An interview with FBC member and Founder and Director of Milli Millu, Mireia Llusia-Lindh.
What is your fashion business background?
I don’t have a very traditional fashion background as I studied business and worked in management consulting for many years. I have always loved fashion though so I tried to focus on consumer and luxury goods clients and had the privilege of advising clients such as Burberry and LVMH on their strategy issues.
About 1.5 years ago, I decided it was time to move from the advisory to the execution side and decided to launch my own accessories brand. So I have spent the past 18 months searching for beautiful leathers and materials, selecting our manufacturing partner, developing the collection and introducing our brand to the press. It has been an incredibly exciting journey so far and I have enjoyed every minute.
What inspired you to create a handbag collection?
It was a combination of two things, on the one hand my passion for design and on the other the aim to fulfill a customer need that I felt was unmet. Working as a management consultant I always struggled to find the perfect handbag. The bags on offer were either cool or functional, none was the perfect fusion of the two. I ran a small survey among other working women and 95% said they couldn’t find their perfect handbag either. This confirmed the opportunity was there. I had other business ideas that I thought could work, but fashion and design is where my heart lies so when I became pregnant 1.5 years ago and had to take time off, I decided to go for it and launch Milli Millu.
What is a typical day for you like?
Like many women out there, I am juggling running a business with motherhood, so there’s lots of multitasking! When I am not with my daughter Olivia, product is my main focus and what takes most of my time, both developing the new collections and ensuring the production of the current collection is on track. There are several additional projects that take the rest of my time, at the moment I am working very closely with the agency to finalize the website and I also spending time introducing Milli Millu to the press. I work most evenings as Olivia is asleep and it’s when my creativity peaks… I’m a night owl!
When is your website launching?
www.millimillu.com will be launched in mid-September, offering the A/W 2010 collection exclusively across Europe.
How does being part of FBC have a positive affect on your business?
The FBC has been a great discovery for me, I was introduced by a friend 4 months ago and I cannot speak highly enough. I always learn something from the speakers and the networking is opening a lot of interesting opportunities for my business. I always look forward to the next meeting!
For more information visit Milli Millu.
