Destree founder Géraldine Guyot-Arnaud now runs her brand from New York and continues her fashion ascent.
Wake up time?
7 hours, thirty minutes earlier than before, now that I have a little boy…
The height of your position.
Destree is a fashion brand founded in 2016. My partner Letitia Lumbroso and I, like all entrepreneurs, are five-legged sheep. a bit of everything. In pairs.
Do we have to go back to the origins?
From childhood, my parents instilled in us the value of work. My father thought that discipline was not taught enough in school. He signed us up for three to four hours a week of swimming lessons. Had to get up early to go swimming before school. Skipping class was not an option. When I wanted to go to art school, it wasn’t an option for my parents. Instead, they envisioned me going to business school or an Ivy League university like my siblings. But I fought, they said, for a good art school if it is one of the best. That’s how I joined Central Saint Martins College in London.
We had a real digital turnaround during Covid where sales exploded on the website. It represents 60% of our turnover
Géraldine Guyot-Arnaud
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Course Accelerator.
My father, from a modest family, created his business alone (in real estate, editor’s note). I said to myself. I want to be like him. I inherited his bullying. After me graduation, I created a small structure while I found my first job. I started painting hats. I organized the first sale, which, thanks to the network of my brothers and sisters, worked very well. One of their friends introduced me to Le Bon Marché. A few months later we had about twenty sales points in France. Later, we launched a new category (leather goods, jewelry) every year.
Who trusted you?
Producers (90% women) who agreed to work in the initial mock amount. They always accompany us. Later, two women became my mentors: designer Gabriela Hearst and investor Carmen Busquets. They give me a lot of advice and have invested in Destri.
Results?
About twenty employees are spread across three countries. About a hundred points of sale worldwide. The United States has become our first market. We had a real digital turnaround during Covid where sales exploded on the website. It represents 60% of our turnover. To consolidate this turning point, we raised funds in 2022, led by Angelica Cheung (Sequoia Capital). 100% women’s round table. contributors include Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Jessica Alba, among others.
Obstacles on the way.
Switch from wholesale digital is a profession. We had to grab the bull by the horns and bring it with us.
Challenges for tomorrow.
Consolidate inventory management. And our different markets (Middle East, Japan and China).
What is left for you to learn?
We learn every day! But I would say stress management. I train four times a week, but it’s not enough. I have to try other things.
Disconnect for a moment?
My partner lives in Paris, I live in New York, I work in the evening during the week, and we talk in the middle of the night. The real break in Provence is the summer holidays.
Defining your influence.
Inspire those around you. Embody something that makes her want to follow you.
Source: Le Figaro
