Ahead of Turet Knuefermann opening New Zealand Fashion Week for 2018 as this year’s ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents’ designer, we pick her brain about everything she’s learned in business since launching her label in 2005.

“I have loved every minute of the craziness that has filled my life for the past 15 years…  From endless sleepless nights to the glamour of Rio Fashion Week, many trips to Milan and Paris, so many inspirational visits to places like Uruguay, Argentina, Portugal, Netherlands and New York to name a few, all have allowed me to meet the most amazing and inspiring people through spending time at my stores, and now opening 2018 New Zealand Fashion Week with my ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents Knuefermann’ show.

“As much as I love to lock myself away for hours on end and delve into a zone where time disappears, to create magic with such a special team of people making clothes for special people is incredible and it really never feels like work.”

Here’s my five top tips and pieces of advice if you want to make it in business here:

1) Small is beautiful. There are many moments where for production efficiency reasons you think that growing a huge international chain would make things easier and better. When  in fact having a special and unique business in which you can stay close to it and your customers can turn out to be extremely profitable and, most of all, rewarding.

2) Analysis is key.  It’s very important to stay light on your feet and embrace new opportunities, however it’s easy to become reactive and become swamped in work that does not necessarily have a productive outcome.  Every new venture and idea needs to be carefully addressed so that you don’t get too busy and are unable to fulfil the core of what needs doing in your business.

3) Review regularly.  As they say, if you don’t change you go backwards.  Fashion is fast and technology changes quickly so it’s imperative that you are able to stay current in the marketplace.

4) Never presume.  Everything that can go wrong will go wrong, so the more you can brief well and address details, the less surprises you will have.

5)  Hire well.  When you need help to grow your amazing business, surround yourself with the best people in that field and leave them to it!

This article is brought to you by Mercedes-Benz, sponsor of the ‘Mercedes-Benz Presents Knuefermann’ show, which is opening New Zealand Fashion Week this year.