Ahead of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Week International Women’s Day Forum and Business Seminar, we sat down with three uber inspiring career women to find out how they got to where they are today.
Wen Zhou, one half of internationally renowned fashion label 3.1 Phillip Lim, Fanny Moizant, co-founder of online fashion retailer Vestiaire Collective, and Nicky Briger, Editor of marie claire Australia, tell us their professional mottos, advice for those wanting to follow in their footsteps and their biggest ‘pinch me’ moments.
Wen Zhou, CEO and Co-Founder of 3.1 Phillip Lim
What do you think was your ‘big break’, professionally speaking?
In my life, I don’t think I have ever been looking for “miracle moments.” I strongly believe that we have to create breaks for ourselves. We must recognize our strengths and continue to build on those strengths day in and day out. For me, a lot of my success has been made possible by my incredible family, friends that I hold very dear, and my relationships in the industry. I now feel that it is my job to pay it forward. To be successful, you have to work, you have to fight.
What has been your career highlight?/proudest achievement?
I am incredibly proud that we are still here, in this challenging industry 12 years on, producing incredible product and growing the business globally. I LOVE what I do, the future is enormous!
What would you say was your greatest professional challenge?
To run a balanced life…to devote time to work while still being a good mom, friend, daughter, sister. Juggling life and business is always a challenge!
What’s your professional motto?
Don’t be a double loser! Meaning that I am not going to stress out about something I cannot control. If it something I can control, then I will action it.
What’s been the biggest ‘pinch me’ moment?
I have a pinch me moment every time I get 15 minutes alone on the couch…just quick moments of quiet time where I am able to reflect on the things Phillip and I, along with our teams, have accomplished, the business we have built, my children, the great city I live and work in…I always try to find time to remind myself how lucky I am.
What piece of advice do you have for someone wanting to start their own fashion label?
It’s no secret that the business today is very difficult…however, it is a global market place and there is room for all of us as long as you have a point of view, passion, and ok with very little sleep.
Fanny Moizant, Co-Founder, APAC VP, Director of Communications at Vestiaire Collective
What do you think was your ‘big break’, professionally speaking?
My “big break” is definitely the creation of Vestiaire Collective. It came after becoming a mother. I had over 6 years of experience in the decoration industry and decided in between my 2 pregnancies to go back to fashion school to be able to go back into the industry I was passionate about: fashion. During that year, I had the “declic”; I wanted to follow my gut and become an entrepreneur, like my parents and brother. I realized that desire has always been in me, deep inside, but I needed time to be ready for it. Becoming a mother gave me an incredible energy. I was ready to lift mountains. Great timing, I needed that energy to launch Vestiaire with my fellow business partners x 5!
What has been your career highlight?/proudest achievement?
Definitely growing my professional skills as the company expands. It’s absolutely not the same job as it was at the start as the marketing and communication director of a small French business (the first few years of Vestiaire); then moving to London to develop the UK market, leading a team of talented Country Managers in Europe, and finally moving my entire family to Hong Kong to set up and develop the APAC business. It’s been a real challenge to constantly adapt and step out of my comfort zone every other year. I love that, so challenging but so rewarding. When I look back at this past 8 years I feel so happy and proud of this achievement even if the road is still long.
What would you say was your greatest professional challenge?
It has been to invent a new business model while growing so fast.It was a constant effort to do both at the same time. You need processes to scale and it takes time to create them. When you don’t have that time you have to run and do it all at the same moment.
What’s your professional motto?
Success is always a collaborative story! I think the most important thing for an entrepreneur is to be surrounded by the right talents. The team is what makes it all possible. The best idea is worth nothing if you don’t have the right people driving and executing it. I love my team and try to give as much as I receive from them. I pay a lot of attention in recruiting only people that share the same passion for fashion and have an entreprenarial spirit. One of our value at Vestiaire Collective is “Make it happen”. And the way to make things happen is to work hard, be passionate and think outside of the box.
What’s been the biggest ‘pinch me’ moment?
Every single time one new person I meet tells me how he/she loves Vestiaire Collective and share their own experience! There are so many great stories behind it. People who became friends through the site, people who found the unfoundable, people who managed to go through tough days in their life thanks to the cash they made reselling on the site, people willing to change it all, their style, way of consuming fashion, sustainability addicts preaching about second hand only …
What piece of advice do you have for someone wanting to work in the industry?
Be passionate and work hard. May you be an entrepreneur or not, professional life is like living on a roller coaster. It has some highs and some lows. And to go through them you have to be deeply passionate and hard working. So read, learn, be curious, listen, meet the right people, share their experience, build your own point of view, think differently ….
Nicky Briger, Editor of marie claire
What do you think was your ‘big break’, professionally speaking?
Scoring my first job on marie claire back in 1995. I remember walking into this vast wasteland of an office with just two people – then-editor Jackie Frank and deputy editor Karen Spresser. They’d just started interviewing people for the launch of the local edition of marie claire and I was desperate to work for my favourite overseas magazine.
Thankfully, Jackie employed me on the spot – I was one of their first hires. Since then, I’ve become one of the many “boomerangers” – staff who keep coming back to marie claire Once it’s in your blood, it’s hard to shake it.
What has been your career highlight?/proudest achievement?
Without a doubt, becoming editor of marie claire. Steering this big, beautiful ship is an honour, privilege and damn good fun. I’m also really proud of our VAMFF International Women’s Day breakfasts – it’s a chance to meet our readers, interview some incredible people, and discuss female-driven issues in a room full of likeminded women. It’s a powerful feeling watching the magazine come to life.
What would you say was your greatest professional challenge?
Working in the digital age and handling all the juggling. In the past, you could put the issue to bed and have a bit of a breather. Not anymore; it never stops.
What’s your professional motto?
Don’t ask, don’t get
What’s been the biggest ‘pinch me’ moment?
On the red carpet at G’Day LA interviewing Nicole Kidman, Elle Macpherson and Kylie Minogue – all at once. They’ve known each other for decades so everyone was joking around. Pretty surreal.
What’s the biggest misconception about your job?
That it’s all glamour, couture, front rows, champagne and parties. I wish! It’s more about late nights in the office and gobbling lunch at my desk in-between meetings.
What advice do you have for others wanting to follow in your footsteps?
My first gig as a cadet journalist was on the dog racing round on the Daily Telegraph. Clearly, I knew nothing about it so had to school up on greyhounds. Can’t say I ever caught the racing bug but it taught me to adapt, ask questions, learn quickly and write fast copy by the track. Very valuable indeed.
To see Fanny, Wen and Nicky speak in person, get your tickets to VAMFF before they sell out.
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