A leading figure in French entrepreneurship, and a member of the ANDAM 2021 Innovation Award expert committee, we are particularly honoured to welcome Thierry Petit, on the pages of our blog and to share with you his vision of tomorrow's Fashion.
ANDAM 2021 Innovation Award is aimed at creators, entrepreneurs, French and international start-ups, that wishes to develop their technological projects in France, which offers creative, innovative and technological solutions, in the fields of Fashion conception, production and distribution, allowing the development of a transparent and sustainable Fashion, that takes into account the economic, ecological and social challenges.
1 / Introduce yourself in a few words
Thierry Petit, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Showroomprivé.com, and Founder of the Look Forward incubator.
Telecom ingeneer by training, I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I created a first company in 1999, the first price comparator Toobo.com, then I co-created Showroomprivé in 2006. I also invest in different start-ups.
2/ What has made the biggest impression on you this year in terms of innovation ? And especially in the Fashion sector ?
2020 has been a year marked by the pandemic including difficulties in obtaining supplies. Innovative and emerging solutions are thus came to promote the return to localized Made In France manufacturing in a time while sourcing in Asia has been made complicated.
One of the biggest challenges of relocation is the improvement of production tools. We also observe a high expectations from consumers. For example, at Showroomprivé 3 members out of 4 are in high demand of made in France products and 61% of our buyers like to pay attention to where the products are made.
3 / What do you expect from start-ups that will compete this year to the ANDAM 2021 Innovation Award ?
In order to achieve its environmental and social challenges, Fashion industry should reinvent itself. Bold measures that will enable the transformation of the industry in a permanent way must be taken. And for this purpose, the industry needs entrepreneurs who will understand the challenges and offers innovative and sustainable solutions, in capacity of support industry and its players in their ecological transition.
4 / Do you have an advice to be given to them or to innovation entrepreneurs who entered the Fashion industry ?
My first advice would be to have a good grasp of its business' digital part all the more today, with a digitalization of companies which has become indispensable. It's also important when undertaking to always seek to improve by surrounding yourself with the right people.
Thanks Thierry Petit.