Business of Fashion: UC alum heads Banana Republic men's design
DAAP grad Nicole Wiesmann talks about creating a purpose-driven design culture
Business of Fashion recently interviewed design leaders at clothing and accessories retailer Banana Republic to discover how they foster a culture of optimism and enable employees to find purpose in creativity. One of those leaders, Head of Men’s Design Nicole Wiesmann, graduated from the University of Cincinnati — and has been working in fashion ever since.
After completing her fashion design degree at UC's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning in 1993, Wiesmann went on to work for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Structure, Nautica and Vince. She first joined Banana Republic in 2003 and stayed until 2013, returning to the company four years later because of the “amazingly optimistic" culture there.
In her interview with Business of Fashion, Wiesmann talks more about company culture, the way technology has transformed the working environment, how to create purpose and a motivate a team, and what she looks for when hiring new talent.
Related Stories
2024 SVDP/DAAP fashion show breaks fundraising record at $275K
November 4, 2024
2024 SVDP/DAAP fashion show collaboration breaks fundraising record at $275,000. The 19th annual “RetroFittings” charitable fashion show gave UC students a platform for creative expression while assisting those in need.
DAAP students learn design accessibility through a new lens
October 31, 2024
Stevie Famulari, a visiting professor in horticulture and landscape architecture at UC, teaches students to immerse themselves in design processes. Famulari learned ways to educate students on the sensitivity of design while in graduate school and brings those lessons to academic intuitions across the country.
Research team aims to simplify the mammography process for...
October 30, 2024
MSN, Becker's Hospital Review and a San Francisco television station highlighted a multidisciplinary project from the University of Cincinnati’s Colleges of Medicine and Design, Architecture, Art and Planning that took a human-centered design approach to identify and implement tangible patient-centered improvements in the screening mammography program.