Business of Fashion: UC alum heads Banana Republic men's design
DAAP grad Nicole Wiesmann talks about creating a purpose-driven design culture
Nicole Wiesmann/Business of Fashion
Business of Fashion recently interviewed design leaders at clothing and accessories retailer Banana Republic to discover how they foster a culture of optimism and enable employees to find purpose in creativity. One of those leaders, Head of Men’s Design Nicole Wiesmann, graduated from the University of Cincinnati — and has been working in fashion ever since.
After completing her fashion design degree at UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning in 1993, Wiesmann went on to work for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Structure, Nautica and Vince. She first joined Banana Republic in 2003 and stayed until 2013, returning to the company four years later because of the “amazingly optimistic" culture there.
In her interview with Business of Fashion, Wiesmann talks more about company culture, the way technology has transformed the working environment, how to create purpose and a motivate a team, and what she looks for when hiring new talent.
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