There are two things that most design students in the world have in common: their dream is to become creative directors and they don't fully understand what the position entails. Nacho Aguayo and Alex Miralles occupy that position in the Tendam group (formerly called Cortefiel) in the women's and men's divisions, respectively. They take to the catwalk twice a year with Pedro del Hierro, they lead the teams of Cortefiel, OOTO (the brand co-designed with Andrés Velencoso), Slowlove, Hoss Intropia, Dash and Stars and TFP by Tamara Falcó. Half an hour with both would clear up doubts about their work.
“This week we are shopping,” says Aguayo at the group's headquarters in Madrid. Purchasing, for the uninitiated, is the department that, among other things, decides which garments make it to the point of sale. A creative director first develops a collection and then is in charge of selling it internally. It is not the only little-known job they perform.
Regarding the part of their job that requires the most time, they are clear: marketing. “We have more and more brands and more topics to discuss,” says Nacho. “Thanks to the demands of this department we have a lot of presence.” And he continues: “The next thing in terms of time dedicated would be the development of the collections and, when they are ready, deciding what to include and what not, how to present it to the purchasing team... A lot of time is spent negotiating that the collection is what “more similar to what you have devised.” Alex adds: “You consult with those responsible for the brands to see how to maintain the aesthetic imagery that you propose at the beginning. Finding the balance that allows you to create and meet sales needs is difficult.”
The sale is the beginning and consolidation of the firm's relationship with its client, and in the case of Tendam, the client is at the center of all decisions. As they supervise many brands, Miralles and Aguayo address many clients: “We can adapt trends to each firm, our client sees many more options and the exercise of opening new brands has brought us new clients who demand other things,” says Nacho. . “The client comes once, maybe a second time, but if you don't surprise them they don't come back. There is a lot of competition,” says Alex, and Nacho goes into more detail about that aspect: “Sometimes we see them doing things that we have done, that is, they also look at us. When we started a marketplace, they made a marketplace. When we collaborate with personalities, they collaborate with those personalities. If we open new brands, they launch new brands... We are leaders in growth and expansion, it is a source of pride.”
The volume of work is a sign that things are going well. “We are in a good moment at the group level. We have media, impact, sales…” says Alex. Nacho clarifies: “If we continue like this we are going to have a very good year. The sweet years are very sweet. The shame is being so busy and not enjoying it more, but the teams enjoy it.”
With everything on the table, what name would you give to your profession? “Man orchestra,” says Alex. “Yes, it's true,” Nacho agrees. “Here, design is the starting point of the entire mechanism, many departments depend on us. We have to talk with visuals, with marketing, with franchises, with management... We touch on many things. “A man orchestrates with a very defined and strict schedule.” Let the music continue!
