WHO are "WE"
WE are COCO is the leading management consulting firm in fashion and retail. With an extensive network of 350+ buyers, creatives and executives. We bridge the gaps between experience and industry through three fundamental pillars: education, mentorship, and innovation; empowering professionals to excel and businesses to grow. Connecting brands to customers.
The Board
The WE are COCO Board of Retail Mentors is a network of over 350 retailers, buyers, and creative directors dedicated to supporting fashion brands and businesses. They offer mentorship, market appointment prep, collaboration, product development, and strategic sales guidance to students, entrepreneurs, and business owners, bridging industry experience with fashion talent for commercial success.
MEET OUR BUYERS
1. The Team
Book a complimentary consultation with our team to discover how WE can assist you. Learn more about our services and take that crucial next step in achieving your goals. Let us be your guide to success.
Book Now →2. The Application
After approval, WE will create your brand profile, which helps us schedule MEET the BUYER sessions and connect with global sales agents and distributors.
3. Grow Global
Your profile is visible to over 350 retailers, agents, and distributors in our network. When they express interest and you confirm, we directly connect you with buyers, sales agents, or distributors to boost your sales and business growth.
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WE are COCO Expands Into Asia with the Appointment of Lu Ng as Managing Partner
Hong Kong, August 2024 — WE are COCO is pleased to announce the launch of WE are COCO Asia, a strategic expansion into the Asian market, led by the newly appointed Managing Partner, Lu Ng. Based in Hong Kong, Lu brings nearly two decades of experience in the luxury and contemporary fashion industry, positioning WE are COCO for significant growth across Hong Kong, China, and the Far East.
This expansion begins with the addition of Sauvereign, a Hong Kong-based luxury brand that has recently captured global attention by dressing Cillian Murphy with a bespoke brooch at the Oscars, designed by Bertrand Mak. As WE are COCO Asia’s first client, Sauvereign exemplifies the caliber of contemporary, commercial, and niche luxury brands that the firm is set to represent.
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Mentorship in Motion: WE are COCO Transforms Matches' Retail Redundancies into Opportunities for former Employees
In the recent retail shifts, WE are COCO is mobilising the acumen of former Matches talent for mentorship and education roles within the industry. Equipping brands, retail projects and executives with industry education derived from real-world lessons.
WE are COCO, is proud to welcome Alice Primmer, a seasoned former Matches buyer, to our Board of Retail Mentors. She is ready to steer international brands, developers, students and retail professionals through the complexities of today's market. Turning her time and talent to teaching the next generation of fashion leaders.
"In these turbulent times, it's increasingly difficult for both retailers and brands to stay profitable. WE are COCO, leverages our expertise and global insights to bridge the gap between vendors and distributors, guiding everyone towards success in this new normal," said Alice
Alice's extensive background as a luxury womenswear buyer at Matches equips her with a profound understanding of the fashion industry's nuances, from product development to international market dynamics and e-commerce strategies. Her appointment underscores our commitment to leveraging deep industry knowledge to empower brands and retailers to navigate and thrive in today's fluctuating market conditions.
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Breaking New Ground: Noura Al Faqih Appointed as We Are COCO's First Saudi Consultant"
We are thrilled to announce that Noura Al Faqih, a seasoned buyer for Designer and Contemporary Women's Ready-to-Wear at Harvey Nichols Riyadh, has joined We Are COCO as our first consultant for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Noura brings with her a decade of rich experience in the fashion industry, having also contributed significantly at That Concept Store in Dubai.
Noura’s extensive background in buying for both men’s and women’s apparel, combined with her deep understanding of the Middle Eastern market, positions her uniquely to guide brands looking to establish or expand their presence in this vibrant region. Moreover, Noura has successfully founded and developed a linen clothing line in the UAE, catering to a diverse clientele, which further highlights her expertise in product development and market penetration.
In her own words, Noura states: “WE are COCO is a very organised platform which supports buyers to develop talent that could be successfully placed in department stores. I believe in adding value to brands and supporting their growth on a larger global scale."
Throughout her career, Noura has set up creative strategies to maximize space in departments for brands, set up sales per square meter or per brand, and worked closely with the Majid al Futtaim group to launch the concept store, among many other achievements.
WE feel Noura is the ideal mentor and commercial strategist to help your brand grow, scale and develop an in-depth understanding of the Middle East market.
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Harrords, Luxury Womenswear + Childrenswear Buyer – Sabina Rahim Joins WE are COCO
WE are COCO proudly welcomes Sabina Rahim to its Board of Retail Mentors. Sabina, a seasoned Luxury Buyer specialising in womenswear and childrenswear at London's iconic department store, Harrods. Her valuable insights span from effectively capturing the attention of renowned department stores to comprehending the nuanced preferences and dislikes of luxury shoppers.
Sabina expressed, "WE are COCO is creating a platform where buyers can share their industry-leading knowledge and provide guidance on forging perfect vendor partnerships. With the retail landscape becoming increasingly challenging, this knowledge and guidance can be the key to success."
Sabina's impressive portfolio encompasses working with contemporary, luxury and super brands, allowing her to harmoniously blend data-driven strategies with an intuitive understanding of fashion trends. Her adeptness in navigating complex processes and vendor requirements equips her to tackle common challenges, smoothing the path for brands in their journey.
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Farfetch, Senior Business Development Manager, E-concessions – Andrea Carta Joins WE are COCO
WE are COCO is pleased to Andrea Carta, a Senior Business Development Manager, E-Concessions at FARFETCH to is Board of Global Fashion Mentors.
With nearly a decade of industry insights and experience under his belt, Andrea is a titan in the fashion industry. Andrea's passion is working with brands who want to understand how to integrate luxury marketplaces into their B2C channels. Brands can connect with him to learn more about global customers' buying habits and trends, explore new business opportunities and learn how to grow their brands.
“More than ever the industry is ferociously competitive. WE are COCO provides a platform for connection with seasoned professionals who can act as a reliable voice for guidance and feedback to help brands stand out from the crowd. “Andrea Carter - Senior Business Development Manager, FARFETCHAndreas specialises in various areas of establishing a brand's presence in the e-commerce realm, ranging from selecting appropriate channels to devising pricing strategies, visual merchandising and e-commerce and negotiating commercial terms for a marketplace agreement. -
Al Tayer Group, Assistant Buyer– Anastasia Gurskaya Joins WE are COCO
Your Brand Mentor Anastasia Gurskaya is an experienced Assistant buyer at Al Tayer Group, Dubai.
Following her departure from TSUM Russia in Moscow, Anastasia is now responsible for buying and allocating more than 90 Designer and Evening wear brands with Womenswear for Harvey Nichols Dubai, Bloomingdales Dubai & E-com, Bloomingdales Kuwait & E-com.
“Having been able to work both in the UK and Russia, partnering and working a lot with Italians, French and Americans, I am able to compare the cultural differences in terms of work culture, business approach and communications. It is vital to understand those to gain success and I am happy to help people/companies/brands on that journey”
Anastasia Gurskaya
Whilst working as a team finding and curating young brands and talent, she worked closely with the international stylist, influencer and ex-creative director of TSUM Moscow - Natasha Goldenberg. Her team were amongst the first worldwide to buy Khaite, starting from their very first season. They were also the first to discover Jacquemus, Cecilie Bahnsen, Peter Do and Casablanca and bought them to Russia.