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Role Call | Danielle Petesic, Vice President of Production

Danielle Petesic, vice president of production at Alice + Olivia, says you are only as good as those who work with and support you.
Danielle Petesic | Source: Courtesy
By
  • Kati Chitrakorn

There are few sectors of the economy that offer as wide and interesting a range of career opportunities as fashion. Role Call highlights some of the industry’s most interesting jobs and the talented people who do them. For more information about fashion industry roles like this and others, visit BoF Careers.

NEW YORK, United States — Danielle Petesic is the vice president of production at Alice + Olivia, a New York-based contemporary clothing brand by Stacey Bendet. Raised in New Jersey by Croatian parents, Petesic graduated from New York University in Fine Arts and Italian. Her career began in television production and licensing, but she transitioned into fashion in 2006, when she took on her first production role at Helmut Lang. In 2011, she became vice president of production at Steven Alan, before joining Alice + Olivia in November 2012.

BoF: Please describe your current role.

I am the vice president of production at Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet. I oversee all manufacturing for the company across all apparel and accessory divisions. After our design team launches a new collection, my team and I are responsible for fit, cost, planning, delivery, problem solving (constantly) and maintaining design integrity and aesthetic for the product, while bringing it to the end consumer.

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Production really has an impact on every area of the company, but it is seldom highlighted in the fashion industry. It is essential to understand how your product is made, what components constitute your garment, how different trims and fabrics are sourced and developed and various ways to use them on your garment. The more well versed you become in various construction methods, the more adept you are at understanding the production line, the labour costs, the time associated with manufacturing and negotiating costs sensibly with your factory.

BoF: What attracted you to the role?

I was presented the role of vice president about two and a half years ago, and I jumped at the opportunity. However, I was overcome with nervousness, fear and excitement when I learned the magnitude of work I would be undertaking. A key part of the position requires managing a large 40-person production, tech, and pattern team. But after speaking with the president of the company, I learnt about all the exciting and innovative projects lined up for the next few years and I knew it was the right decision.

I don't think many people, especially women, set out to be a VP of production. While this is typically a male dominated role, I want women to be aware that there are tremendous opportunities for them in this arena.

BoF: What is the most exciting project or initiative you have worked on?

The two projects that I would say were most exciting and demanding is editing and streamlining our factory/vendor base and working on restructuring our internal team and our standard operating process. These projects required heavy commitment, time and support from all those involved in tech, pattern, production and upper management. We spent several months analysing product, communication, execution, cost for product value, workmanship, and overall production lead-time and planning.

As a company, we have to make hard decisions on what our production strategy will look like in the next five years, and who our partners will be in that process. How are we going to incentivise and develop those partners? How would we part ways with those who were not aligned with our long term goals? These initiatives, though burdensome due to the sensitivity of the matter, helped me exercise careful communication skills and a strong relationship management style.

In terms of team restructuring, we started by asking the simple fundamentals: why are we all here and are our goals aligned? It was important for me to have a team that loved the work they did, the product we were handling and working with one another. Once we established all the critical elements within departments, it was easy to communicate with one another and find the right people for the roles on each team. I want to emphasise how critical it is to have leaders you respect and can have open lines of communication with. I am very fortunate to work in an environment where there is support for growth and team development. We have great executive mentors that allow us to exercise autonomy in our areas of expertise.

BoF: How is your role changing? What are the forces driving this change?

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Manufacturing initiatives continue to change daily, therefore directly impacting my role. I have to be up to speed on where to produce our goods (we always take into consideration the country in which the product is made), labour laws, compliance within the factories that manufacture for us and maintaining relationships with those we partner with globally. Today, if you're not up to speed with the newest technologies and services, there is a great chance you will fall behind. Look at what has happened in the last few decades — we have gone from shopping in stores to tapping a few keys on our phone to obtain the latest trends.

The tech industry is driving these critical changes in our industry. For example, 3D printing is predicted to be a multi-billion dollar industry in the next couple of years. In order to remain relevant and competitive, we must research new, innovative ways to develop different products for the brand. Sustainable fashion has also become a focal point over the past few years. We are looking at ways to be kinder to the environment by using more natural dyes and ways to reduce water usage and minimise waste in textiles.

BoF: Tell us about a time you failed and how you learned from it.

Failure to delegate work to my team was a hard lesson I learned years ago. I had put myself in an overwhelming situation where I felt I could execute a task in seasonal planning and negotiating fabric costs myself, instead of taking the time to train someone else to understand process. As a result, I ended up taking on more than I could handle at the time and it really made me lose focus of the principal components of my job. I became overwhelmed and stressed. I was working around the clock and had not allowed myself any personal time to decompress, which resulted in a dreary work environment. I was fortunate enough to have a good mentor and supervisor who addressed the matter in a considerate fashion. However, I was deeply embarrassed and have since made sure that I gauge each project more thoughtfully before moving forward.

BoF: What advice do you have for people who are interested in doing what you do?

I don’t think many people, especially women, set out to be a vice president of production. While this is typically a male dominated role, I want women to be aware that there are tremendous opportunities for them in this arena. Production is more than just making garments; it’s about strategy, planning, analytics, global business development, innovation, creativity, cost maintenance, product development, technology and relationship management.

My next advice is love what you do and surround yourself with those who share the same beliefs, integrity and long term goals. Transparency and communication are key in this business. I must emphasise the importance of understanding what your cross functional partners (sales, design, merchandising) do, what their deliverables are, how your process affects your partners and vice versa. Establishing respect for one another is the key to long term success.

Last and most certainly not least, listen. It is very easy to react impulsively in difficult situations, but you will gain the respect of your peers and colleagues if you take the time to listen to them. Nurture relationships. It is important to retain a level of humanity and normalcy within your team; find ways to connect with your team and engage with them outside of work. You are only as good as those who work with and support you.

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This interview has been edited and condensed.

For more information about fashion industry roles like this and others, visit BoF Careers.

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