How did an Azerbaijani get to GUCCI Fashion House in America

Rovshan Kerimov, Fashion House Specialist Shoes GUCCI, lives with his family in New York and is proud that he is the only Azerbaijani working at the GUCCI Fashion House in America. He told the publication about the move, life in the USA and change of profession 1news.az.

Photo: Shutterstock

From architect to shoemakers

Rovshan Kerimov is an architect by specialty, but it turned out that he became a shoe specialist. It all started with the desire to earn some money:

“When I was a student at the Construction Institute, I was offered to become a partner in a shoe shop, which, as I remember now, was located in Darnagul,” recalls Rovshan. “Deaf and mute craftsmen worked in the workshop, and it was very interesting for me to watch their work for hours. This was in the 90s, at the end of the Soviet era. The shoe shop was a relatively profitable enterprise, and I decided to open my own shop. However, he did not work for long. The fact is that we mainly sent our products to Russia, and with the emergence of borders between our countries, this business in Azerbaijan began to gradually die out due to the lack of sales markets. But my interest in shoemaking arose precisely then.

I remember the 90s as a period of fermentation. Economic difficulties, aggravated by the war with the Armenian aggressors, forced everyone to look for their own path, to look for themselves in new conditions. The same thing happened to me, I survived as best I could - whatever I had to do to feed my family.

In 95, he left for Moldova for three years, then returned again. As a result, bought a car and began working as a taxi driver. This lasted for about two years, until I met my old friend Zaur Teymurbekov, who now, by the way, lives in Germany. He is the founder of the first step-company Absheron. We talked with them, and our conversation touched shoes for dancers, which, as we know, is of great importance in this kind of art. They had to buy such footwear in Moscow, since no one in Azerbaijan took it for manufacturing. And then it dawned on me: “Why not?”. As a result, the car was sold, and the proceeds invested in equipment, found the masters, the room. That's how we started making shoes for dance ensembles in Azerbaijan. Including for the State Dance Ensemble, from which I later received written thanks. Gradually began to sew shoes to order, including for representatives of show business.

Random immigration

Rovshan did not even think about immigration. He, as he says, had no thought of leaving the country. Everything happened by chance. Spouse at random applied for a green card on her own behalf and on behalf of Rovshan. It so happened that it was he who won it the first time. There was a dilemma - on the one hand, an established and comfortable life, a wide circle of acquaintances and connections, and on the other, an opportunity that falls far from everyone.

“Apparently, my risky nature took its toll, and I decided to try,” says Rovshan. — In principle, if things don’t work out, you can always go back. Without false modesty, I will say that so far no one has occupied the niche that I occupied in my time in Azerbaijan.

And here we are all - I, my wife, daughter and son went to the USA, to New York. The spouse left her job, the daughter just graduated from school, the son was a second-year student at BSU, but I sold my business.

Thanks to friends who met us in New York, sheltered for the first time, everyone showed. It was a great help to us, it is always difficult to navigate a new place.

On the second day I found a job. It was a shoe store where the Greek was in charge of everything. I came here, walking along with my son, who was fluent in English. To be honest, at that moment there was no particular need for money. But it was necessary to start somewhere.

And since I wanted to do in New York what I was doing in Baku, I decided to take a closer look at this business, as they say, from the inside.

We quickly found a common language with the owner of the store, and there was no need for a translator. He simply showed the workpiece, and I already knew what to do with it. So about 4 months passed, I was more or less comfortable with it and decided ... to buy a shoe business. I looked after myself shop, which, frankly, barely making ends meet. Sometimes, during the day there was not a single client. But I decided to purchase it, being sure that I would be able to promote this place. After a year, working day by day, using various opportunities, I managed to achieve a certain progress. I had my own circle of clients, there were a lot of positive feedback about me. I think that all this contributed to the fact that representatives of GUCCI paid attention to me.

The proposal, which could not refuse

GUCCI fashion house in the United States has been around for a long time. Opening in New York customer servicein other words, the customer service center, they needed specialists. Presented by the company went to Rovshan and made an appointment.

“Already at the interview, after I showed the head of the center letters of gratitude from Baku and told my story, they gave me a whole exam via video conference with Italy,” Kerimov shares his memories. — Imagine, the most famous GUCCI masters are watching me on the monitor. They gave me a blank, a specially unfinished shoe model, and offered to finish the model. My actions impressed the “examiners”, and I was invited for exactly a month to the holy of holies - to the GUCCI factory.

Upon return, I began to work customer service, my functions include checking the quality of shoes. If there is any marriage, then if it is possible, we eliminate defects on the spot, and if not, then send it to Italy.

Now we are expanding, and we receive shoes not only from GUCCI, but also from other brands belonging to the KERING conglomerate (Brioni, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Stella Mccartney, Boucheron, Puma and others).

This is a difficult but prestigious job. At first, of course, it was more difficult, there is no that freedom in actions, which I always had. But this work is a huge incentive for my professional development, both within the company itself and personal growth. I am proud that I am the only Azerbaijani who works in this conglomerate and that I am the first GUCCI master in America.

All for happiness I have

“We can say that 80% of everything I strived for in life in America came true,” shares Rovshan. “And I don’t mean my job.” We're talking about children. My daughter entered the University of Pennsylvania and studied there for four years. All this time she lived separately from us. Now she is developing in the IT field, trying out opportunities for a future career. The son currently works for a Turkish company as an export specialist. However, he has a desire to study in his specialty medical engineering. The spouse teaches Russian in America, she has already managed to show herself, many parents are eager to send their children to her class.

My children are educated, they can decide for themselves what to do in life. Much depends on the education they were given in the family. So, my father partially fulfilled his mission. I can consider it fully completed when the children have got families and the grandchildren go. And I do not need anything more.

This is really a great country, where anyone who got here and in trouble with his arms, legs and brains can build himself a future that he wants and achieve success.

New York, when I first saw it, shook me, for good reason it is considered the capital of the world. Achieving success in a foreign land, I never for a moment forget about my homeland. I love my native Azerbaijan, my Baku. And wherever I am, a part of the motherland will always be with me.

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