CHARLOTTA GANDOLFO
Charlotta Gandolfo created her own fashion brand, that has exploded on the Chinese market now expanding internationally. In just one year, she created a brand beyond a vision. One whose tagline remains true to herself, we are not tourists, we are travellers.
Originally from Sweden, Gandolfo has been living as an expat in Shanghai for the last ten years. From an economics and finance background, she never imagined that design would’ve been such a crucial part of her life looking back now.
“I always worked in public relations, for corporate positions. I was appointed one of the top players under 40. It was a great career, [although] I worked 80 hours a week for years. That job demanded a lot of traveling, having that level of work didn’t allow for much freedom [to do anything else]”.
After over a decade in the corporate world, she left her job in search for more.
“First I traveled, went to North Korea. It was not planned, I just decided I wanted to [start my own brand]. I tested items with some friends. I launched my first collection in 2018.
Since then, her brand has been featured all over fashion magazines such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and worn by celebrities worldwide.
“I remember at first, it was a nightmare. I had no expertise, no connections just the creative vision of what this brand would become. I always stayed positive because I know nothing that is worse having comes easy. I think that is my superpower, knowing how to get things done. I said it out loud for the first time. Then I just broke it down. It’s not about starting a global company, it’s about taking small steps towards a bigger goal. First, I asked can I do it? So I created 3-4 pieces test items. Then can I sell them? Can I scale this up? Can I produce it? I started with 1,000 items. Now 4-5,000 items.
When you’re in fashion, you can do it in different ways. Customers want A, B and C. The only way I can differentiate myself is my brand. I find what I want. I choose, this is what I find beautiful, I stand behind my products 100%. If there’s small changes, I adjust but I’m not the fabric market. I don’t want to be a clothing manufacture.
My strength in this, that my vision of style is very well defined. My brand caters to specific market of leaders within their fields, creatives, entrepreneurs. Women who are confident, who inspire others to strive.
What is your vision for the brand ?
To make the world more beautiful with my creations because that is my viewpoint of what beauty and elegance is.
What does success represent to you ?
On a professional level, I want my brand to be a global brand. I want for the type of women that I am targeting to know the brand and love the brand. On a personal level, I think I’m close to it already it is to do what I love, to be responsible for my own vision and to be able to control my own time. That is the definition of true success. To own my time so I can divide it between the creation that I love so much and also family and friends. That is true success to me.
Charlotta Gandolfo开创的同名时尚品牌，不仅席卷了中国市场，现在也在向国际扩张。在一年的时间里，她打造了一个超越想象的品牌。品牌的标语是她所坚信的，那就是，我们不是游客，而是旅行者（we are not tourists, we are travelers）。
Charlotta的家乡在瑞典，在过去的十年里，她都外派在上海。她的学业背景主要是经济和金融方面，但现在回首，她从未想过，设计会在人生中扮演如此重要的角色。
“我之前一直在公共关系领域工作，在企业里。我还曾获得40岁以下精英的称号。当时事业非常成功，（虽然）我多年来每周工作时间都超过80小时。这份工作会要求我经常出差，那种工作强度下没有自由（去做任何其他事情）。”
在大企业里工作了十年有余之后，她辞去工作，去追寻更多的生活。
“开始的时候我去旅行，去到了朝鲜。我从来没有过这样的计划，但是最后我决定这（开创自己的品牌）是我心所想。开始我拿做出来的衣服，给朋友去品鉴。到2018年，我发布了自己的第一批设计。”
之后，她的品牌服装成了Vogue、Cosmopolitan等时尚杂志的焦点，并且全世界很多明星都在穿。
“我记得，一开始的时候就像噩梦一样。我在这方面没有专业背景，也没有合适的人脉，只凭着自己的创意和想法，知道想让这个品牌成为什么样子。我一直很乐观积极，因为我知道值得拥有的东西都不会太容易得到。我觉得这就是我的超能力，就是知道如何将目标实现。我先把目标说出来，然后进行任务分解。我们要去做的不是成立一个国际化的公司，而是一小步一小步迈进，向着一个大的目标努力。首先就是，我能不能做到？先做出来三四件衣服试试。我能卖掉吗？能不能再扩大规模呢？于是我做了1000件。现在我们有4到5千件。
在时尚行业，我们做事情的方式可以不同。客户的要求很多样。唯一能让我与众不同的，就是我的品牌。我找到自己想要的风格，做自己的选择，这是我认为的时尚行业的美好所在。我百分百挺自己的产品。微小的改变我可以调整，但是这里不是布料市场，我们不是服装制造商。
我的优势在于，我对时尚的看法有着自己的定义。我的品牌主要满足特定的市场需求，受众是本领域内的佼佼者，具有创意的人，企业家等等。是那些自信的女性，她们给其他人以勇气。
您的品牌愿景是什么？
通过自己的创作，让世界更加美好，因为我认为这些创作代表着美丽与优雅。
成功对您来说意味着什么？
在事业方面，我希望自己的品牌能够走向全球，希望我目标客户的这些女性能够知晓和喜爱这个品牌。在个人生活方面，我觉得自己已经接近成功了，就是要做自己喜爱的事情，为自己的想法负责，能够控制自己的时间。这是成功的真正定义。能够掌控自己的时间，可以自由地分配，用于自己所爱的创作，也用于与家人和朋友相处。