When I met Valentina, I was at a difficult period of my life, being a career mom, who wanted to be the best mother, best boss, best wife and could cook meals everyday… my right hand at that point resigned and left me very limited time to hire someone amazing before my world sunk in… I was so desperate, and I wouldn’t find anyone for a long time, so when the CV came through, I actually didn’t get my hopes up as I fed up with people hiding their abilities by writing amazing CV but actually they could be full of shit.
I simply wanted someone who means well and cares about what they do. Here comes Valentina, her CV wasn’t the most elaborated, I sensed she meant what she did, so I agreed with the HR to call her in, within 10 minutes, I knew she’d be my partner in crime. A wonderful individual who is simply passionate about fashion, life, I loved her positive attitude ad above all I saw the similarity of being true friends with clients meaning you care for them rather than just about orders and money, for me that’s a long term relationship which most of the brands CEO they don’t give a damn about it but I do and so does Valentina.
She is a problem solver, which is so important especially in a start up company that is still shaping, you need problem solvers, and less detectors, you need someone who can be resilient to thrive through a difficult period. It was about clients building as first phase, and once that’s stabilised you can start build up the report and plan more fun and sexy strategies. Valentina shined through the dark period and excelled her career. We became good friends and I recommended her to my beloved AH team, here I would like to share this smart cookie’s journey, how a Rome girl left her beautiful city and found her root in London. Enjoy –
KF: How has your career in fashion started? Did you always know you want to be in fashion?
VF: When I was kid my dream was becoming a designer… my favourite game was “Gira la Moda”…I mean I was OBSESED WITH IT! – If I do not make a mistake over here the name was Fashion Wheel. My mom, I don’t know how many times, found the box in the bed with me (LOL).
Then I changed my mind… but the dream was always there, I guess!
At the age of 25 I had finished a job in the hospitality, and I started working for a marketing agency…I hate it! I was so desperate that I applied for every vacancy possible, and for an intern role at Fendi as well, without any hopes as you can imagine. After 5 min of my application… my phone rang…and I started my career in fashion.
KF: Everyone has their story which often is inspiring before their career takes off, what was your first job and how was your journey from that to where you are now
VF: Well, as I mentioned my career didn’t started in fashion, but in luxury hospitality. Despite the differences between the two environments… they have such a lot of things in common… first of the client! Luxury hospitality welcome thru their doors the same people that it would be welcomed into a luxury store. One of my tasks in the hotel was checking that all the rooms were immaculate, and perfectly clean. so having a particular keen eye on details was fundamental, and I brought this skills with me into fashion… it definitely helped!
KF: As head of wholesale, how has your job changed since pandemic? Describe your work before Covid and now.
VF: Well, the job in itself didn’t change more, I think what did change was more the way of working and reinvent the wholesale business. It has been more supportive towards clients…sometime during this pandemic, I have just rung them to see how they were… nothing else! Also, I have listed more client needs and what they need during this time. At Anya for example, our last two collections were timeless with a key functionality aspect…and of course with a touch of humour! People are looking for something that have a purpose and not just being trendy!
KF: What’s your view on fashion business in this pandemic? Did you think about some change before we even know and you wished you pushed your voice through?
VF: Anya Hindmarch often during her interviews has used a quote from Winston Churchill “ Never let a good crisis go to waste” and I think it could not be more than the perfect sum up during this moment. We should use this challenging time to pause and restart. Until now the fashion industry was running at really high speed, too high, nobody was enjoying anymore this amazing and creative world…we didn’t have time to do so!
I would love to keep working on sustainability and reschedule a fashion calendar that will have much more sense. All my friends that are not working in fashion always ask me “why are you selling winter products in summer and vice versa?” well, I hope not getting this question anymore
KF: What’s your advice to young people who hopes to be in fashion taking pandemic and the future fashion in consideration.
VF: Be brave, be creative and open your mind to different path and solutions… and do not be scare to reinvent yourself and what you learn… things will change, and you have to adjust your problem solving skills accordingly!
KF: Tell us about your childhood and what do you miss the most when you are in London.
VF: Well, I grew up with 2 other siblings younger than me. So, as you can imagine all the responsibilities were on me! my parents have been the most supportive people in my life… and they still are!
I miss my mom amazing and delicious dishes! She is a wonderful cook!
KF: what’s your favourite Italian food, can you share your secret recipe from your nonna or from yourself?
VF: This is one of the most difficult question… and I tell you why! My nonna dishes are heaven! So delicious and yummy…above all her cakes. We didn’t live in the same city, she was in the south of Italy, so I was usually seen her just during holiday periods or summer and when we were there we have our wishlist of our fav dishes that she cooked for us. When I was teenager I was dreaming to replicate the same cakes at my home in Rome, so every time I was asking her the recipe her answer was “I don’t know honey, I have never used the scale in my life, I m going off the top of my head!”
Valentina Fiore is the Head of Wholesale and Franchise at Anya Hindmarch, she can be reached via LinkedIn.
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中文：
遇見Valentina時，我正處於人生的艱難時期，是一名職業母親，並決心成為最好的母親，最好的上司，最好的妻子，並且每天都可以做飯（拒絕認為這是不可能的，並拒絕退步海闊天空的想法，不到10000000％就是不好，我精神上快崩了…）那時我的右手辭職了，在我的世界沉沒之前，我剩下有限的時間可以聘請人…我如此的絕望，我找不到任何人很長一段時間，所以當簡歷通過時，我實際上並沒有寄予希望，因為我厭倦了通過編寫出色的簡歷來隱藏自己無能力的人，實際上他們可能很麻煩。
我只想要一個意味深長，關心自己工作的人。瓦倫蒂娜（Valentina）來了，她的簡歷並不是最強的，我感覺到她的誠懇，所以我同意人力資源部約面談。見面10分鐘內，我知道她會成為我的“犯罪”夥伴 （事業助手）。一個對時尚，生活充滿熱情的出色個人，我特別喜歡她的積極態度，和我與客戶成為真正的朋友的相似之處意味著您真正關心他們，而不只是訂單和金錢，對我而言，這是長期的關係，而大多數品牌CEO對此都不屑一顧，但瓦倫蒂娜（Valentina）了解。
她是一個解決問題的人，這一點非常重要，尤其是在仍處於發展階段的初創公司中，您需要解決問題的人，而檢測人員則更少，您需要能夠在艱難時期內保持resilient壯成長的人。它是關於客戶建立第一階段的，一旦穩定下來，您就可以開始建立報告併計劃更多有趣的策略。瓦倫蒂娜（Valentina）在黑暗時期大放異彩，成就了她的事業。我們成為好朋友，我向心愛的AH團隊推薦了她，在這裡我想分享這個聰明的cookie的旅程，一個羅馬女孩如何離開她美麗的城市並在倫敦尋根。
ＫＦ：您的時裝生涯是如何開始的？您一直都知道自己想成為時尚人嗎？
ＶＦ：當我還是個孩子的時候，我的夢想是成為一名設計師……我最喜歡的遊戲是《吉拉·拉·莫達》（Gira la Moda）……我的意思是我迷上了它！ -如果我沒有記錯的話，那就叫時尚輪。我的媽媽，我不知道有多少次，和我一起在床上找到了箱子（LOL）。然後我改變了主意……但是我想夢一直在那兒！
在25歲那年，我已經完成了酒店業的工作，然後開始為一家市場代理工作……我討厭它！我非常絕望，以至於我申請了所有可能的空缺，也申請了在Fendi的實習職位，沒有任何你能想像的希望。申請5分鐘後……我的手機響了……我開始了自己的時尚生涯。
ＫＦ：每個人都有他們的故事，這些故事通常會在他們的職業開始之前鼓舞人心，您的第一份工作是什麼，以及從此到現在的旅程。
ＶＦ：嗯，正如我提到的，我的職業不是從時尚開始的，而是從豪華旅館業開始的。儘管這兩種環境之間存在差異，但它們有很多共同點……首先是客戶！熱情好客的歡迎與進入精品商店的人們一樣受到歡迎。我在酒店的任務之一是檢查所有房間是否完美無瑕，並且乾淨整潔。因此，對細節特別敏銳的眼光是最基本的，因此我將這種技能帶入了時尚……這肯定有幫助！
ＫＦ：作為全球批發銷售經理，自大疫情流行以來您的工作有何變化？描述您在Covid之前和現在的工作。
ＶＦ：嗯，工作本身並沒有多大改變，我認為所做的改變更多的是工作方式和重塑批發業務。它為客戶提供了更多的支持……在這種大流行中的某個時候，我剛剛打過他們的腳步，看看他們過得如何……別無所求！另外，我列出了更多的客戶需求以及這段時間內的需求。例如，在安雅（Anya），我們的前兩個系列歷久彌新，具有關鍵的功能方面……當然還帶有幽默感！人們正在尋找有目的的東西，而不僅僅是時髦！
ＫＦ：您對這場大疫情流行中的時裝業務有何看法？在我們甚至不知道之前，您是否考慮過一些變化，並希望您一直堅持下去？
ＶＦ：Anya Hindmarch經常在接受采訪時引用溫斯頓·丘吉爾（Winston Churchill）的話：“絕不要浪費好危機，危機就是轉機”，我認為這是目前疫情流行的完美總結。我們應該用這個充滿挑戰的時間來暫停並重新啟動。直到現在，時裝業都以極高的速度運轉，速度太快了，沒人能再享受這個神奇而富有創意的世界了…！
我很樂意繼續致力於可持續發展，並重新安排具有更多意義的時尚日曆。我所有不從事時尚工作的朋友總是問我：“為什麼在夏季銷售冬季產品，反之亦然？”好吧，我希望不再收到這個問題。
ＫＦ：對於希望流行並考慮流行和未來時尚的年輕人，您有何建議？
ＶＦ：勇敢，有創造力，並且對不同的道路和解決方案持開放態度……不要害怕重新發明自己和所學到的東西……事情會發生變化，因此您必須相應地調整解決問題的能力！
ＫＦ：告訴我們您的童年以及在倫敦時最想念義大利的事。
ＶＦ： 嗯，我和另外兩個比我小的兄弟姐妹長大。因此，您可以想像所有的責任都在我身上！我的父母一直是我一生中最支持我的人……現在仍然如此！
我想念媽媽的美味佳餚！她是一位很會煮飯的媽媽！
ＫＦ：您最喜歡的意大利菜是什麼，您可以分享自己的秘訣還是妳奶奶的菜？
ＶＦ：這是最困難的問題之一……我告訴你原因！我的諾娜（奶奶）菜真是天堂！她所有的蛋糕好美味又好吃。我們不在同一座城市，她在意大利南部，所以通常在假期或夏季我會見到她，當我們在那裡時，我們會收到她為我們做的最愛菜的清單。當我十幾歲的時候，我夢想著在羅馬的家裡複製同樣的蛋糕，所以每次我問她食譜時，她的回答是：“我不知道親愛的，我從沒用過磅秤，我從我的頭上磅下來！
Enjoy the stories? Follow my Instagram for the latest stories and update @kfyangoconnor .
Kuofi O'Connor 