Startup Lessons: LA MILLA
The path for startups can be treacherous. In the series “Startup Lessons,” we examine new MBA startups at the ground level to understand how they succeed.
The sustainability adage, often enough, can feel like empty marketing. Consumers want environmentally conscious products, but tracking a company’s real to commitment to that goal can often be difficult. There are, however, a handful of company’s that fulfill that ambition well, like LA MILLA.
Milan-based company LA MILLA, founded by Poland-born Natalia Kalali, is a highly environmentally-conscious fashion retailer, with products made exclusively from Global Organic Textile Standard certified cotton and is completely absent of plastic. In addition, the company has partnered with Eden Reforestation Projects, a California-based NGO, which helps plant five trees for every LA MILLA item sold.
Kalali’s vision, along with the litany of jobs she’s helped cultivate in Italy, partially stems from her MBA education at MIP Politecnico di Milano. “[The] MBA at MIP Politecnico di Milano gave me a very good base and understanding of business in general,” she tells MetroMBA. “Moreover, during my studies, as part of the coursework, I had an opportunity to work on a start-up. It was the Project Work assignment and my first start-up experience.”
“MIP Politecnico di Milano has a very good reputation and is well classified in the diverse rankings,” she continues. “What convinced me towards MIP the most was their diverse academic program and an opportunity to work directly with some companies already during the MBA program.”
The Milan school is currently 96th overall in the most recent Financial Times Global MBA ranking, but enjoys top 10 individual rankings by the publication both in “international experience” (10th) and “international faculty” (3rd). That wealth of internationality helped cultivate Kalali’s company.
“I met many people from the business world, which made a great impact on my career, by giving me the opportunity to learn from them, and get more exposure to the actual inside of the world of business,” she says. “Not only academic staff, but also MBA colleagues—everybody with different backgrounds and origin. It was truly a very international and multicultural environment.”
“LA MILLA would not exist today if not my international experience and what I have learned by working with people from different cultures and backgrounds. I strive to make LA MILLA an internationally recognized ECO brand for all ECO conscious women.“
However, LA MILLA was not simply born out of Kalali’s academic inspiration; it was also fear. According to the official company website, Kalali says “I was worried about my children’s future.”
Kalali, a mother of two, founded LA MILLA after a particularly difficult transition. After years of maternity leave, she found companies weren’t too eager to hire a young mother. Taking matters into her own hands and with climate degradation in mind, Kalali continued her education with the pursuit of several online courses based out of the U.S. and Canada. “The objective of one of those courses was to develop an app,” she writes. “Once enrolled I learned that I needed to develop my own business idea too. This was truly a groundbreaking moment for my career (…) It became clear to me, that my goal was to open my very own, eco-friendly company!”
As for the future of her company, Kalali believes the future of even more environmentally-conscious consumers will gravitate to LA MILLA, as ECO efforts become more important.
“In the world of internet and easy access to information, consumers are becoming smarter, more informed and aware of what is happening to our climate,” she says. “They are increasingly moving towards sustainable brands. I believe that LA MILLA is on the right path to deliver them the product and the brand that they are searching for.”
For more information, and to shop, head over to the official LA MILLA website.
Made in Italy and NYU Stern: James & Salvatore Ferragamo
When it comes to Italian high-fashion, names like Gucci, Versace, and Prada often come to mind. These companies, known for their quality products and timeless brands, are staples in both the fashion and business communities. Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A., another Italian fashion company, is notable for not only their quality leather and fine wine, but also for their leadership, namely twin brothers and NYU Stern School of Business MBA graduates James and Salvatore Ferragamo.
All in the Family
James and Salvatore followed the footsteps of their father and company CEO Ferruccio, and grandfather Salvatore, who founded the brand in 1928. The company’s current structure features each of the founder’s six sons and daughters with a role on the board of directors, with other relatives also taking jobs within the organization.
However, the Ferragamo clan decided that only three members from the family’s third generation should be involved in the family business. These three members were required to have a university degree, an MBA, three years of working experience outside of Ferragamo, and English and IT skills. James and Salvatore accepted this challenge: Both graduated from NYU’s Stern School of Business with a BS in 1993 and again with an MBA in 1997.
What have the two Ferragamo heirs and Stern MBA alumni been up to lately? Both have been utilizing their strengths to push the Ferragamo brand to new heights in different ways.
Expanding “Made in Italy”
James is currently the Director of Women’s and Men’s Shoes and Leather Goods for the Salvatore Ferragamo Group. His responsibilities include overseeing all categories from bags to belts, with a focus on shoes. He briefly worked at Goldman Sachs before completing his MBA in 1997 and joining the family business. James was the first member of the third-generation Ferragamo’s to enter the business.
According to James, a big part of innovation is collaboration. Since 2010, all leather goods collections have been created side by side with the brand’s creative director, Massimiliano Giornetti. Together, James and Massimiliano have pushed Ferragamo into modern territory, while still respecting the brand’s heritage.
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“Together, we need to communicate Ferragamo’s creativity,” James told the South China Morning Post. “For Massimiliano, he pushes on the accelerator of creativity and creates novelty with the ready-to-wear. My role is to try and make sure that we have quality and never compromise on it.”
Ferragamo has always prided itself on being “Made in Italy” and James says that will remain the brand’s headlining message, even as it expands into new markets like China. “No matter what, all our products will always be made in Italy,” he said, doubling down on his decision to keep all production inside of Italy in the near future. “My father had a very rigid point of view on this. Italy, to us, represents a certain uniqueness, and people love this idea of artisanship.”
Resurrecting Il Borro
Instead of following the career trajectory of the rest of his family, Salvatore followed his true passion: wine.
“[My brother James] likes fashion, and I like wine, so it worked out perfectly,” Salvatore told The Drinks Business.
Since graduating from Stern’s MBA program in 1997, Salvatore has been tasked with expanding Ferragamo’s brand portfolio into wine and agro-tourism at Il Borro villa. The Ferragamo family purchased the Tuscan vineyard in 1993 and Salvatore has led efforts to restore the estate and innovate the wine production business, while always sticking to the family’s commitment to being “Made in Italy.”
“Fashion and wine are both a question of lifestyle, personal taste, and sensibility,” Salvatore told Wine Enthusiast. “When I was growing up, I was surrounded by a spirit of fine craftsmanship and careful attention to details that are the hallmarks of ‘Made in Italy.’ My family has always believed that this approach is the best way to express creativity, tradition and quality, and it’s true in both fashion and wine. For example, all of the grapes that go into our wines are carefully chosen by passionate hands that give each bottle its own character.”
In September, Salvatore revealed that Il Borro is producing an amphorae wine made with Sangiovese with the skins kept in contact with the clay vessel for one year. The clay is sourced locally and is made by a local amphorae maker. The wine “Unlike French oak, amphorae doesn’t give the wine notes of tobacco or spices, it focuses more on the fruit notes of the wine,” he said. Salvatore added that he is also experimenting with “a secret project” — a Chardonnay made with the same method.
Reflecting on NYU Stern
In 2006, James and Salvatore invited a group of Stern alumni to their flagship Fifth Avenue store. At the event, the Ferragamo twins were asked how studying at NYU Stern and working in New York helped them as they entered the business world.
“NYU helped me to balance my professional experience with my academic experience,” James said. “Living and working in New York City provided the opportunity to understand the practical application of what I learned, as both a graduate and an undergraduate, whether it was about finance, fashion, marketing, or advertising.”
“Studying in New York gives you the unique opportunity to learn in the business capital of the world and to be in contact with people from different countries, cultures, and businesses,” Salvatore said. “This is very important as I am promoting Il Borro estate worldwide, and it is crucial to understand, recognize, and respect different cultures when entering into any type of global business relationship.”
Fashion and Future at Stern
Recently, alongside the new Tech MBA, the Stern School of Business introduced the forward-thinking Fashion & Luxury MBA, which features several high-profile figures on its advisory board from the likes of Dolce & Gabanna, Tiffany & Co., Nike, Vogue and more.
For more information on the NYU Fashion & Luxury MBA, click here.
Alumni Spotlight: JPMorgan Vice President Juan Solis, Quinlan MBA
The Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business recently took a look at the life and career of 2008 MBA graduate Juan Solis, the current Vice President of JPMorgan Chase. A short interview touched on a few topics, including why Solis chose Quinlan, and whether he had any advice for current or prospective MBAs. Continue reading…
NYU Stern Launches New Tech and Fashion & Luxury MBAs
INSEAD, watch out. New York University Stern School of Business is getting into the one-year MBA game—and leveraging its New York City location in a major way. Stern announced yesterday that it will launch two new May-to-May MBA programs, one in tech and a second in fashion and luxury. In just 12 months, students in these programs will complete a foundational business core, a specialty area core, and electives. Along the way, they will work on real-life business projects for companies in tech or fashion and luxury respectively, gaining the experience and building the relationships that will land them jobs when they’re done.
Continue reading…
London Business School MBAs Partner With Fashion Brands
MBA students from the London Business School recently partnered with the British Fashion Council to develop business strategies that could help talented British designers develop independent brands, according to a recent press release. Five teams of students worked with entrepreneurial brands sponsored by the Council over a two-week period in order to address the biggest challenges their businesses face as well as ways to help them grow and sustain their independent brand. Continue reading…
