Hardware Podcasts

Michael Kors: Michael Kors

How I Built This · 6 Mar 2023 · 1h 17m

What this episode covers

Michael Kors, founder and chief creative officer of Michael Kors (now Capri Holdings), recounts building a global fashion empire from his Long Island childhood to designing for Bergdorf Goodman in his bedroom. He details the catastrophic failure of a licensing deal with an Italian partner that led to Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and his subsequent strategic pivot to accessories and fragrances after realizing their power during his tenure at Celine. With new investors Silas Chow and Lawrence Stroll, he scaled the brand into a multi-billion dollar public company, acquiring Versace and Jimmy Choo while maintaining his role as creative director.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Bergdorf Goodman, Celine, LVMH, Capri Holdings, Versace, Jimmy Choo, Lothars, Onward Kashiyama, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren
Products
Project Runway

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