Looking for a job in the fashion industry? Dweet’s got you covered

Behind every trailblazing company lies a story of grit, vision, and industry wisdom. Enter Dweet, a platform that’s shaking up the fashion world one hire at a time. Born from the lived experiences of its founders—Laurent Piffaut, with nearly 20 years in the fashion trenches; Eli Duane, a recruitment guru; and Andreas Asprou, a tech whiz—Dweet is the brainchild of their collective frustrations and dreams. Throughout their careers, they experienced the all-too-familiar grind: endless job applications, ghosting headhunters, and outdated hiring practices.

In a world where digital and luxury collide, Dweet stands at the intersection, offering roles that are as flexible and dynamic as your style. Whether you’re dreaming of a freelance gig with Louis Vuitton or a full-time position at Chanel, Dweet’s got your back. Read on as we dive into the story behind Dweet and discover how it’s transforming the fashion job market, making it more accessible and tailored to your unique talents and ambitions.

Let’s start with why you saw a gap in the market to create Dweet.

Eli: The idea came from Laurent, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. Along with my recruiting background and Andreas’s software engineering expertise, we founded Dweet. Laurent’s career started in finance at L’Oreal, then he moved to Chanel and into retail, where he stayed. He noticed that retail has evolved significantly over the last 10-15 years, especially with COVID, digital transformation, Web3, and AI. Luxury customers are getting younger, and the job demands in fashion, particularly retail, have increased.

Laurent found it increasingly challenging to find and retain the right people due to the industry’s lack of flexibility and old-fashioned practices. As a job seeker, he experienced the frustrating job application process with little feedback from platforms like LinkedIn and Business of Fashion, and unreliable headhunters. These pains inspired us to create a platform that is more contemporary, transparent, and democratic for both talent and brands.

I saw that Dweet has a vetting process for brands, helping them manage applications. What does Dweet look for when vetting these applications?

Eli: Today, we have two main products on the Dweet platform, with a third in development. The first is Talent Manager, essentially recruiter 2.0, where technology does 80% of the work and our team of fashion experts does the final matching. After a brand posts a job, we ensure we have all the detailed info and interview the talent before presenting them to the brand. It’s like a luxury delivery service, where tech handles most tasks, making the process faster and more cost-effective for brands.

Our second product is Retail Flex, a digital solution for retail stores needing on-demand talent for stores, pop-ups and events. It involves pure tech talent onboarding, vetting and booking with a human hand to ensure both the talent and brand are working well together once on assignment.

We’re also developing an AI interview tool designed to help both talent and brands. This tool will prompt talent with questions based on their experience and provide feedback to improve their interview skills. For brands, it will offer objective scoring, matching candidates to roles based on their responses and overall suitability, beyond just their experience.

You mentioned how the retail industry has changed over the years. Could you explain some of the changes you’ve seen and how Dweet adapts to them?

Eli: Sure, the biggest change is the sheer number of brands available today. Many direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands, like Allbirds and Skims, have transitioned into retail businesses as they grew. Additionally, the way people buy and consume has shifted significantly over the past decade. Consumers now expect a digital or omni-channel experience, where they can buy from a brand like Uniqlo or Louis Vuitton in any scenario. They want the option to have items shipped to them, try things in-store, or pick up prepaid items. This shift has fundamentally changed how retail operates and how stores utilise their space.

As a result, are there a lot more jobs created from these changes?

Eli: It’s not necessarily about more jobs, but the nature of retail jobs has changed. Retail workers need to be more digitally fluent today. The average tenure of a retail sales associate is now around 18 months, which indicates a higher turnover rate, depending on the country. This turnover leads to more frequent hiring rather than an increase in the total number of jobs.

I suppose the tenure was probably longer before?

Eli: Yes, definitely. Retail used to be a more respected vocation. Now, there’s more turnover, leading to more frequent hiring. In the UK, Brexit has had a devastating effect on the talent pool, particularly affecting large communities like the Italians, which was one benefit of being part of the EU. I live in Paris now and have noticed these changes firsthand.

We’ve seen more store managers in luxury brands having creative control, helping to conceptualise the store experience. This makes the role more desirable, and it seems like the treatment of store employees has improved as well.

Eli: The challenge in hiring retention has given HR professionals more influence on making the job attractive. We’re seeing more brands piloting four-day work weeks, especially in luxury, where much of the work involves private appointments and CRM. They’re allowing employees to spend a day at home for CRM tasks and appointments. If you’re just making calls, why be in the store? This shift is why we developed our retail flex products, allowing talent to set their schedules, especially if they’re studying, styling, or acting on the side. We encourage brands to have a portion of their retail team on this flex model. The big change is modernising employer practices, offering flexibility, training, development, and opportunities—things that should be standard.

I see that you offer freelance roles as well as full-time positions. This is an area where other job boards often fall short, as many people are moving towards freelance work for flexibility. I found this interesting since it’s not commonly addressed.

Eli: Job board activity is typically driven by internal HR and talent teams. For larger companies like Martine Rose, department heads might post jobs themselves, while brands like Chanel have massive internal TA teams. Freelance and temporary positions often don’t fall under HR, so store managers handle hiring for flexible retail roles. Freelance positions, like a pattern maker or bags designer for a few months, usually rely on word of mouth. We see an opportunity to aggregate these roles into one platform, making it easier for employers to post jobs and access a consistent talent pool of good freelance professionals in areas like merchandising and design.

Thank you so much for your insights! I hope this gives more people the opportunity to find roles that truly fit their interests and it’s great that you’re focusing on diversity at such an early stage of the company. Many often consider it as an afterthought.

Eli: Exactly, I didn’t want it to be a tick-box exercise. Long term, we plan to build a Dweet Academy to upskill and coach people, helping those who want to move into the industry or advance within it. I really believe in what the FMR is doing as well to try and drive positive change in the industry wherever we can.

During the conversation with Eli, one thing is evident: Dweet is not just a recruitment platform; it’s a catalyst for change in the fashion industry. For emerging professionals, Dweet offers a lifeline in the often tumultuous journey of job hunting.

Imagine creating a profile that not only showcases your talents but also tells your story in a way that captivates top-tier brands. With Dweet, this becomes a reality. The platform’s AI-driven vetting process ensures that every opportunity you explore is tailored to your unique skills and career goals, whether you’re looking for a flexible freelance project or a prestigious full-time position. But perhaps the most powerful aspect of Dweet is its community—a vibrant network of fashion professionals ready to support and inspire you.