a pathway less driven by ‘branding’ i.e. ‘reluctant branding’, belief in the ‘work itself’• With lower costs more able to be experimental ..try out projects e.g.

with theatre or dance• Open to newcomers with ideas, micro-businesses e.g. crochet,

accessories, hats, scarves (lots of scarves) • Most designers ‘copyright aware’ and have found their work copied but

few have the money to pursue with lawyers, as a result it is put into a ‘back drawer’ more pressing worries

Berlin Analysis:

• Aware of support from local press • Frustrations with Senate given the ‘talent base’• The art and fashion schools could do a lot more ..guidance post-

graduation• Need for fine-tuned ‘business advice’ free to users • Difficulties finding an agent• Berlin Fashion Week needs updating • Calls for a national fashion design economic strategy!• Early days for e-retail, high investment costs

THE MILAN INTERVIEWS:

• Presence of big fashion houses but high rates of graduate unemployment • No tradition of ‘welfare to work’ schemes or business support for

small enterprises • No national ‘creative economy’ strategy• Small one-person enterprises …to escape being unemployed • High use of internet to sell, e-bay and Etsy.com

Milan Findings:

• Some signs of higher degree of professionalism, especially from people ‘let go’ from the big fashion houses • Niche developments e.g. ‘wedding dresses’ • Despite these hard times the Italian small business and high craft

tradition shows signs of being brought back to life • For example two graduates in architecture set up a small business

designing and selling online jewelry • Reliance again on friendships /network and party culture to find

customer base

Milan Analysis:

• They are hardly making any money but feel much better than doing nothing, they suddenly have some status: ‘I’m a designer’ • Need for city/municipal support schemes and subsidy • The fashion houses should ‘give back’ more to support young talent • The universities and fashion schools need more ‘outreach presence’• Would benefit from the Berlin model, need for ‘knowledge exchange’ • High skills basis re. textiles/small scale manufacturing all needs to be

harnessed into stronger “Made in Italy’ government agenda

Thanks to (among many others):

• London: Teija Eilola , Kenneth MacKenzie (6876) and Basso and Brooke London. • Berlin: Michael Sontag, Esther Perbandt, Hien Lee, Rita in Palma• Milan: Camilla Vinciquena, Ela Siromaceno, Duedillate and Flatwig

TEAM FOR CREATe LONDON, BERLIN AND MILAN (October 2013- December 2016)

• PROFESSOR ANGELA MCROBBIE (a.mcrobbie@gold.ac.uk)• DR BETTINA SPRINGER • DR DAN STRUTT (d.strutt@gold.ac.uk)• CAROLINA BANDINELLI (c.bandinelli@gold.ac.uk )

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT PROFESSOR MCROBBIE BY EMAIL.