Daniel Peters is speaking to us via FaceTime from his office in Midtown Manhattan. He can’t talk for long. His role as Versace’s Head of Menswear and Home for North, Central and South America keeps him beyond busy. But in the moments the Blanche Macdonald Global Marketing: Social Media and Fashion graduate has the chance to reflect on his journey from BC to NYC, he understands that he’s reached a special place in the fashion world.
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“Suddenly I was a buyer traveling to New York and Paris using what I learned in Blanche Macdonald's Global Marketing buying classes.”
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“It does feel surreal when I think about where I am as Versace’s Head of Menswear and who I work for,” he explains. “It’s truly an honour. There aren’t too many Fashion Houses led by someone with the same name as that House. Donatella [Versace] is legendary and an amazing person. She’s such a humanitarian and cares so much about people. Her presence filters down to everyone who works at the company. Everyone is hyper-aware how hard she works and the charities she aligns herself with, and that energy filters down through the entire organization. There’s a feeling you get when you know something is real and it’s great to be a part of that.”
The role of Versace’s Head of Menswear and Home across two continents is a vital position, and a genuine passion for fashion is its core ingredient.
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“When I found Blanche it seemed like such a creative place. Within weeks I’d enrolled. The teachers were so interesting. We understood we were being prepared for the real world.”
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“We want to make our menswear business exciting,” continues Daniel. “From deciding price points to aesthetics, I’m constantly in contact with department and specialty stores’ buyers from Canada to South America. Buying is where I started in fashion, so I can understand their needs and what they’re looking for. North, Central and South America all have different markets and demographics. Essentially, I’m helping stores’ buyers do their buying. How can we give every retailer the best experience to help them sell to their customers?”
Growing up in Vancouver and Kelowna, the bright lights of international fashion seemed like a fantasy. But Daniel was determined to get close to the action.
“I didn’t think fashion could be a career, but I loved clothes growing up. I moved to London with a friend for a year. We loved fashion and music. I loved Oasis and Blur. We lived by Damon Albarn’s daughter’s school. We’d see him picking her up and our minds would be blown.”
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“I love being in the showroom and connecting with the merchandisers, learning about the collections and communicating with the buyers. I can always say, ‘You know what would look good with this?’ I love making those personal connections.”
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Daniel returned to Canada and began studying at another fashion school before discovering Blanche Macdonald.
“I didn’t like that first school. When I found Blanche it seemed like such a creative place. Within weeks I’d enrolled. I loved having a close-knit community of classmates. We were doing projects together, coming up with new ideas and collaborating. It taught us how to work with people and prepared us for professional environments. The teachers were so interesting. We understood we were being prepared for the real world.
“We also had a lot of help getting involved in projects outside School. I interned for a designer at Wings and Horns. I interned backstage at Vancouver Fashion Week and EcoFashion Week. I did a lot of styling internships for commercial projects.
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“Our focus is to stress the brand’s sense of fun and sexiness. That comes from Donatella and Gianni Versace. Everything is so serious these days, we want to inject a little fun back.”
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“The ability to try different things ignited more within me about what was out there. Growing up I didn’t realise fashion could be a career but I was discovering I could do this or this or this! That got me more excited.”
Daniel had secured a job at Vancouver Menswear retailer Roden Gray before graduating. His original role was pulling clothes off the floor whenever someone made an online purchase. But it wasn’t long before his passion and skill set led to fresh opportunities.
“They’d heard that I’d taken a styling course at School, so I started styling the online shoots. Eventually I was coming up with concepts for the look books and working creatively on in store displays. One day the boss asked me if I had my passport. I said sure, and he told me I’d be going to New York with him for a buying trip. Suddenly I was a buyer traveling to New York and Paris using what I learned in Global Marketing’s buying classes.”
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“I have never got a job I’ve applied for. It’s always been, ‘Hey, there’s an opening, can you send a résumé?’ That’s why networking is hyper-important.”
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Daniel had been bitten by the travel bug, and moved to New York with only a suitcase and the details of the few contacts he’d made up to that point. He secured a buying job at legendary retailer Steven Alan before Canada called him home and he became a buyer at Ssense in Montreal, eventually working his way up to the position of Buying Manager.
“I have never got a job I’ve applied for. It’s always been, ‘Hey, there’s an opening, can you send a résumé?’ That’s why networking is hyper-important. I recommend attending every type of event you can, whether it’s fashion, music or art. Fashion people don’t want to be around fashion people the entire time. They want to immerse themselves in music and art. Creativity is creativity, right?”
Opportunity is opportunity too. And when the chance for a major position at Versace arrived, Daniel didn’t hesitate.
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“I got the job offer from Versace on a Friday and I started on Monday, so I had to instantly move my life from Montreal to New York. I arrived in New York on Monday with a couple of suitcases and on Thursday I was flying to Milan. On Friday we learned about the new collection and started selling it. It was intense but everyone was so kind and supportive. It’s been super collaborative and a great experience.
“Our focus is to stress the brand’s sense of fun and sexiness. That comes from Donatella and Gianni Versace. He was the life of the party in terms of fashion. That’s the DNA of the company. Everything is so serious these days, we want to inject a little fun back.”
That blend of fun and hard work extends from Daniel’s space in Versace’s New York office to his regular trips to Milan, but his favourite part of the job remains the fashion itself.
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“It does feel surreal when I think about where I am as Versace’s Head of Menswear and who I work for. It’s truly an honour. There aren’t too many Fashion Houses led by someone with the same name as that House.
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“I love being in the showroom and connecting with the merchandisers, learning about the collections and communicating with the buyers. I can always say, ‘You know what would look good with this?’ I love making those personal connections.
“Being connected with the marketing and PR teams of a House like Versace there’s always stuff to learn. Day to day as the Versace’s Head of Menswear, I have my head in the trenches and it’s go, go, go! But I get a reality check when I visit my sister and her kids in Kelowna. They think it’s pretty cool to have an uncle in New York!”
