Introduction to Eddie Borgo 2.0
Now he returns to the better equipped wrinkle than 16 years ago. "I come to the table with a new stack of experience – some good, some bad, many mistakes and learning curves on the way," he says. "But I can really understand what we do, why we do it and what our strategies are, what our budgets look like and how they color our decisions."
A Slower Approach
Borgo may no longer live in LA, but his time in the city informed his approach to Eddie Borgo 2.0. LA primarily offered the designer the opportunity to slow down. After illuminating the moon for other business, he had the operating capital to step into fine jewelry and took the time to do this. "It was really important to me that this process did not feel rushed and that I had moments of contemplation between high moments of creative performance," he says. "I wanted to push myself in a different way than with the fashion jewelry or what I call the costume jewelry. LA really allowed me – I will be committed to the city forever."
Design and Wholesale
While Borgo had a full steam in the early days of the brand, he understands that now he keeps the reins and does not have to cede the wishes and moods of external players such as retailers. When it comes to the design, the renewed Eddie Borgo will be more flexible in his offer. The fashion collections are formable: "We can do something for a season and then we can try something new, another season." (This scope is supported by the core collection, which remains consistent after the season.)
Selective Retail Partnerships
The mentality of the driver’s seat is even more important for the brand’s wholesale. "When I was younger, I let the retailers dictate at a few points on how we moved forward. This simply won’t happen this time," says Borgo. He will also be more selective in relation to the retailers with whom he works. As a younger founder, Borgo jumped every opportunity that approached him. "I would rather take the time with a new retail partner – you can get to know and understand who your customer is, make sure that our brand is the right brand to be integrated into your matrix before we only create a order of the jewelry and send it to you," he says.
Targeting the Right Customer
The priority? Make sure that the target group of the retailer is the actual customer. "I think who is supposed to be your customer sometimes can sometimes differ from what your customer actually is," says Borgo and adds that he would like to have better established who is your consumer. He writes back the current retail break – partly – this separation.
