The diversity of Marc O'Polo licensed products

WHAT DOES LICENCES MEAN, AND WHICH PRODUCTS ARE INCLUDED UNDER THIS CATEGORY?

Our licences division currently includes the categories bodywear, beachwear, homewear, eyewear and kidswear, as well as fragrance, which has recently added a sensual dimension to our portfolio. With these additional categories, Marc O'Polo covers the entire lifestyle of the brand alongside clothing. Unlike the fashion division, these products are outsourced. Which means that we allow our specialised licensing partners to bring products onto the market under our name. However, it must of course still be ensured that all these products match 100 per cent with our Marc O'Polo DNA.

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH AND HOW DID YOU GET TO YOUR CURRENT POSITION AT MARC O'POLO?

I first studied fashion design at the University of Applied Sciences in Trier. A few years later, I completed my studies with  Master’s degree in Fashion Experience and Design Management at the Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi in Milan. After four years as a design assistant at Hugo Boss, I realized that product management suited me even better than pure design. That’s why I sought to add a Master’s degree in Business Administration to my creative degree. After that, I worked at Adidas for nine years until I eventually switched to Marc O'Polo a year ago.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE LICENCES DIVISION AND WHAT EXCITES YOU MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK?

Working with external partners and different business segments is very versatile and diverse. I really like that. You immerse yourself in different industries, discover synergies and understand connections to the core brand. It's a really exciting and multi-faceted field of responsibility that is constantly evolving.

HOW DOES THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF A TYPICAL LICENCE PRODUCT WORK UP TILL ITS LAUNCH ON THE WEBSITE? DO LICENCE PARTNERS TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING INDEPENDENTLY OR ARE YOU INVOLVED IN EVERY STEP?

We are involved throughout the entire process of creating a collection. From season to season, we coordinate everything with the licence partners — from collection briefings, design input and prototype review to approval. We are present at every appointment, know the challenges and approve the collection at the end. All shoots, e-commerce, availability and product placement on the website and in our newsletters are completely managed by us. Naturally, this is done in cooperation with our e-commerce team. So, we really do have a 360 degree involvement in the management and support of the process.

HOW DID YOU COME TO MARC O'POLO: DID YOU GROW UP IN THE AREA OR DID YOU MOVE TO UPPER BAVARIA FOR THE JOB?

I'm originally from the Rhineland, but have been living in Bavaria for over 10 years now. After leaving school, I went to Nuremberg to work. I moved to Munich to work for Marc O'Polo a year ago because I found the job really interesting and the company's values suited me very well.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT AS A GROUP MANAGER FOR LICENCES SO FAR?

The versatility is my absolute highlight — being able to get to know the Marc O'Polo licence business in all its facets. Every licence is different and every partner has their own approach and challenges. In the end, you have five different divisions and yet they all fall under the name licences.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AT MARC O'POLO SO FAR AND WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

Every industry has its own challenges and in the end, they are all connected to our core brand. This is not always easy to juggle. In my opinion, however, our biggest external challenge is the current economic situation: You still have to keep product categories that don't relate to core business stable and running. To do this, we have positioned our licences closer to Marc O'Polo Casual and DENIM and also adopted the same processes, such as special shootings for e-commerce, targeted campaign shoots, POS furniture for our various stores, additional influencer shoots for our social content, separate newsletters, etc. As a result, licences no longer run separately, but have become a greater part of the Marc O'Polo world and embody the brand's lifestyle. 

On a personal level, my first year was mainly about understanding the Marc O'Polo culture and familiarising myself with our internal processes and departments. But our claim “IT'S ON US" is definitely a phrase that I have also internalised, and that has never been as clear to me as it is at Marc O'Polo.