For our Ladies Who Lead series, the female founders of thriving global fashion labels share their journeys in design and their learnings along the way. Here, Jane Gottschalk, co-founder of beloved skiwear brand Perfect Moment, discusses the potential pitfalls of 'having it all', the importance of business basics and her advice for budding fashion brand founders
How did you come to co-found Perfect Moment?
My husband Max skied on the Swiss national junior team, so skiing is in his blood. Perfect Moment was a passion project that has now become a fully-fledged business.
What was a turning point in your journey?
I remember meeting Sarah Rutson, fashion director at Lane Crawford at the time. She told us she didn’t need our technical, extreme sports focus when we first started, but that she wanted a cool outerwear brand aimed at a more female fashion audience. Lane Crawford were championing three Chinese fashion designers at the time, one of whom was Helen Lee who was married to a Canadian skier. Before we knew it, we were on a flight to Shanghai to meet with them and we ended up creating a new category in the skiwear market where fashion meets function. Today, so many brands are launching a ski category, whereas we were the first skiwear brand on Net-a-Porter, Selfridges and many other major e-tailers at the time and continue to see the explosion of growth in this sector globally.
Were there any specific challenges you faced as a woman along the way?
Having five children, I know first-hand the challenges of finding a balance between work and motherhood. Thanks to steps towards equality the workplace is a lot more accepting of female founders and females in leadership roles now than in previous generations, but we have to be mindful of the fact that we are in danger of ‘having it all’ at the expense of our mental and physical health, which can lead to a feeling of failing in all areas. Balance is key and that requires a lot of planning and discipline.
In hindsight, what is something you wish you knew that could have helped you?
I tell my kids that it is important to have a foundation in business, even if it’s just to learn how to read a basic P&L or understand basic marketing.
I learned everything on the job while building brands, which is the entrepreneurial way of jumping in before checking on the parachute, but I’d encourage anyone to slow down and first focus on the basic mechanics of a business, as well as the top line vision because without that, it’s all just a good idea.
See also: Rejina Pyo on departing from the status quo and trusting your instincts