ESCP ALUMNI magazine - #193 - 1er trimestre 2021 - 58

Campus ❙ École

The
choice that saved
École
her business
It takes a special kind of tenacity to be an entrepreneur, but what kind of creative resilience is
required to maintain a small enterprise during a global pandemic? We talked to ESCP Business
School graduate Alexia Genta about her pivot from tailoring high-end fashion to creating her own
bespoke pieces - and how it saved her business.

Alexia Alterations was born in 2018. As
the daughter of legendary watch designer
Gérald Genta, Alexia had the value of quality instilled in her from a young age. While
her professional experience had taught her
that she could be a successful marketer of
mass products, Genta decided that this venture had to be high-end.

Alexia GENTA (2014)
Graduate of ESCP Business School's
MSc in Marketing & Creativity.

For Alexia Genta, her move to
entrepreneur came from a simple
case of bad customer service.
After saving diligently, she decided to buy
herself a dress from a collection by Belgian
designer Dries Van Noten, a piece she says
she would not normally be able to afford
and felt great pride in purchasing. Wanting
it to fit perfectly, Genta asked around for
recommendations of high-end tailors who
would be able to make the adjustments needed that would also respect the value of her
fusion silk-satin piece. Word of mouth took
her to a tailor reportedly the favourite of
celebrities and royalty, but the experience
was grim.
" The floor was dusty. The dressing-room
curtain wouldn't close and I felt a bit
exposed. The guy was eating a sandwich,
and I remember he was leaving grease
marks all over my dress. It was horrible.
" And at that point I wondered why is this
the best place in London, and could I make
it better? "

❙

" Watch design has nothing to do with
fashion, but it's very particular. It's all about
the finest details, whether in the design or
the manufacture.
" He always told me that people would pay
for quality. That was the biggest lesson I
learnt from him. "
Setting up in Knightsbridge, one of
London's most elite districts, Genta's target market was wealthy female clients who
shopped at Harrods, Gucci and Chanel, or
who needed expert work to alter couture
pieces.
Knowing that it was word of mouth
that sent her to the disappointing
tailor, Genta set to work using her
networking skills.
" I didn't have any marketing budget at
the beginning - I couldn't spend money
on Google ads or Instagram campaigns.
Getting the word out was key. "
Genta focused her efforts on a femaleonly gym she was a member of, making
connections day after day at the juice bar
and relying on her natural charm to drum
up trade. It worked: on opening day, Alexia
Alterations already had 20 bookings.

ESCP Alumni Magazine numéro 193 ❙ 1er TRIMESTRE 2021

After starting with just one seamstress,
Genta was soon able to employ five fulltime. With her client turnover heavily reliant
on events, her main challenge was to make
money in January. This finally happened
in 2020: in fact, the company made more
that month and in the first half of February
than it had in the peak period of July the
year before.
And then, in March 2020, the pandemic saw
a national lockdown and the closure of all
non-essential businesses.
" Since COVID-19, it's been a complete
nightmare. My costs are high, and rent is
my main issue. My landlord has the power
to end my business, and hasn't given me
any rent break. "
With no income to cover the costs of maintaining her premises in one of the most
expensive parts of London, Genta was
faced with losing everything she had worked for just as the business was turning a
solid profit.
Many companies quickly jumped on the
idea of producing face masks. Genta certainly considered it, given the amount
of high-quality off-cut material Alexia
Alterations had accumulated, but the profit
margin was just too small and the longevity
of the strategy too unsure.
" I also find face masks a depressing item, "
admits Genta. " I wanted to make something
that would bring joy to people. "
Genta quickly put her instincts and creativity to work, which for her had developed
into an almost sixth sense during her Msc
in Marketing & Creativity at ESCP. The

ESCP ALUMNI magazine - #193 - 1er trimestre 2021

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