Ask a fashion buyer

Starting a fashion brand has never been more accessible and difficult at the same time. Google “how to start a fashion brand”, and you’ll find several resources that tell you how to get started. At the same time, anyone can go viral or build a community online. However, the dichotomy is that because the barriers to entry have never been lower, the competition has never been greater. Emerging brands must compete for attention and convert attention into sales to survive and scale. Therefore, being discovered by an established multi-brand retailer not only helps with visibility, but also signals to the market a certain kind of validation that’s almost necessary in today’s competitive landscape. I interviewed head buyers at three of Italy’s top multi-brand retailers about their perspectives on emerging brands and the broader world of fashion buying.

Manuel Marelli, Head Buyer at Macondo

Manuel Marelli, Head Buyer at Macondo

Manuel’s quirky picks: JW Anderson’s frog loafers and Margiela Tabi ballet flats

Manuel Marelli, Head Buyer at Macondo

Manuel’s quirky picks: JW Anderson’s frog loafers and Margiela Tabi ballet flats

What do you look for in emerging brands?

I’ve been doing this work for many years, so I’m looking for something new, something fresh, something that can give me a different point of view in fashion right now.

How do you select which pieces to buy?

At first sight of a show or showroom, I can recognize the right pieces of a collection. For me it’s very easy. So, it’s just the intuition after doing this job for many years. Then, you have the lookbook that shows the collection - so when I go to the show, I can see the more important and strong pieces in the runway or the showroom.

Can you tell us about any emerging brands you’re excited about?

There’s a brand called Interior - it’s a new brand from New York. It’s for a very chic New York style girl. It’s very easy, clean, relaxed, functional and confident. I like the attitude, not only the style but also the feeling it can give you. The designers used to work for Bode, another New York superstar brand. They split around 2 years ago, and they decided to start a new brand. It’s very feminine, edgy and modern. It’s the idea to be very cool and edgy but also easy, so you can wear it from morning to evening. This is the New York lifestyle.

I’m also super excited about Rier - it’s a new Italian brand. It actually comes from South Tyrol, an area north of Italy where they also speak Dutch. It’s a very niche part of Italy but with a lot of tradition. So, Andreas (founder) put this tradition in the collection. The brand is chic, soft and cool, but they designed also with the alpine star, which is the typical flower of the Dolomites. I also really love Dilara Findikoglu. She’s a new designer who showed last season in London. Her style is very gothic, ballerina, gorp with lingerie details. It’s very edgy but also dark. She dresses a lot of celebrities in LA (the cool ones). So, she’s one of the very good ones right now.

Do you enjoy doing womenswear or menswear more?

I really like menswear more, but I think I’m better at buying womenswear. We have a different point of view and it creates something that’s interesting for clients.

And what about ready-to-wear vs accessories?

RTW is something I’ve done for a while. Now, I’m more enjoying doing something different such as beauty, books, and these kind of things.

Are there any beauty brands you’re excited about?

I’m super excited about beauty - this is my goal this season. We have two new brands now. One is Isamaya Ffrench. They have this super nice packaging - or “hot” packaging, I should say. I also like the quality and the attitude of the brand. It’s fun, it’s easy, and the price is good. The other one is Obayaty - it’s a Swedish brand. It’s the first mens’ brand we carry. It’s not only beauty but also make-up created for men in a minimal and Scandi way.

What’s the best and worst part of your job?

The best part is that you meet a lot of people, and you see a lot of super nice things, a lot of art, a lot of shows, and other incredible things. The worst part is that you’re traveling a lot during the year. It’s not easy and sometimes it’s very stressful.

How do you think buying has changed over the years?

Some years ago, it was easier to just go to the show or showroom and select the pieces. Now the market requires you to do more things. You have to create the full package - connections, PR, stylists, photographers. Buyers have to be closer to an art director and not just a buyer. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs?

The only advice is to stay curious and try to create something new and different. Part of this job is to create something new and to be avant garde and see forward.

Massimiliano Nardiello, Head Buyer at Antonia

Massimiliano Nardiello, Head Buyer at Antonia

Massimiliano Nardiello, Head Buyer at Antonia

The sleek interiors of Antonia Milano were designed by Vincenzo de Cotiis

What do you look for in emerging brands?

For emerging brands, I like strong direction, and high creativity.

And are there any brands that are on your radar right now?

Japanese brands are the key, and also Korean brands.

How do you select which pieces to buy? And how do you buy for the customer of Antonia?

We know the customer very well -- we know the identity of the customers. When I select the brands, I have to understand exactly what is happening in the world, in terms of music, art, cinema. So, we are focused on satisfying our customers, but also to search and select new brands and items.

What’s the best and worst part of your job?

The best part is being around nice collections - for example, The Row, Alaia, Loewe, Bottega. The worst part is when you have to buy from collections you don’t like.

How do you think buying has changed over the years?

Buying has changed totally - before, we bought only beautiful things. Now, we buy everything.

Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs?

To be successful in the business, you need to have the right idea, at the right moment.

Alessio Cuozzo, Head Buyer at Modes

Alessio Cuozzo, Head Buyer at Modes

Alessio Cuozzo, Head Buyer at Modes

Alessio’s edit: jackets by Kid Super and Junya Watanabe

What do you look for in emerging brands? 

To me, it’s super important to understand the message behind the collection, before seeing the garments.

Are there any emerging brands you’re particularly excited about right now?

Every season is exciting because there are a lot of new brands. And for us, it’s a mission to discover new brands. It’s the purpose of the multi brand retailer, to give the customer the possibility to discover something new. For example, this jacket by Kid Super, which became popular after their collaboration with Louis Vuitton. We introduced the brand at Modes two seasons before the collaboration.

How did you know Kid Super was going to be big before Louis Vuitton did?

It was a feeling because we started to speak with the Kid Super team, who are friends of mine now. So, it’s also about connecting with cool people that you can trust and work with. We started to speak about the brand and the designer is an artistic person, and I felt it. We started with a small budget to introduce the brand and put it next to institutional brands in the store to create balance and newness. 

How do you select which pieces to buy from the collections?

It depends on the collection. Sometimes, maybe you’re looking for something crazy and special. For example, this Junya Watanabe piece from the fashion show. When you buy from a fashion show, you want to represent the brand in the best way - so you buy the crazy pieces that are beautiful and unique. Sometimes you can select just one SKU in four different colors just to mix the merchandising. Because in a multi-brand store, you have to buy all the brands just once and mix them. Modes is also a brand - so when you come in the store, you can see the selection from all the brands creating one collection.

What other brands are you excited about?

This season we introduced a new brand from Italy called The Big White Blue, a unisex denim brand. It was an exclusive collaboration with Modes. I really love this brand, Christopher Raxxy, from China. It’s a unisex down jacket brand. We have the exclusive on this, which is important for us to give to our customers something new and special.

How did you discover them?

They did a collaboration with Moncler, and before the collaboration I saw them on IG and thought, “Wow, these guys are crazy.” I messaged them and we closed a deal one month before their collaboration with Moncler. We got lucky - we’re selling a lot of these jackets now. These guys are super good. You will hear a lot about them.

Any other Milanese brands you’re excited about?

The Attico is one of my favorites. The founders are so good and from Milan, so they are also correlated to the space and the store and the vibe from the city. It’s a womenswear brand, but we have a lot of men coming in and buying their cargoes and bombers.

What do you think made them successful fashion entrepreneurs?

They were in the right place, the right moment, the right connections, and the right vision. It was a combination of these things.

Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion entrepreneurs?

First of all - please keep your message really strong. Don’t think about money in the beginning - think about selling to just a few people but in the right way. You have to have a message, a purpose, and push your message. Once you have your purpose, message, and goals, you will reach those goals and sell and make money. But if you start from the money, I think it never happens.

What’s the best and worst part of your job?

The best part is having so many possibilities to meet different creative minds at all the fashion weeks. You can be connected with a lot of people and discover a lot of newness around the world.  The worst part is that it’s a really tough job - you’re always under pressure and it’s always a race. But it’s part of the game.  We buy to sell - so we’re always under pressure. We buy things now that we’ll sell 7 months to a year later. And fashion now is so fast, that in 7 months, everything can change. It’s crazy because we might invest in a brand, and in 6 months, things can change and it won’t be as strong as when you bought the pieces. So, you have to be careful. But I love it because it’s about feelings and creating a community with the customers.

How do you think buying has changed over the years?

It depends on the fashion era that you live in. For example, the last strong era was the streetwear moment. We invested in a lot of sneakers, in logo t-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, etc. Now we’re in a totally different era where you have to invest in crazy and special pieces and staples. It’s completely different. You can see the evolution. It’s super interesting to see that if you invested the same amount three years ago in the same collections, you won’t sell. 

Do you think people will still be wearing Margiela Tabis in five years?

I think yes - there are some staples that will never change. In ten years, the Saint Laurent biker will be cool again, and these kinds of staples will never die.

Modes Exclusives: denim from The Big White Blue, puffer jackets from Christopher Raxxy

Modes Exclusives: denim from The Big White Blue, puffer jackets from Christopher Raxxy

Alessio’s edit: jackets by Kid Super and Junya Watanabe

There are two key takeaways for emerging fashion entrepreneurs. Firstly, buyers are ultimately searching for brands and pieces that will sell when they launch in stores several months later. Secondly, these multi-brand retailers are brands themselves, and therefore they’re looking for pieces that tell a story to their target customers. Having a consistent and strong creative direction can mean being different and unique, but also can mean that a collection evokes an emotional reaction. Does the brand have a unique perspective anchored by tradition (Rier’s use of the traditional flower of the Dolomites) or culture (Junya Watanabe’s punk tartan skirt for men)? Or does the brand produce easy-to-style wardrobe capsules with a unique twist (Interior)? It’s clear that buyers are prioritizing how customers interact with their brand selection and how they feel when they wear the clothes, and emerging brand founders that want to be carried at these multi-brand retailers should also prioritize how to balance a unique and strong creative vision, with commercial success.