( Estimated reading time: 4 min )

Justin O’Shea, who recently unveiled his successful Brioni collection this year, has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to doing business. Succeeding in business today requires a certain kind of drive and flexibility. He displayed these traits working with Al Ostura and mytheresa.com. Now the creative director at Brioni, Justin boasts a wealth of knowledge when it comes to doing business in the fashion industry.

One needs to have great planning skills and must be proficient in organising activities. A lot of new business owners seem to believe that once they open their doors or start up their computers the money would start trickling in. This is hardly the truth. Doing business requires a lot more effort than that. Business takes a lot of your time and energy, but it would prove successful once you are able to show a little bit of resilience. In this article, we would be taking a look at some business lessons to be learnt from the creative director of Brioni.

1. Do your best to remain focused: Justin got to where he did today simply because of pure undiluted focus. As your business starts to achieve some level of success, it is very easy to get distracted or start to let your foot off the gas. On the contrary, this is the best time for you to put in more effort. Focus on your business’ long-term goals. This would help you paint a clear picture every time you step into the office.
2. Know everything about your competition: For you to be the best in business, you must analyse your competition. Whilst you are not trying to emulate their practices, you must ensure that you know everything about how they do their business. Competition encourages businesses to perform even better. You must therefore not be ashamed of taking out time to learn what your competitors are doing that works out so well for them. You should also carefully study their mistakes so that you best know how to avoid them.
3. Be organised: Doing business in the modern world means that you would have to process a lot of information, and you would most likely have a lot of tasks to do on a daily basis. The sooner you are able to get yourself organised, the better. You must compile a to-do list at the start of each day and tick off items as the day goes along. One of the most noticeable things about Justin O’Shea is how he outlines tasks to be done on a daily basis. Your list can be written or virtual. This tip helps to ensure that you do not forget any important tasks to be accomplished. Getting yourself organised is very important to the success of your business.
4. Keep records of everything: The most successful people in business have a penchant for keeping records. You must not only keep track of every transaction your business makes, these records must also be detailed. It would help you truly understand the finances of your business and would make you identify points of your business that require strengthening. The most effective planners and strategists always have a lot of information.
5. Be innovative: Justin O’shea made a bold move while proving to his employers at mytheresa.com during his first buying season, Spring/Summer 2010 by stocking really cool socks by Marni worth $120 a pair and the socks sold out the same day and thus earned him the defining moment of trust with his employers. Try as much as possible to think outside the box. A lot of businesses today are mediocre because they are doing the same things that every other business has done. You must be constantly looking out for ways to reinvent your business. Standing out is the true key to success.
6. Understand the DNA of social media: If the fashion or luxury product that you are selling is not part of the social media DNA and conversation, then chances are your product won’t be successful. Justin knew that well enough. While making his buying decisions at mytheresa.com, he used this as one of the important decision factors. According to business of fashion, the PR campaigns made for Brioni rebranding was one of the best anyone has ever seen in a long time.

Conclusion

Justin O’Shea, the creative director at Brioni, is well known for making astute business decisions. These lessons are sure to put you ahead of the competition and would see your business growing in no time.

This article is based on publicly available news and interviews.

Update 04.10.2016: Brioni and Justin O’shea have parted ways but the reason for the split is not clear till now.