NHH-alumna Succeeds in New York's Fashion World

Every day, Jia Li uses insight obtained through her NHH studies. She is a successful New York fashion designer, but still longs to return to the Norwegian fjords.

14.08.2012 - Ingrid Hågård Bakke

Chinese born Jia Li completed her master in international business (MIB) at NHH in 2000, and is the founder of and designer for Jia Collection in New York City.

We asked the ambitious fashion designer what brought her to where she is today, how her career has benefited from a degree from NHH, and what it is like to run a business in such an intense, competitive industry.

Creative epiphany

- Growing up in China a few decades ago, fashion was not at the top of the agenda. One day, however, I stumbled upon a stack of outdated fashion magazines at a local foreign language bookstore. I was simply awestruck by all the fashion photos. I had never thought clothing could be that beautiful, Li says about her childhood in China and how her interest in fashion came to be.

- Since then, it was like a dormant force of creativity was woken up and I started to have endless ideas of fashion designs. Sometimes my speed of sketching was not fast enough to capture all the ideas I had! However, fashion design was not a common career path at the time and place, and few schools offered such programs, so I went to study economics instead, Li continues.

But traditional business proved not to be her cup of tea.

- After graduating, I worked in business for a while. I felt quite constrained working in a non-creative environment, so I quit my job to pursue my fashion design dream. But now that I look back, I understand that all the business education and experience really help me run my business on a daily basis.

Jia Li.

Foto: Trah Holliday

From China to New York via NHH

During her undergraduate studies at Yangzhu University in the Jiangsu province in China, Li heard about the international student festival ISFiT in Trondheim, and signed up.

- I had such a good time at ISFiT. I loved all the natural beauty and the Norwegian people. I thought 'why not study here?' and applied for the MIB-program at NHH.

Professor Andreas Falkenberg is co-founder of the MIB program, former lecturer at NHH, and now holds a position at the University of Agder among others. He was Li's advisor during her work on her master thesis "Value Creation for the Fashion Marketing Firms". He recalls a competent and determined student.

- Jia wrote about different strategies in the value chain for the international fashion industry, ranging from design and production to sales and marketing. She was already very interested in this industry when she came to NHH, and she illustrated her thesis with her own fashion design sketches. She analyzed five different fashion marketing firms, and linked all the different aspects together in a good and logical manner. It is challenging to make really good theses, and she showed a thoroughness and effort that deserves respect, Falkenberg says.

From NHH, Li's road to the fashion industry went via the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She tells us about a challenging industry that requires adaptability and quick reactions.

- The competition is intense and things can change at a very high pace. Customers are discerning and lifestyles are changing. New ways of marketing and selling through social media are evolving fast and revamping the traditional channels. Fashion marketing firms need to keep up with these changes and challenges. Otherwise they will easily fall behind, Li explains.

Found a niche

After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Li worked for various other companies. After a while she discovered a niche in the fashion market not yet filled, and started her own business.

- I started designing around this lifestyle concept for modern, busy women who need pieces that are comfortable, stylish and versatile, all at once. So far I have gotten positive response from fashion editors and customers, Li continues.

- Customers want something unique, fashionable and lasting for their wardrobe. Modern women find it increasingly difficult to find clothing they want to wear, as they are now looking for outfits they can wear all day from work to dinner parties. Designers need to take these considerations into their designs nowadays, she elaborates.

The success is easily verifiable. Pieces from Jia Collection are often seen and referred to in American media, whether it is on TV, in fashion magazines or on stars and celebrities.

- I especially appreciate the fact that the Creative Director of O Magazine (Oprah Winfrey's magazine, ed.) is so fond of my work and features two of my designs in his section within a few months, she states.

Uses NHH knowledge every day

Li looks back at an educational and memorable time in Norway.

- I use insights from my master thesis every day at work. Most of what I learned at NHH is useful, but the thesis in particular is very valuable. Actually, and unfortunately, I think I spend 95 percent of my time running the business rather than designing. Considering that, I am very grateful for my NHH degree. In my thesis I studied how fashion marketing firms can create value for their customers, and now I constantly think of ways to create value for my customers, she explains.

Li also appreciated Norway as a residency, and reminisces back to the fish market, hiking in the mountains and spending time with Norwegian friends. The Norwegian fjords are still the most beautiful scenery she has ever seen.

- If work did not keep me so busy, I would go back several times, she concludes.

Welcomes entrepreneurial careers

Professor Andreas Falkenberg.

Foto: CB Fotos

Professor Falkenberg is pleased by the fact that NHH students choose entrepreneurial careers - and go international.

- NHH is not primarily a university for creative fashion designers. Hence, Li is a fine evidence of the claim that our research and teaching is so generic that it can be applied in many different fields. She also proves that our activities are relevant for entrepreneurs from different cultures, and that knowledge obtained here can be applied in some of the most competitive industries in the world.

Furthermore, Falkenberg suspects that most of us are somewhat less fond of risk than what it takes to be a good entrepreneur, but still thinks that NHH degrees are valuable to students seeking an entrepreneurial career path.

- A part of our job is to identify all the elements of uncertainty that need to be taken into consideration when making decisions, and the sum of these might seem intimidating. Sometimes you just have to jump into it and solve the problems as they emerge. Still, Li shows us through her work that thorough analysis and entrepreneurship walk hand in hand, he concludes.

Jia Collection's homepage: www.jiacollection.com

The article has also been posted by www.alumni.nhh.no