Emily Hoban

Seeing how a sketch turns into a sample – which turns into a 130-step process to create a single shoe – was such an amazing gift...

Personal & Studies

My name is Emily, I’m 33 years old, living in NYC. Growing up in Indiana, I always knew I wanted to get out of the Midwest and explore the world.

My first foray into the fashion world was a last-minute decision to move to NYC for a summer internship before my last year of university. I had the absolute pleasure to work with Norma Kamali herself, the godmother of the fashion world, and had the opportunity to work with Norma and her production team on fabrics for the new collections.

Not only was this a great experience to see how the fashion world truly worked, but to work with such a legend was incredible. I learned so many stories of Norma's past lives and careers and what it took to get to where she is today. When I returned to university for my final year, I was counting down the days to get back to NYC.

Career

Two weeks after graduating, I rented a moving truck, moved out to NYC and never looked back. My first job in NY was at the furrier J. Mendel. I worked in their Madison boutique as a Sales Assistant, working between retail and the corporate office. I couldn't have asked for a better first job as this thrust me into the luxury world of fashion. I had the opportunity to work directly with the clients who would later be buying my wholesale product. Being able to watch Gilles Mendel put the finishing touches on a sable coat and draping a couture gown for a client was a one of a kind learning experience.

After realizing my love for the industry – but wanting to grow and learn further – I landed a job as a receptionist at Gucci's corporate office. I didn't care what the position was, I just needed to get my foot in the door at such a large and important fashion group. By building relationships with the different sales departments, I eventually found a spot assisting in men's shoes and accessories.

After a 1.5 year at Gucci, I moved to Giorgio Armani to assist in men's suiting. A few months later, Gucci called me with a wholesale position at Sergio Rossi. This position ended up being one of the most rewarding and educational steps in my career. As Sergio was a smaller company within the Gucci Group, it gave me the chance to wear many hats within the company, and to work in very close contact with the Merchandising Team – where I met Manuela, the Merchandising Manager back then and a pleasure to work with.

At Sergio Rossi I helped relaunch the brand, raise awareness of the evening portion of the business, and grow it not only in the department stores, but also in the specialty boutiques. This role took me to Milan every few months as I was overseeing both women's and men's, shoes and accessories, and it became my second home, giving me the chance to work with all departments from all regions of the world. This in turn helped me to not only build the US business, but to make lifelong friendships as well. Being able to visit such a modern and beautiful factory in San Mauro Pascoli was a remarkable experience. Seeing how a sketch turns into a sample – which turns into a 130-step process to create a single shoe – was such an amazing gift.

After almost 6 years there, I made the tough decision to leave and start a new challenge at Charlotte Olympia. After almost two years growing their wholesale business, I received an opportunity at another top luxury Italian brand, Dolce&Gabbana, where I spent another 2 years learning and selling all categories. I was able to use my footwear background to increase the business while taking on new challenges in RTW, swim, lingerie and jewelry.

Finally, I've arrived at another new step in my career, Men's. As of September 2017, I took on the role of Footwear manager at John Varvatos, to relaunch and expand the brand’s footwear business.

Shoes to me

Shoes to me are essential, and a passion. I believe a woman should always dress from the shoe up... and of course, I made myself quite a collection during all these years. I am truly excited to be part of this community, sharing insights on my favorite category and connecting to some amazing ex-colleagues, now friends.