Origin and trajectory:
How did your career in the fashion industry begin?
My career in the textile industry began through the family business in Mataró. Later on, getting up early on Saturdays and Sundays we would go with my wife to the markets to sell clothes. From a young age, I negotiated and developed the commercial side of the business. Later, in the swimming club where my daughters were swimming, I met Albert, my partner with whom we now share more than 16 years of leadership in Tekstila.
What inspired you to found TEKSTILA?
The idea of bringing value to unsold stock, developing a circular economy model that would maximise the life cycle of clothing by helping brands with their stock and creating a new way to reach countries and customers around the world.
Vision and Strategy:
What is your vision for the future of TEKSTILA?
To maintain our position as a benchmark in the sector in terms of sustainable development.
To provide customers with as much information as possible about stocks.
To make it possible to fully implement the circular economy model in the fast fashion sector by reintroducing its products on the international market and to continue to expand internationally.
Digital development in the company’s processes, making use of information technology.
What strategies do you consider key to the growth of the company?
- Close cooperation with our partners and enabling them to recover space and liquidity from a stock that is rapidly losing value. In this way they can focus their efforts on their business: new collections.
- Specialisation in optimising the management of surplus production through the creation of ‘fashion capsules’ that our visual merchandising team creates from stocks.
- Sustainable growth through the optimisation of the resources that make up the entire supply chain, through storage infrastructure and technological tools.
- A close relationship with the company’s key accounts (main customers) to closely understand their needs, as well as developing our ability to adapt to constant change in a proactive way.
- Constant prospecting to acquire the best brands and keep them in our portfolio.
- Business digitalisation in all areas of the company.
Challenges and Achievements:
What have been the biggest challenges you have faced as CEO?
Day to day life itself is a constant challenge, but to cite a few challenges I have encountered along the way, dealing with teams and socio-economic changes both nationally and internationally have been big challenges to overcome. In addition, the constant change in buyer behaviour is a constant challenge that requires us to constantly develop skills to adapt to our customers’ needs in every way we can.
What achievement are you most proud of in your time at the helm of TEKSTILA?
It would be a holistic achievement, comprising the relationship and consolidation with supply partners, with key customers and above all with the professional team that makes up the company.
I am also satisfied with the cooperation with key players in European fast fashion to drive energy efficiency projects and promote sustainability in countries with a disadvantaged social class and overpopulation problems.
Innovation and Trends:
How do you keep up with the latest trends in fashion?
I would say this is an innate interest. I have naturally always looked at the shops, the fashion brands, the latest trends. My own family and my daughters are involved in fashion. That makes us live with the latest information on the networks.
In addition, we receive market information through collaborations and subscriptions to news portals in the sector, as well as from ICEX Spain.
Finally, the same stakeholders that make up the Prostocks Group conglomerate, of which Tekstila is a part, constantly contribute new developments and information of interest.
What innovations do you think will change the fashion sector in the coming years?
Fashion is moving towards ecological transition and sustainable development. The industry is becoming more and more aware of its ecological footprint and environmental impact. I believe that the players in the sector, both in consumption and production, are already making efforts and implementing strategies that ensure a circular economy by reusing and recycling products and materials.
In my opinion, textile production is going to be reduced in terms of volumes and brands are going to focus more on the soon-to-be fashionable and trend-setting avant-garde of the market.
Finally, another key element is technological innovation in the supply chain.
Values and Culture:
What values are fundamental to you and how are they reflected in TEKSTILA?
Belief in oneself and in the team. Believing in the project, cultivating constant improvement and maintaining enthusiasm with perseverance.
I believe that, if you are passionate about something, you have to go for it with maximum flow. I think that, with persuasion and confidence, everything can be achieved. I believe that everything is to be done and that everything is possible.
I try to embody these values in the whole process of Tekstila, both commercially and in human resources management and in the management of material goods, generating business and employment in the countries of destination and origin, as well as integrating these values in corporate social responsibility.
How would you describe the working culture at TEKSTILA?
Teamwork is essential in order to combine skills and achieve goals together. So are organisation, order, follow-up and proper coordination among the team.
Advice for Young Professionals:
What advice would you give to young people who want to start a professional career in the textile and fashion sector?
I would tell them to never stop believing in their project and to work hard every day to achieve their goal.
To keep up to date both in terms of academic training and the latest trends in the sector and the market.
That they have a direct relationship with the sector’s agents and keep themselves informed first-hand about the industry.
What skills do you think are essential to succeed in this industry?
Constant market research in order to have the best quality product and offer it to customers. Creating sustainable links in every way.
Building close ties with partners, buying well and selling better. That’s the key, I would say.
Projects and Collaborations:
Are there any future projects or collaborations that you are particularly excited about?
I am excited about collaborating with the leading brands in the sector, offering circularity to their product and developing joint strategies in all possible parts of the world.
On the other hand, we are carrying out a technological project through radio frequency identification of products. This technology will provide valuable information to the customer and agility in the processes of product entry into our warehouses.
In general, I am enthusiastic about the idea of developing any challenge that is put in front of us and to continue contributing our know-how to the sector from our experience that accumulates more than 20 years leading the stock sector.
How do you see TEKSTILA evolving over the next five years?
To continue collaborating and innovating to maintain the circular economy model as we are doing, as we are doing it well. Helping fast fashion brands to comply with the law of non-destruction of stocks, giving them circularity, generating value with a lot of projection and developing synergies with leading brands, in order to offer customers the best product and quality so that, in turn, they can offer it to their public.
