She’s a woman who is using her style and creativity for good. Elisabetta Franchi always dreamed of becoming a fashion designer and her hard work has paid off, leading to the foundation of her self-titled label in 1996. Built on a high-level of quality, Italian craftsmanship, and femininity, her collections offer sophisticated and unique choices for consumers. However, the sartorial life isn’t all Elisabetta dedicates her time to — the designer’s other passion is to protect all creatures great and small.
The CEO Magazine: How did you come to found your fashion label Elisabetta Franchi? What were the drivers behind it and what was your original vision for the brand?
Elisabetta: Fashion is in my DNA. It is a passion, instinct, and a desire to dress all women in the world. It was my dream since childhood, when I used to dress my dolls, and now I’ve realised it. I come from a humble family and, thanks to my determination, passion, and talent, I created a company from scratch without losing sight of my goal. Now, my brand sits just below the ‘first lines’, taking the market segmentation of the premium luxury brands.
I am a rare bird in the fashion system. It is a really hard job, where you need a lot of hard work and devotion, but I know that there is no other way to achieve success in this business.
How has the business grown and expanded to get to where it is today?
From the very beginning, 20 years ago, the brand has grown and repositioned itself, all the while still guaranteeing that all products are ‘Made in Italy’ with affordable prices.
A fundamental step of this growth was certainly my debut at the Spring/Summer 2015 fashion show at Milan Fashion Week, which has given more visibility to the brand and allowed it to detach from its initial competitors.