JEAN PHILIP DE TENDER

Many people look but they do not see.

I have been lucky with the press, but that is because there is a story to tell. It is very difficult for a lot of companies to find a story at all. If you are making something basic, it is difficult to ring a fashion magazine and say ‘I’ve got a grey crew-neck’. They would say ‘So what?’ But if your grey crew-neck is made from silk, by hand, you may find a way through the reeds to the sea yet again. There is always some way to try.

Packaging and presentation are also important, as are graphics, notepaper, the welcome of your office receptionist, pleasant well-mannered people with a good telephone technique, and, most of all, a broad outlook.

When you travel around the world, you must look and see; many people look but they do  not see. They are always worried about the time of their flight, that the food is weird. They should forget such things and just get on and enjoy travelling and try to learn something new.

– Paul Smith