Guram Gvasalia
Chief Executive, Vetements
The Georgian-born businessman has shaken up the luxury industry with the subversive brand he runs with his brother.
Known for being the business mastermind behind one of today's most talked about brands, Vetements, Guram Gvasalia is the chief executive of the Paris-based label alongside his older brother Demna, who leads the brand's creative team.
The pair have disrupted fashion's show schedule by showing their collections off-season and introducing a business strategy focused on creating luxury through scarcity, boasting a sell through rate of 70 to 80 percent.
Growing up in a small town in the former USSR state of Georgia during the country’s civil war, his family fled their hometown in the 1990s, settling in Düsseldorf in Germany.
Gvasalia gained sales experience at Burberry and received degrees in International Business and European Management and Law at university, whilst his brother gained experience at Maison Martin Margiela and Louis Vuitton after studying Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
In 2014, the brothers launched Vetements, whose exaggerated silhouettes and streetwear-inspired clothing commands asking prices near those of couture level, creating a buzz throughout the fashion industry. In less than three years, the duo has secured more than 200 stockists worldwide, including Dover Street Market , Net-a-Porter and Selfridges.
Additionally, Gvasalia combined the men's and women's runway show and made the decision to show Vetements during pre-seasons in order for the clothing to remain on the shop floors for a longer period of time than it would do showing on season.
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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
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What is The BoF 500?
The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
