I can say I am part of the lucky people who during their career, met some skilled managers. And Sara Catalano was one of them. When I started at Mytheresa, she was a Chief Product & Sub Editor. When I left, she was about to become a Content & Campaign Strategist.  Now in Dubai, she is Head of Online Marketing at Al Tayer Group. Sara’s profile always interested me. A Business Administration graduate, she started off on the content side of fashion, before taking the leap and focus on its strategic and business sides.
I find her story really fascinating because she has that 360 view of fashion that only a few people have. Usually, you are either a creative or either business-driven. So far it is always about filling a gap; and that can be stressful if you wish to change direction in your career in fashion. I hope reading this interview will make you more curious and adventurous to get where you want to be. So enjoy!
You can find her on Instagram @scatalanos
What did you study?
I did my bachelor in Milan at Bocconi University and I graduated in Business Administration. I then finished my studies in Australia, where I completed a Master in International Business at Macquarie University in Sydney.
Have you ever done any internship?
After I was done studying I did my first internship at Versace in Milan in the Press Office: one of the best work experience of my life! I had the luck and pleasure of working with two very talented managers who taught me so much. Needless to say, meeting and working with Donatella Versace will always be the highlight of my fashion career! I regret not having done more internships earlier during my university time as they are so enriching and eye opening.
Have you always wanted to work in fashion?
When I was younger I wanted to move to New York and work for the United Nations. I studied languages in high school to be able to communicate with people, I travelled the world to talk to people and finally I studied business to understand how the world works. I enjoy fashion, I understand fashion and I like to think that I breathe fashion. I always had a natural interest in it (doing scrapbooks from magazines and catalogues was my favorite hobby at school J) but I never thought I would work in this business because I do not like the spotlight and I always thought you needed to be a bit egocentric to work in fashion. Luckily, I realized you can still make a difference from behind the scenes!
How did you start your career in fashion? Can you tell us about your first role?
After graduation, I started applying for jobs. Unfortunately, at that time in Italy you could only get a full-time contract if you had completed an internship within the company before. So, I started applying for different positions in different fields: marketing, consulting, communications. I got shortlisted for two internship positions: Financial Consultancy for an International Bank or Press Officer at Versace. Looking back in time, I think this was the changing moment. Blame it on the insecurity of not being able to wear the shoes of a consultant, but I am glad I decided for the position at Versace. Together with my two fantastic bosses and a great team, I was responsible for managing and monitoring media coverage; maintaining relations and dealing with enquiries from national and international press. My writing skills helped me in supporting with translating, editing and distributing press releases. The most stressful but rewarding and fun part was organizing and planning the fashions shows… such an adrenaline rush!
You went from content production to content strategy at mytheresa, how was that leap?
After 2.5 years in content production I felt like I was missing out on the bigger business picture and that I did not have enough visibility of the trading numbers: the creative challenge was not enough for me anymore and I guess my economic and business background started kicking in.
How did your business background help you with the Content & Campaign Strategist role?
I believe my business background facilitated the reading and understanding of numbers and it ultimately pushed me to ask WHY to have a clear overview of the whole trading. At university, I have learned how to think and be strategic, how to anticipate needs by understanding user/consumer behavior. This thinking approach proved to be beneficial in this role.
Have you ever felt you were lacking in knowledge because you didn’t study fashion?
No, never. You should always try to learn and discover more than what you know, there is no end to learning so I never felt like I was lacking… if any I felt like I could learn so much more. I learned how to use Google Analytics, how to write Html and JavaScript… I know it does not sound very fashionable, but in e-commerce & digital this is very important!
You took a summer course in Fashion Buying & Merchandising at the University of the Arts London, did you find it helpful? What was the reason for taking this course? Did you plan on becoming a buyer or merchandiser?
I am a very curious person and I always want to know more and understand every aspect of a business. In e-commerce, buying & merchandising are two of the most important roles: so much depends on these functions and I thought the course offered by the London College of Fashion would give me enough basic insights into these two worlds. I never planned to become a Buyer or a Merchandiser but I think it is very important to understand the struggles and pain points of others to allow you to better collaborate as a team and facilitate business relationships.
You have worked in Milan, Munich and now in Dubai, do you think it is necessary to be in a fashion capital to make it in this industry?
It definitely helps because the exposure is higher. However, digitalization is happening everywhere, even here in the desert so it is all relative. It is all about your motivation!
You are now Head of Online Content Marketing for the Al Tayer Group, can you tell us what is your role about?
The company, an established retailer in the Middle East, is going through a digital transformation and as a Head of Online Content Marketing I try to get the maximum business value out of online content in a commercial context by strategizing on the entire content lifecycle: planning, developing, distributing, monitoring, analyzing content of all formats, being the homepage, a category landing page, a newsletter, the checkout funnel, to engage the customer and ultimately drive revenues and growth. It’s a very dynamic and important role as it gives you exposure to the all business. I oversee the development of a clear content strategy for inspiring and engaging the websites and mobile application’s audience both in the short term and long term.
What would you advise to someone who didn’t study fashion and wants to work in this industry?
Start with an internship and try to work in all fields of fashion to understand how this monster machine works. Be humble and do not expect that it is all glam and glitters. Be respectful, hard working, smile and say thank you… you will need help from everyone to be successful. Be curious, ask questions and be ready to work a lot. Digital innovation is very important in fashion these days, so always try to be creative but realistic and try to convert brilliant ideas into great experiences for your customers. Most importantly, have fun, enjoy it and do not take yourself too seriously… it is fashion after all!
