Insiders Talk: Giulia Sciacca On the Challenges and Rewards of Product Development

Discover our Insider Talks series to learn everything you need to know to progress in your fashion career from our network of industry experts.

Giulia Sciacca, Senior Product Developer at Burberry, grew up in rural Sicily with an immense passion for fashion. From sewing clothes for her friends and family, she went on to work at Prada’s ateliers in Milan as a seamstress after completing a BA in Fashion Design. During her two years at the luxury house, Sciacca expanded her interest and knowledge of the technical part of garment-making.

Wanting to better understand the financial side of the fashion industry, Sciacca did an MA in Management for Fashion, Design & Experience (MAFED) at Bocconi, which allowed her to apply for managerial positions. In her current role at Burberry, Sciacca holds a large set of responsibilities, making her the bridge between the designers and the ateliers.

Here are the key takes from this interview with Giulia Sciacca.

Your job requires a very large set of skills, which are the most important?

“Firstly, you need to be really sensitive about many things, so to be a detail-oriented person. We are not just making garments — they are products that need to be sellable, functional.

“It is also very important to be humble, because … most of the time there is no time to do things right [by yourself], so you need to trust and surround yourself with people that have experience in this job [and who can support you].”

What is your advice for someone who wants to become a product developer? 

“You need to be really passionate about fashion, because I don’t think it is an industry for everyone. It is very different from other industries, especially nowadays, everything is changing and is superfast. If you are not able to keep yourself updated and on time [with the industry,] you’re not going to survive.”

What was the greatest challenge you had to overcome in your career journey?

“After finishing my master’s I found myself in a very challenging position, because I kind of forgot all the reasons why I decided to quit my previous job [at Prada] and do this course. I felt lost and didn’t know what to do because I was not able to find a suitable job and I felt very insecure. What helped me was to reflect on what my skills were and how to sell those skills to a [potential employer] in order to find the best job position for myself.”

Catch up on our latest instalment of the Insiders Talk series to pave your way towards your career goals.