For those who don’t know, Diane Pernet is more than a woman, more than fashion, more than a lifestyle: she is a philosophy! I had the wonderful chance to meet her when she was in Romania at the beginning of the month,  invited by the Business Chance for Art NGO. Diane traveled to our country in search for talent and brilliant people, an element that is part of her constant quest for beauty and incredible people.

Thank you again Andreea Tănăsescu, for giving me that opportunity! You are a great friend to have. And thank you for the photos, which are absolutely wonderful!

I listened to Diane as she talked about her experience here, in Romania, in front of a couples of young designers and fashion lovers at the Center for visual introspection in Bucharest. She told stories about all the things that caught her eye here, in Romania and then she answered questions from the audience, since everyone there was eager to get a glimpse of her perspective on fashion and life in general.

Diane Pernet struck me as a wonderfully open woman, with a fantastic charm. She puts a spell on anyone who meets her. Although she spoke in a low voice, her passion for fashion and her quest for talent shone through very brightly. No detail can escape her sight and she perceives people in a way that very few individuals do. Diane said that talent will always be appreciated, because it stands out. But it also need to be cultivated and accompanied by hard work.

“Talent and persistence will shine!”

Diane Pernet has a very good understanding of the possibilities created by the online environment. She believes that there is no excuse for young designers not to promote their work, when creating a website and publicizing your work throughout social media is no longer expensive. Her speech focused on the need to create a strong identity, as a designer, that involves more than just your work. Vision is the element that sets you apart and vision is based upon a strong perspective on whatever you work on and a clear set of goals to achieve.

She gave the young designers a piece of advice: send out creative invitations, use e-commerce, pop-up shops and blogs. The new concept she’s trying to develop is making short fashion films, which are accessible and can be a great tool for promotion. In her own words, “an intelligent investor doesn’t expect an immediate return.”, but you need to have a message to send out there. Because sometimes the only difference between a designer and a beginner in this field is the amount of resources involved. “If you’re just mediocre, no one’s going to invest in you.”, Diane says.

You need to have a combination of talent and personality (tenacity+chemistry), which are the main elements for success in any business you might start. And Diane Pernet is a great example for that. She is inspiring and full of incredible stories and I wish there were more like her.