Brands inside: HUGO BOSS
Carla Mezza is from Argentina, born in San Juan 33 years ago, studied Industrial Design at the National University of Córdoba, and has a master's degree in footwear and accessories, made in Barcelona, Spain.
After having spent 3 years in Spain, where more than a year she worked as an accessory designer at REEBOK of Barcelona, she moved to Italy, where 6 years ago she joined HUGO BOSS as a leader in the footwear and accessories design area.
She currently lives in Moltrasio, on the edge of Lake Como, Italy, a 20-minute journey from the company's development center, located in Coldrerio, in the heart of the Swiss countryside.
HUGO BOSS is a German luxury fashion brand, founded in 1924 in Metzingen, near Stuttgart, by Hugo Ferdinand Boss. In the same place, the headquarters are currently located. The company has 14,700 employees worldwide and its last annual turnover in the footwear sector was 176 million euros. It also produces and selles clothing, accessories and perfumery items.
To introduce us into the subject, Carla tells us that HUGO BOSS is divided into two brands: BOSS which is the most classic, elegant and Premium, and HUGO focused on the young, progressive and modern segment.
On the work routine, she explains that “meetings are frequent, both at the central headquarters in Germany, and at the development center, between the different design, marketing and logistics teams, where the collections are articulated and defined according to the respective market studies”.
“In Germany, there are two creative directors, one for HUGO and one for BOSS, who define us the aesthetic concept and the creative ‘input’ of the collections, related to the other products such as clothing and accessories. They usually transmit inspirational images, color references, etc. for us to develop the final designs. All this, together with the marketing directors who define quantities by lines, according to the sales made and projections”.
“Based on the guidelines received, I guide my team to investigate and look for trends. We do many meetings to define products. We make some few sketches by hand, because fundamentally we work with design programs and render the models”.
“Being a global brand, we try to respect the particularities of consumers of different regions of the world. There are always adaptations. For example, in the European market it is important to make our logo visible on products, while in the United States it has to be more sober.”
"All this is the product of exchanges that we have with the commercial managers of the different areas, where we have information about the profile of the consumers."
"Once we send the modeling proposal, the prototypes are made, and with them the final meeting with the Creative and Marketing Directors, to approve or modify them."
“HUGO BOSS maintains a good positioning among fashion brands, linked to elegance and sobriety. It is not a trend creator, but trend ‘follower'. We often work with external designers –concept designer- who make their contribution, within the style of our brand”.
“Production is diversified in different countries according to product lines and conditions. Most of the manufacturing is outsourced. We only have our own plant in Morrovale, Macerata in Italy, where we produce the Premium, leather and handmade lines. Most sports shoes are produced in a factory in Guangzhou, China; while we make formal products in Portugal, which is very competitive for us ”.
“In all cases, we have our own quality control staff, which permanently monitors all the productions. I personally travel frequently to all these places to monitor the results.”
“There is a very disruptive attitude that breaks with classic molds. Trends are more diverse and eclectic. Among the designers there is a competition for ‘who is the craziest‘. What is sought are differentiated products. There is a mixture of styles and lines that results in hybrid models, promoted by the search for comfort with a new aesthetic.”
“People are tired of the hard shoe,‘bored‘, no line, no identity. The growing preference for the use of sneakers in different areas confirms this. Today a man can wear an elegant suit with a good pair of sneakers. ”
"Proof of this is that brands such as PRADA or GUCCI, for example, introduce sport and comfortable soles in models with classic uppers."
“This trend is very strong in HUGO BOSS, and the results prove it. In 2013, of the total production, 60% was formal footwear and 40% sporty. Nowadays, sporty represents 75% and formal 25%.”
Although Carla is passionate about shoe design, she does not fail to take into account the productive aspect. And in this sense, having known enough about the industrial management of manufactures, in different parts of the world, he has been able to verify how much is pending in terms of sustainability.
"While many companies are taking important steps towards this goal, there is still progress in raising awareness of this problem, to restore our resources and achieve productions compatible with the environment."
“Sustainability today is a fundamental issue and of immediately treated. For brands and companies that manage this issue seriously and correctly, it will become an important brand value, which consumers will increasingly appreciate.”
