Givenchy's New President, Sue Whiteley: Business And Art Can Coexist.

CEO

Sue Whiteley (Sue Whiteley).

When Sue Whiteley was 13 years old, she skipped classes with 6 months of pocket money to buy a designer brand pants.

30 years later, she leads the world trend of fashion and luxury. As Givenchy's new president, she is just as famous as Audrey Hepburn and Tiffany's breakfast.

This is Whiteley's fourth top job in his brilliant career.

In LV's parent company, the French giant LVMH group, Givenchy brand ranked only second after Dior brand (Dior).

This French fashion house is famous for Jacqueline Kennedy and redesigned by Riccardo Tisci, a very creative manager. Ricardo Ricardo Tisi is from a traditional brand.

The brand is famous for its elegance, and attracts people by fashion and shock.

Givenchy has won a large number of supporters, including Courtney lov and Stella Tennant.

Many of the top people attended the fashion show in Paris, including love, Ronnie Wood, Lily Alan, Justinn Timberlake, Liv Taylor and others.

Business and art can coexist well.

Whiteley, who is on the road to success, is considered to be the most influential Briton in the international high-end fashion industry, not only because she is at the top of the global business, but also because she successfully predicted the rise of the Lytham St Annes city from the black beach (the name of the city of England) on the coastline of Lancashire.

Sitting in the private compartment of LV's flagship store upstairs on New Bond street in London, England, she dressed in an elegant suit. "I always believe that business and art can coexist well. In fact, I believe that commercial success must have art in it.

I always think that in the past few years, my passion for art and culture has promoted the brand vision of the brand I work for.

Her family is always full of various works of art. During her work at LV, she worked with first-class artists.

With the support of mayor Boris Johnson of London, she launched activities such as "art exchange", "artistic stroll" and "children's art program", which created opportunities for poor children to engage professional artists.

Whiteley designed and built LV's "Art Library" in the store, collecting works of artists such as Quinn, Chris Offe, Anish Kapoor and others.

When she opened last year, she asked the Punchdrunk theater company to arrange a semi exhibition and semi performance drama.

Before that, Whiteley shared a train and invited a large number of celebrities and media pioneers to visit LV's new flagship store in Paris.

She held a famous company dinner. All the chairs were designed by Anish Kapoor herself at the banquet.

"Those chairs are relatively simple," she laughs. "Arranging trains is the hardest part."

There was a serious theme on that extravagant short trip. She said, "we want to tell some exciting stories. We communicate with each listener.

They are all on trains, thinking about LV in some way, and we let them find a different way.

"The way to spread the news quickly is the key to success.

Businessmen who won the title of "future luxury retailers" have won all consuming classes, from high-end market to mass market.

Keeping in touch is very important. "

She said.

The use of art and cutting-edge technology is one of the ways to achieve this goal.

Are they going too far? "She laughs." I have a strong team behind them. They know that we are always doing something different. They are loyal.

So "not too much" is the most appropriate answer.

True luxury is the simplification of purity.

Whiteley was obsessed with fashion in his early years.

"My grandmother is a loyal customer of Harold's fur coat, and she gave me great encouragement.

She taught me how important the story behind every item is, and that behind every artwork is a story of a person's life. This is the eternal truth.

When she was a child, she traveled around the world with her parents.

Her father took part in the Chay Blyth global sailing competition when he was 67 years old.

Whiteley said, "my father is an explorer. He encouraged me to experience life and keep curiosity, which also created my character.

Later, I traveled around the world again, this time as a buyer with inspiration from fresh design and new culture.

When LV was a rich pronoun, Whiteley did not regard it as a selling point.

"True luxury is not the obvious carving, but the simplification of purity."

She said, "it has a simple, noble and exquisite craftsmanship."

As a graduate trainee, she joined Harvey Nichols, London fashion store, and promoted herself continuously. Harvey Nikos

She said, "the best shops are on the first floor, and that is our design room."

Whiteley and famous TV retail figure Mary Portas are responsible for pforming Harvey Nikos from a dull shop to a fashionable destination and aesthetic source.

They have won a highly sought after brand exclusive product line, encouraging young designers to turn shop windows into sexy exhibitions, giving them a vibrant and modern atmosphere.

In 2001, she went to Alexander MacQeen McQueen from Harvey Nicks (Alexander).

"This is an important period in my life.

The company was bought by Gucci, where designers Alexander MacQeen, Sarah Burton and me.

We must build up our own business power. "

Thinking of the departed MacQeen, she said sadly, "he is a genius."

She continued: "we have to ask ourselves," what is our future like? How do we build a brand? "

"They focus on the development of the US market," Whiteley said. "Alexander MacQeen has very few markets in the US.

We realize that the market that we are going to enter has some estrangement with us, but we have unique advantages.

"We come up with a strategy to deal with the US in two ways.

Alexander MacQeen is famous for his jeans and leather clothing. We are also committed to evening wear, so we introduce clothes like retro jackets.

We did it and put it in the United States.

Givenchy - one of my favorite jobs

Whiteley plays two roles in the fashion industry -- buyers and sellers.

In the United States, Ralph Lauren (Ralph Lauren) and Calvin Klein (Calvin Klein) directors are common in cross-border activities, but few in Britain.

"I guess I was the first to do this."

She said.

She worked with Alexander MacQeen until 2004 and then went to LV.

Including the emphasis on art and the opening of flagship store on New Bond street, he pushed LV to the Weiss field area in the United States and established a shopping center luxury village.

She is sure that she wants to cooperate with her.

"He is very much like Alexander MacQeen. His works are full of gifts.

I hope to establish a cooperative relationship with him. He is a genius in art. "

Some reports say that ti is being invited to succeed John Galiano (John Galliano) in Dior.

Will she really go? "I think so."

This is Whiteley's answer.

In her new duties, she mainly works in Paris, a city like London.

"In the early days of my career, as a purchasing agent for Harvey Nikos, I often went to pick up clothes in the clothing District of Paris's Le Sanjie area.

Many of the brands there have become common luxury goods in stores.

The only Londoner I saw there was Joseph Ettedgui. "

Of course, Paris also has its own avant-garde artists.

She quickly came up with several names: Christine Polstanki, Annette Masagil and Anselm Kiefer.

She added: "when I saw the graffiti around the railway station second times in Paris, my response was not to destroy public property, but to feel that it was creativity."

"I only like two or three jobs in the fashion industry," she laughs. "Givenchy is one of them."

With this thought, she continued to do what she loved to do for the art she loved.