LUXE AVENIR | Talent Talks

Our seasonal interview program, where we discuss with strong experts from our network their insights, industry perspectives and new opportunities for 2020. 

Interviewee : Benjamin Auzimour - Managing Director SAINT JAMES - USA

LG : How do you see your company evolving in the mid-long term and what are the main objectives for the future of your company?

BA : Saint James has been an employee-owned business since 1889, and our raison d’être is to preserve, update, and transmit a legacy and values we’re proud of. Chief among them is the fact of still manufacturing in Normandy, France, with ever-greener practices. Our goal is to keep doing so, as it is what sets us apart, while collaborating with interesting, fun brands and people on limited-edition projects.

In order to remain relevant in the near future, Saint James will keep investing in the quality of its offering, which is the best form of sustainability we can provide; garments that last through generations.

LG : What do you consider the biggest disruptors in your industry today?

BA : All the recent labels who, through what they call their “radical transparency”, push older and larger brands to do some serious soul-searching on the damage that they’ve been doing to the environment – therefore to future generations – with their reckless practices (oil-based materials, workforce disrespect, race to the bottom with endless discounting, some forms of planned obsolescence because of the poor quality of what they were selling…).

Also, a recent disruption cycle that I would call the “Rise and Fall of the DTC fallacy”. These new companies / brands claimed over the past years that they were “cutting the middle man” (the multi-brand retailer) by selling exclusively on their own channels, on and offline, and therefore making their product available to a primarily Millennial audience at half the cost of what it would be in a wholesale model…

The same companies are now realizing that they need the profit margin that used to be passed through to retailers to cover their own overheads – webmarketing, logistics, rent, staff... “DTC companies” were able to act as retail’s Robin Hood for a while, but all on the back of private equity investors who were making up for all this burnt cash. Recently, it sounds like a lot of VCs are changing their priorities and requesting a profitable business, as opposed to quick growth at all costs, which looks healthier for everyone.

LG : What is your leadership style?

BA : Defining a clear, compelling direction/objective, and always referring to our core values whenever in doubt on a decision.

This provides a strong base to our functioning as a team, especially during these chaotic times, when the temptation of short-term tactics or reactions is very present.

Humble listening.

Knowing when to say no when a so-called opportunity is out of focus.

LG : In your opinion, what are the 3 most useful skills you have developed over your Career?

BA : Intellectual flexibility. Maturity / patience. Cultural adaptability.

LG : What would be the biggest opportunities in your industry in 2020?

 BA : The progress of the “slow fashion” culture with the general public; the booming second-hand market; a need for authenticity. “Authenticity” has been way overused lately, but it is this need for substance, depth anchored in history, that people are more and more attached to.

LG : Any additional perspectives?

BA : There are far too many brands, and we’re in a Darwinian world. 2020 will be interesting, to say the least.

Collected by Laurent GUERRIER & Chloé SUMING from Luxe Avenue

Luxe Avenue is an executive and management search firm specialized in luxury and lifestyle. It bridges the sectors of fashion, jewelry & watches, beauty, gastronomy, Automotive, hospitality and selective retailing.

 Its sister company, Rue du Luxe, caters to retail searches.

 To best served our clients' digital endeavors, we created La Piscine.

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