Stories of 11 Mirrors - Gauthier Vasseur
Fashion is one of the key elements that underlines the uniqueness of 11 Mirrors as boutique, lifestyle hotel. Since the very opening, 11 Mirrors played a role of a fashion-friendly hotel, consistently hosting trunk shows, boutique look book photoshoots, and supporting impactful Ukrainian fashion events.
During Fashion Tech Summit 2018, 11 Mirrors Design Hotel, as a main hotel partner, hosted and interviewed one of the key speakers of the event – Gauthier Vasseur – a data science genius, professor at Stanford, and executive director at Fisher Center for Business Analytics.
Gauthier has been an utmost remarkable source of insights for the fashion industry on how to apply data science and technology to improve their business. During the interview with Pylyp Sukhenko, representative from 11 Mirrors Design Hotel, Gauthier was kind enough to share some of his insights.
Pylyp: What do you think creative industries, like fashion, are missing to make the next leap in progression?
Gauthier: One thing they should definitely embrace is a proper and pragmatic mastering of data. Data has nothing to do with creating a beautiful piece of clothing, not at all, but when you look at what does this industry need to do to be successful – first thing that comes to mind is creativity, but it is also about listening to the communities to better produce or design what they want. The key is obviously talent, but also the time you have to dedicate yourself to this innovation process – that’s precisely when the data comes in.
Data ain’t going to make you more creative, but it’s what data creates, if mastered properly, that is going to have a massive impact on your success – extremely refined insight on what is going on and what the future could look like. In addition, it’s the amount of time you save gathering information to make the decision that is reduced. If you spend most of the time running after information in order to be able to make decisions, you can’t be visionary, you can’t be strategic, but if all of a sudden your day is freed up by hours, you can do what we do in the Silicon Valley – meet other people, you can go for a walk, you can take your mountain bike or your surf board and just go on the waves and clear your mind. And is it a waste of time? Not at all, that’s how you reset your brain to tackle the huge challenges that are ahead. In that sense that is what designers should embrace – let’s get our data sorted out efficiently, because what matters to us is what we are going to do with the time we save.
Pylyp: What do you think is the ultimate environment for innovation?
Gauthier: It’s an environment where you feel comfortable. Where you feel welcomed, like the 11 Mirrors Hotel for example. A place where you can feel a little bit like at home – an environment where you have the luxury of wasting time.
If I can’t solve a problem, let me turn off my computer, take a walk, clear my mind and when I come back, I have a whole new perspective on things and for me that’s the core of creating an innovative culture.
If you have free time, you will come up with something. It could be a waste of resources, however, if you result in at least one great idea – they payoff is going to be worth it.
Pylyp: Those people who work in technology, data science for example, what do you think they can learn from creative people, those who work in fashion, in filmmaking, in any other creative industries. Because they have their own insights, what have you learned and what do you think people should learn?
Gauthier: Well, first of all, there is a mandatory behavior that you need to have. If you are a true data scientist, if you are a true specialist in business analytics – humility, empathy, being open-minded – these have to be a part of your spirit. If you believe you know it all, if you believe you’ve done everything, you are not going to be of any help, because you are going to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
There is a lot to learn from the creative industries like fashion, because despite your profession, you need to be able to come up with creative solutions and anytime I see someone doing their job with mastery, even if it’s different than mine, I am always curious in their work process.
It is certainly unbelievable how quickly the world is advancing and how seamlessly the boundaries between industries are being erased. It has been a great pleasure to host Gauthier at 11 Mirrors Design Hotel and even a greater pleasure to be able to chat with him – but that’s what Stories of 11 Mirrors are all about – great conversations with great people and we look forward to having many more.