Dannet Botkin, Founder of Designs Group Consulting

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Beginning in the Ralph Lauren buying office at Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Dannet gained initial experience in luxury retail, later moving to manage the European lingerie division as an Office Manager and Assistant Buyer. Her career then transitioned to New York City, where she spent nearly 15 years immersed in the fashion industry. At Gruppo Intermoda, a wholesaler specializing in luxury lingerie imports from Europe, Dannet worked as the Sales, Operations, and Marketing Director, managing brands such as Ritratti, Janet Reger, Ravage, and Nina Ricci, and successfully winning a design and production bid for Nicole Miller lingerie.

At Milltex, another prominent importer of European luxury lingerie brands like Lise Charmel and Chantal Thomass, she took on a similar role, driving business development and securing an unprecedented production contract with Victoria's Secret, marking the first time they outsourced product management. Dannet spearheaded a turnaround that took Milltex from financial losses to a $2 million profit within three years. This role included extensive travel to the Paris Lingerie show and across the U.S., working with luxury retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillards, and Barney’s.

Additionally, Dannet oversaw Milltex's trade show presence, managing high-profile events such as the Magic Show, Coterie, and Curve in fashion hubs like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York City. Through these diverse experiences, she cultivated expertise in luxury retail and wholesale, brand management, and operations, all while developing a robust network in the fashion industry.

For Dannet, working in fashion offered a unique combination of passion and expertise; this helped her fine-tune her marketing expertise and fulfill her passion for business. As a fashion executive, she not only developed a keen eye for trends, a deep understanding of consumer behavior, and an ability to tell compelling brand stories—all essential skills for effective marketing, but she also mastered the logistics and operations of importing, wholesale, and retail. In fashion, Dannet learned to adapt quickly, anticipating market shifts and constantly innovating to stay relevant, which directly translates to strategic and adaptable operational and marketing tactics. The industry's fast-paced, highly competitive nature fostered creativity, resilience, and a results-driven approach, allowing fashion executives like Dannet to bring fresh, dynamic perspectives to any marketing endeavor, win large accounts, and expand and turn around fashion businesses.