Carla

I’ve always known I wanted to work in fashion, but I first attended a business school in Brussels, my hometown. Without a French degree or any experience, it was hard to land an internship — I had to apply twice to Fursac and even wrote directly to HR to get an interview.
I was hired as a tailoring product development intern, working on suits, jackets, and trousers with stylists and manufacturers. After a full-time offer, I gradually expanded my scope and became Collection Manager, leading a small, multi-skilled team.
That hybrid role involved product development, merchandising, and production. When Fursac joined SMCP, I transitioned to the Merchandising team, which I’ve been leading for the past five years.

Everyone shapes their role according to their strengths — no two people do this job the same way.
To do it my way, you need a sharp memory to make connections, precision in execution, strong product and commercial sensitivity, the ability to analyze data — and sometimes, the confidence to trust your gut.
You also need to take calculated risks — every buying decision is one.
And when it comes to team management, it requires human skills: mentoring, guiding, listening, while encouraging autonomy and new ideas.

No two days are alike. Even with the rhythm of seasonal collections, processes evolve constantly, driven by a culture of continuous improvement across SMCP.
Since Fursac is a relatively small brand, my role covers areas that are usually split across several jobs — and I’m lucky to have a five-person team handling merchandising, buying, supply, clearance, and part of wholesale with me. The scope is broad, and every day brings something new.
Collaboration is also a great source of energy. Working with other departments, the Group, and sister brands gives us perspective. Brand-level projects help us align and understand shared goals, while Group-level ones challenge our ways of working and encourage new ideas.

It may sound a bit cliché, but I’m proud to have trained people who now thrive in other fashion Houses.
Of course, they’re the main architects of their own success — but I like to think I helped them build a method and deepen their expertise, which they now carry with them.

Dynamic – The Group is constantly moving forward, action-driven and improvement-focused.
Resourceful – The opportunity to connect with peers across brands and rely on transversal teams is a real strength.
Human-focused – People truly matter here. Projects aim to empower talent, encourage diversity, and support well-being — showing that high performance and kindness can go hand in hand.