New CEO CNMI "We need to look further than our own backyards"

Young, emerging designers and the digital world are top priorities for Jane Reeve, CEO of CNMI (National Chamber of Italian Fashion). Although she has only been around for barely a month (she took over as CEO on 1 January 2014), Reeve already has clear and concrete ideas on what

needs to be done. This is most likely due to her previous work experience - she has been at the helm of the advertising agency Jwt Italia for the past five years and has been working in communications for over 20 years - but Reeve, with her short, blond bob of hair, an open smile, who has no time for beating about the bush, seems to have everything it takes to put back a bit of verve into Milanese and Italian fashion.

For years

there has been talk of paying attention to young, emerging designers and Reeve's believes they are a creative resources waiting to be tapped. But how? By allowing them to show on the catwalk on the very last day of Milan Women's Fashion Week, won't it make things even more difficult for them?
Reeve: I believe the way to showcase them is by offering them a service, giving them information and the aid to do business and above all by presenting their collections to the buyers. I think in future, the winners of Next Generation will take to the catwalk at the beginning or in the middle of the week. I haven't been here long and the programme for February's Fashion Week has already been scheduled, but things will surely change after that. Having said that, during the last day of February's Milan Women's Fashion (from 19 to 24 February) we'll also have Armani and Dsquared2 showing.

Has Armani decided to join the Chamber of Fashion? Are there any new names in the pipeline, such as Dolce&Gabbana, for instance?
Not as far as I know. I want to do my best for the existing members and I believe that if they are happy and get tangible results, more applications will follow in suit.

Last May, during a press conference at the headquarters of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, Vice-president Patrizio Bertelli stated that those who want to show and take part of the official programme of the Chamber of Fashion must be members. Do you agree?
No, I believe that we have to give space to other brands as well, to those of young people, for example.

What does giving members good service mean?
Everything I do must be business-like. I believe they chose me, a manager who does not come from the world of fashion, because I possess a global and outsider's vision and I am used to dealing with things in terms of sales and profit. We must stop looking exclusively in our own back yard, we must learn to see what we want to be in a global context.

And how do you offer members good service?
We are creating a digital platform which will guarantee a range of services to our members, such as information on how to invest abroad and will offer to make contact with the banks in order to obtain financial backing. The platform will also offer emerging designers concrete support and put them in touch with the buyers. I am also thinking about the need to publish data and research information to small and medium-sized fashion companies. In the meantime, the digital platform will be to launch within a few months.

How are you dealing with the fashion trade events?
Today I am actually meeting with Raffaello Napoleone (Managing Director of Pitti Immagine). We speak the same language, as we both work with an eye on business. We are having a number of meetings which will lead to some synergy in our plans for a Men's Fashion Week starting in Florence with Pitti, and moving to Milan with Fashion Week. We want to create one seamless product.

So unity is strength , but will you stand united when it comes to tackling the competition from London, Paris and New York?
To a certain extent, but from that point of view we are moving on multiple fronts. For example, from research carried out by Altagamma, it transpired that Milan is losing its attraction as a center for consumers of luxury goods compared to the other capital cities. So we need to make it possible for the city to regain its ground and repuation in terms of offered services, with more cafés and restaurants being opened every day, including Sundays. I intend to go to the New York and London fashion weeks: I want to see for myself what kind of interactions are happening there are between fashion and local institutions. Another aspect we are dealing with is creating an open and constant dialogue with buyers and with the press.

Are you also thinking about opening new channals of communication through social networks?
Certainly, what has been done so far was fine for communicating that we were there, but it can and will be considerably improved. Fashion lives year round, not just during fashion week.