Eastwood Studio: Insights on innovation and starting a business
Jules Leger (MSc GIE 2023) – The art of solo entrepreneurship
Emblematic of emlyon business school’s emphasis on making an impact via action, Jules Leger was already on a business creation mission before joining the School’s MSc in Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Fresh from graduating, he co-founded Eastwood Studio in 2024. He recounts the ethos behind his venture, the key takeaways from his time at emlyon, and offers advice to those considering a similarly entrepreneurial path.
What aspects of your studies at emlyon do you find yourself using the most in your entrepreneurial career to date?
“Generally speaking, the pedagogical approach at emlyon really instils agile working methods and dynamic know-how in students via a genuine dynamic learning environment. Innovation and action-based learning are to the fore, in line with emlyon’s maker spirit. The MSc in Global Innovation & Entrepreneurship program is an especially good illustration of this, with its emphasis on bringing creativity and business acumen together. "
“More specifically in terms of skills, I’d say the main ones I honed at emlyon and now use the most frequently are how to effectively conduct a project from A to Z, which is precisely what I have had to do with Eastwood Studio’s first collection, the Waterfowl Jacket. You need to learn to study a market, perform the requisite analysis, source suppliers, build up a short-, mid- and long-term strategy and then deploy it. This MSc program in entrepreneurship gave me a solid grounding in all these key stages in product innovation and management and here I am now in the thick of it, having launched our first collection and already prepping the next.”
What are the defining brand principles behind Eastwood Studio?
“First off, Eastwood Studio is much more than a brand – it’s a textile research and creation workshop, based in Paris. Our mission and products are driven by the constant pursuit of excellence and quality in all the individually numbered pieces we produce. We favor local labor and base all our operations on an eco-responsible business model, which includes the sourcing and recuperation of off-cuts, recourse to thrift stores when looking for raw materials, and re-using old stocks from fashion shows. However, we marry this strategy with an emphasis on quality and a desire to respect design heritage by attending shows to see what the latest trends are whilst re-using traditional materials. For instance, our fishing and hunting-inspired Waterfowl Jacket is produced using a fine English wool combined with buttons recuperated from 1960s French army uniforms, but all very much up with modern fashion. Contemporary Paris excellence with a historical twist, if you like.”
What does your role as an entrepreneur involve?
“In a nutshell, strategy and creativity. This covers many aspects of our day-to-day operations, from ideation through to delivery and then management of the business we generate. Financial management, marketing and communications, the creation of partnerships, handling the legal aspects to business, market analysis, creating an artistic vision, testing suppliers, etc. You name it, I’m involved in it. I wouldn’t want it any other way, as this all-encompassing role precisely helps me achieve the goal of bringing business acumen and a creative idea together.”
What advice would you give to those considering a similar entrepreneurial path?
“Patience has been one of the main challenges and lessons so far. For example, we spent eight months sourcing and testing suppliers for our first collection. This isn’t fast fashion we’re creating here, so whilst it was tempting to want to launch our first collection as soon after creating Eastwood Studio as possible, we learned that patience is a virtue in this line of business, especially when you’re running it yourself. To help you achieve your goals, you can’t put too high a price on surrounding yourself with the right people – keep asking questions and asking for advice, even if it means pushing back a business idea or product launch in order to get it absolutely right. And finally, be demanding on yourself – working with a good team and listening to those in the know doesn’t mean you should let your own standards slip.”
What’s on the horizon for Eastwood Studio?
“As mentioned before, our second collection is in the pipeline. After our hunting and fishing-inspired range, this next one will be along the theme of Memories, with distribution planned abroad as well as in France. Fashion is an especially dynamic industry where business practices and trends change very quickly. This offers the double-edged sword of creating many new opportunities but making it very tough to anticipate the next trends. We hope that by according such importance to the excellence of our raw materials, a respect for the environment, and a nod to the past whilst releasing contemporary fashion we’ll rise to the challenge.”
