Leicester Business Woman Emma Gill talks to Pukaar Magazine’s Jennifer Morris about her decision to leave the corporate world behind and launch her own East meets West fashion brand, Emma Semento.
Emma Gill is an ambitious individual. Describing herself as passionate, driven, fun and positive, her career success is an indication that these traits go a long way towards realising your dreams. With over 12 years in business under her belt, 10 years of which she worked as a new Business Development Manager, where she was responsible for Marketing and Sales. Emma is now embarking on her own venture, a high-end fashion company fusing Eastern design with Western culture.
Emma Semento was born out of a desire to do something new, something that was driven by Emma’s own passion in life: “I felt like I needed a change, a new venture, something needed to differ from the last decade.”
After a family holiday to India, Emma returned home inspired by the both the entrepreneurial spirit of the country and the Asian fashion she fell in love with: “I’ve always been into fashion. I used to draw dresses when I was young. In India you see all these glamorous outfits. I started to see little tweaks I wanted to do to make them on trend for the Western market.”
Sourcing top quality fabrics, each opulent gown is finely crafted by artisans in India. Emma then adds her own personal touch with tweaks and alterations that appeal to the Western consumer. Despite a wealth of contacts made through years working with global fashion brands, Emma is determined to steer clear of the mass market: “I thought if I’m going to do it, let’s make it something really special, different and unique.”
While Emma’s success as a business professional is firmly cemented, it’s been far from an easy ride. Aged 19, she gave birth to her first child, got married and started her business degree in London all within two weeks. But nothing deterred her from her path: “That’s just my personality and the way I am. I like a challenge.”
Starting her career in 2006 with vending machine company, Kafevend, Emma quickly progressed up the corporate ladder: “After six months I became Sales Manager, running the whole of the Midlands. I knew then sales were my passion. Just working hard and getting something out of it was great.”
Hard work and determination have certainly paid off and it’s an ethos that fuels her new business idea: “I want to showcase that any women can become successful no matter what their back ground. I’ve done it and now I want to put my passion into it. It’s about showcasing a woman, the glamorous side and all the niceties that come from hard work.”
And Emma’s advice for any budding entrepreneurs? “Just do it. Anyone can have an idea; anyone can be passionate about something. You can think about it for so long, but it’s actually about having the guts to do it.”
