In an era when the fashion industry is unraveling at the seams, Eliza French, senior vice president of design and development at Marc Fisher Footwear - a brand that has, since its founding in 2008, become synonymous with accessible luxury and the modern revival of the stiletto - is threading a needle back to tradition. Her strategy: investing in personal relationships, in-person meetings, and the kind of meaningful connections that once defined the salons and ateliers of lingerie history, where seamstresses and clients built trust over fittings and lace.
French's latest endeavor is her appointment to the Leadership Council of Two Ten Footwear Foundation's Women in the Footwear Industry (WIFI) community, a group dedicated to advancing women in a field historically as corseted as the undergarments that shaped it. "My advice to young women is to talk to people and put yourself out there," she says, echoing the collaborative spirit of early 20th-century corsetières who shared trade secrets over tea. Mentorship, she insists, is more vital than ever in navigating an industry flooded with trends and data - much like the pattern books that once guided apprentice corset makers through the complexities of boning and busks.
French, who has navigated the tight-lacing of work-life balance as a working mother, redefines success not by title or salary but by happiness and fulfillment. "Respect is earned through your actions," she notes, a sentiment that would resonate with the women who built the foundation of intimate apparel through skill and perseverance, not profit margins. In a world of digital noise, French reminds us that the most enduring structures - whether a corset or a career - are built with human hands and heart.
Originally reported by WWD