High-Impact Entrepreneurship

By Karen Martell

**UPDATE: CHECK OUT YOUTUBE VIDEOS FROM THE EVENT BELOW **

Among the services that Endeavor offers to Endeavor Entrepreneurs are special tours and events. On November 10-11, Endeavor hosted its first-ever “Fashion and Design Spotlight,” a two-day event in New York City.

Why fashion and design?

Endeavor’s 2010 Gala, the capstone of the tour, honored Gilt Groupe, a popular e-commerce site that sells luxury brands for up to 70% off retail. In the spirit of fashion, Canem Arkan, Goldman Sachs fellow and member of Endeavor’s Entrepreneur Services team, organized the Fashion & Design Spotlight catered to fashion and design entrepreneurs.

What did the event entail?

4 Tours/Site Visits: Tour of Ralph Lauren’s new flagship store on Madison Avenue and “Behind the Seams” with Angel Sanchez, Cynthia Rowley, and Dennis Basso
2 Keynotes: Keith Miller, Partner at Goode Partners (consumer goods investor) and Maureen Case, President at Estee Lauder Companies.
3 Panels: Building Your Public Image; Global Expansion; and E-Commerce
Breakfast with the Founders of Gilt Groupe
Lunch with Glenda Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar Magazine

The presenters included:

Julia Leach, Founder of Chance and former Creative Director, Kate Spade
Miki Berardelli, Chief Marketing Officer, Tory Burch
Ellen Rodriguez, SVP International & Licensing, Juicy Couture
Ersin Akarlilar, CEO, Mavi Jeans
Jennifer Fleissl, Co-founder and President, Rent the Runway
Demet Mutlu, Founder and CEO, Trendyol.com (Gilt Groupe of Turkey)
Margaret Mager, Consultant, Liz Claiborne
Vanessa von Bismarck, Co-founder, Bismarck Phillips (Agency)

What were the key takeaways?

Some of the main themes highlighted were:

- Use technology to reach your customers, better understand your existing and potential markets, and streamline operations while cutting costs

- Define your authentic niche and when ready, carefully craft an effective global expansion strategy through retail, wholesale, and e-commerce

- When pursuing fashion/design ventures, don’t limit your sights to the US alone, but use local expertise to identify niches and opportunities in emerging markets as well