From small-town Ohio to the heart of the Italian fashion industry, Neima Sitawi brings a simple elegance and luxurious experience to her dedicated clientele. Born in 2010, the business was a one-woman show with the remarkable Ms. Sitawi at the helm of her namesake brand. With a background in International Affairs and an MBA in Strategic Marketing, Neima successfully manages the demand of her small but growing base of clients, creating a cult following in Europe for her designs, which recall the timeless sophistication and femininity of generations past. In this intimate interview, Neima shares how she is using her creative spirit and business savvy to grow her brand globally.

1. You still use very traditional production methods for product development, working with paper patterns instead of CAD software, and using a small team of artisans similar to the way haute couture ateliers operate. How do you plan to manage the growth and volume without changing the core of your production model?

Yes, you are right I design in the traditional way on paper and directly on the mannequin.  The only time I integrate CAD is for the development of the various sizes.   I always start with a paper pattern from which I can build my prototypes and experiment with various ‘finishing touches’.  My pattern maker and production center are here in Modena, Italy and independent of how large I become I will always implement my ideas using the age old Italian and French bespoke traditions.  I have no plans to move production out of Europe, instead I would rather continue my work on a large scale ‘slow fashion’ campaign, aimed at bringing production back to Italy.  Tailoring and quality are swiftly becoming obsolete and a once strong tradition is becoming extinct in Italy.  There is a growing trend in the market toward seeking out quality solutions to personal wardrobe collections.   Production for NEIMASITAWI is to remain small, personal and very exclusive.  Yes, growth will be slower but I am not competing for speed.  If you are lucky enough to get a NEIMASITAWI piece from a limited production, than kudos to you!

2. You’ve managed to build quite a following among real fashion connoisseurs in cities that are often overlooked by the fashion community, like Frankfurt, Basel, and Bologna, your current city. How have you been able to garner that interest and do you plan on penetrating the larger fashion cities like Milan and Paris?

 Most of the cities where we are present are cities that are a little off the radar as far as fashion is concerned, but the scarce supply of luxury fashion only increases the demand.   When I say luxury, I mean true quality not mass market global brands.   Many of these cities have been selected because they are places I have lived and where I know there to be a very interesting market.  Being “secondary” cities, they are often overlooked by the fashion industries.  I find the people eager and appreciative to have been recognized and considered and much more willing to collaborate and use non-conventional approaches to both consumer behavior and building strategic alliances.

3. What kind of digital marketing/social media activities do you currently use? How do you think they affect your growth, and overall business strategy?  

 Social Media has been a strategic key upon which I leverage most of my international communications.  Because it is so important for me to have an almost a personal relationship with my customers, it is important that I can engage with them regularly and frequently about my collections and also my style philosophy.  Aside from the usual suspects; Twitter, Facebook and the like, we are looking to partner with new, avant garde social media platforms which can help bring our company to the next level.   I think our project will be a challenge to most as we will need to respect the timeless nature of the brand whilst making tangible real time information in a very discrete and non abrasive way.  NEIMASITAWI is a sensory experience, a ride through time, a nostalgic memory filled with longing, passion and hope.  Like a classic film, it has all of the elements but unlike modern cinema, there is a lot left to the imagination….NEIMASITAWI is a brand that must be pondered not absorbed and thus our social media approach must respect this.  With all of the lovely bells and whistles available for the fashion sector, particularly trend focused brands….it is easy to be tantalized by the awe of what digital marketing and social media has to offer, so my goal is to really define an integrated communications plan that meets the needs of my clients and builds brand awareness. Our next step is a fully integrated, dynamic weblog that keeps our fans, followers and clients up to date on the latest and greatest news from the brand.

 4. What role does e-commerce play in your business?

 Currently we hae 3 e-commerce platforms that are segmented by region/currency.  EURO region, USD region and GBP region.  We use PayPal as the method of payment and it seems to work fairly well.  Still our private clients are very much interested in one on one contact which usually ends up in the old fashioned transfers of money, wire transfer or physical interaction.  This works well with private clients in my atelier, however, as we are being approached by international fashion showrooms/agents, we would like to create a fully online order management system for our boutique customers.  

5. How do you keep your customers engaged and get new customers interested in the brand?

 I am constantly communicating with my customers about new ideas I have, asking feedback and bringing them in on the process. I ask my private clients to send photos of them in my pieces, offer giveaways to bloggers, and very closely engage the local communities via intimate relations with sponsors, designers, journalists and local business owners in every country I launch in. I take a very bespoke approach to the market, not only in tailoring and development of my collection but also with each and every point of contact in the supply chain.  I do not rely on gimmicks or trends but rather the feeling that through my brand and my own personality, I can identify with every type of woman out there. My customers are the type of women who respect individuality, seek out quality and have or wish to have deeper aesthetic expression via their wardrobes. 

6. What is the 5 year goal for your company?

In addition to expanding my global communications network via a strategic online presence and very holistic communication ‘language’, I am very interested in expanding past Europe and into the global market. I do not ever want to become or be associated with mass market goods so I will ‘tailor’ (no pun intended) my offerings to each individual market; offering a geographic exclusivity in design.  Currently, I am concentrating on the German market; working together with an amazing showroom out of Dusseldorf.  Outside of Europe, my next markets will be Russia, China and Middle East.  For the mid-term, I am holding a soft place in my heart for France, hopefully being able to launch there by year end 2012.   

7. Any advice for young women entrepreneurs ready to venture into their own business?

 As a career mom and business owner running a global operation, you can imagine how much of a balancing act my life is!  Using digital tools has help me streamline my communication efficiencies, react in real time to market dynamics and mobilize my global task forces in record time for events abroad.  I always say that the key to a successful business planning is clear and concise goal setting.  Make specific, measurable goals for every function in your company and be sure to have a very holistic and comprehensive marketing and communication strategy before you even begin spending a cent!  Before you launch your website, start generating interest via digital tools and social media.  Have a following before you even launch then you have someone to send your great news to.  You must cultivate your public, educate them and grow with them.  It is a fun ride and people really appreciate the personal touch.  Remember, before your business is about your product, it is about YOU.  Get people interested in YOU and then the word will spread exponentially via web and digital tools.  Networking strategically and effectively will always be the best way to go.  You must put in your time which means, be first willing to give before you even dream about asking your network for something in return.

 Neima Sitawi’s current collection is available on http://neimasitawi.com/

by Malikah Kelly