A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BUSINESS WOMAN “Under the Fierce Scrutiny of the Public”

A   DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BUSINESS WOMAN

“Under the Fierce Scrutiny of the Public”

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva

The Vitosha avenue is a favorite venue for leisure walks of the rushed and clock-bound citizens of Sofia . One of the major commercial thoroughfares, it is framed in the distance by the backdrop of the snow- capped mountain, reminding one of a Swiss postcard. It has been designed in the style of Parisian avenues, with spacious sidewalks and lined up with horse chestnut trees. Their green canopy keeps the sun off in the hot summer months. If you walk up the avenue, it springs on you new sights and temptations every inch of the way. Flashy boutiques alternate with supermarket type of stores, posh clubs alternate with restaurants and discoteques. All in an immovable feast of the eye.  The vibrant splash of various activities on the sidewalk is even more captivating. I hesitate between browsing through gaudy bestsellers at the stalls and stopping over at an ice cream booth. Then I turn left at Neophite Rilsky street, a crossing of the Vitosha avenue, a few hundred yards off the NDK park.  I nimbly squeeze by cars, parked on the sidewalk and finally I get “perched” at an outside table of the “Visages” cafe. I cherish this instant when I can relax and soak in the pervading aroma of Lavazza coffee. The white awning is fluttering overhead, caving me in from the vicious midday sun, cooling me off as if on a sailing cruise.  There is a restrained elegance about the place-it’s all done in white and black color. The mirror walls and ceiling reflect the chessboard pattern of marble table-tops and black leather chairs.

  This same pattern repeats itself in the office of Ms Eugenia Kalkandgjieva, who is managing director of the “Visages” fashion advertising agency. She is certainly one of the youngest top executives I have ever met.  And, no doubt, she is the most glamorously looking too. She started her modeling career at the age of sixteen by joining the “High Level” modeling agency, but for the first two years she had not distinguished herself in a competition. Then, she was swept off her feet by an avalanche of success.   During  1995, she was first crowned as Miss Bulgaria and soon after she ranked Ms ”Sixth” in the Miss World Beauty contest in Sun City, South Africa. She was recognized as an international top model and was honored by offers by the most reputable agencies the world over. Kalkandjieva worked on a six month contract in Italy where, as she claims “she came in touch with all the subtleties of the trade”, as exercised at its best.  She craved to share her knowledge on her return to Bulgaria but she was poignantly aware that her native country was lagging behind world trends and standards in fashion and advertising. She was a bit discouraged for some time...

But then she decided to act and be positive and she set up the “Visages” agency.  Its head-office is based in Sofia with twelve local representations all over the country. She is very particular about selecting her staff, making sure they were up-to-scratch to her demands. The most indispensable man, in her words, is Alexander Yordanov, the executive director of the agency, a man of great experience as a long-term director of the Rila Style clothing factory.

Jenny, as most people lovingly address  Kalkandgjieva, tries to  keep    her employees on their toes, she deals with all problems as they arise, she works long hours, having won for herself the title of  “a workaholic”.  By the end of each month there is a general meeting with the local representatives where the relevant past experience is analyzed and tips and ideas are given as to the prospective tasks. Complaints are immediately handled and mistakes are openly discussed. As my charming blue-eyed companion points out “to err is only human” but “to err more than once makes you develop a bad habit which may put you off the track.”

But now we go back in time, four or five years ago, when the “Visages” agency was making its breakthrough. What was the vision behind it? ”Firstly, - Jenny tries to remember - people were not aware of the importance of professionalism in advertising or fashion. “Also,- Jenny explains in her  brisk temperamental manner - unlike countries like Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia so far we have had no  world-established  top model, no designer’s collection of  world-ranking distinction, no nominee at the top beauty contests, such as  Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Elite Model Look.

At present, there are more than forty five agencies in Sofia, competition is really tough and  dirty tricks are often practiced, for instance beating down the prices of services.  I was eager to know how Jenny responded to such challenges. “My only response is sticking to the rules and principles, established in world practice. I stick to them whatever I do - recruiting or selecting  girls, training them to be good professionals, being strict and correct with my foreign partners. I would like to make it clear that my foreign partners are among the most world-famous fashion and advertising agencies. In the long run  I have won their trust, so they prefer to deal solely and exclusively with me.”

Jenny flashes a Madonna-like smile at me, as if an apology for interrupting our conversation to answer the phone. It occurs to me that some people wrongly imagine that to run an advertising agency is an easy thing. That accounts for the disproportionate ratio between customers and services offered here, even more striking when compared to fashion capitals like Paris or London where the number of agencies is only twice more than in Sofia. Running such a business implies dealing with a lot of people, looking after them and creating work for them. As Jenny mentioned a while ago, ”to decide if a girl is to become a good  model or not what you  needed  most  of all the eye for it”. Jenny is convinced that most girls have wrong assumptions about what is required of them. They still believe that it is all a matter of posing in front of the camera and getting paid for it. Ms Kalkandgjieva is trying to make them realize the kind of dedication that is required of them, the sacrifices they have to make, the challenges they have to take. When it comes to a sense of responsibility, discipline and correctness, many girls find it hard to achieve . Very few of them make an effort to develop their artistic imagination or grace of movement. But when it comes to money they  want to have it quick. The agencies want to have it quick too. So, they start cheating the girls, telling them fibs, trying to take them in...

Ms Kalkandjieva wanted to organize a meeting of all agencies with a view of setting up a professional association which could agree on specific prices for specific services.  But she did not get the right response from her competitors, some of which are obviously involved in money laundering. Moreover, a new bill is going to be adopted, prohibiting big companies to do advertising through promotions and competitions and the like, allowing  for advertising only do through the electronic media and the press. If this bill comes into effect, it will only further hinder the development of fashion which takes a lot of investment and sponsoring from various sources.

“We are trying to do what is done elsewhere. We have regularly been running The Queen of the World contest for three years. We bought the license in 1996. This year it took place at the National theatre and part of the revenues went to charity again. The nominee will take part in the international contest ... and if she is lucky to win, she will have better offers for work”.

Jenny expresses her dislike of the trend of  placing pictures of “foreign faces” on the pages of Bulgarian newspapers and magazines. She also finds it wrong that world-renowned contests like Miss Universe or Miss World have never been shown on our TV, unlike most other countries. The prospective candidates can watch these events and learn from them.

“What are the expectations of the girls who go for modeling - I wonder- isn’t it for them another version of the Cinderella-turned princess plus media magic?”

“Yes, that’s right. They are all beautiful but ordinary girls who dream of being successful and famous, of stepping out of the shabby world of their everyday lives into the magic world of success. They want to absorb the glitz and glamour of the catwalk, to be on the glossy covers of magazines. But the trouble with them is - my companion goes on as she lights another Cartier cigarette - that they are perfectly unaware of the hard work and sacrifices required. To keep your place at the top is sometimes even harder than to get there”.

“Could you name the things they need to be successful?”

Jenny tosses back her long shiny hair and gracefully tilts her head to one side: “Oh, we have to make a long list of things and you may find it boring! We both laugh and I think we both feel perfectly at ease with each other -  by now- “It is only the  harmonious blending them that can secure them lasting success. So first and foremost it takes hard work, involving sacrifice and endurance. It takes ambition and determination, discipline and correctness, the appropriate behavior. They should be flexible  in difficult and delicate situations. They should also realize they cannot act the way they did before they turned famous. They are under the fierce scrutiny of the public and they must be very careful. They must set an example for others, they must live up to their public image. A good education is an extra asset to them.”

“Are you their guru who introduces them to the secrets of success?”

“In a certain sense, yes, I must be their guru. But to influence them I must first win their trust. I teach them how to keep a delicate balance between their private self and their public image, how to enjoy fame but not let it go to their heads. Otherwise, the fall from the top might be pretty painful”.

 

“The Visage” agency is ever bustling with a variety of events from one month to the next: The Queen of the World contest just faded away and a big show of hairdos followed. Then came nominations for designers, stylists and fashion journalists. Then another model-recruiting competition “Bulgaria without a Model” was carried out. And the Miss Paralleli contest is still running, the final stage is forthcoming next year. All our events are broadcast on TV and covered by the press.

I would like to know more about her Sunday TV broadcast called ”Faces” which has been the talk of town for some time...  The idea is to show and discuss both Bulgarian and world fashion, to teach people how to look better.  You can hear various opinions of celebrities on fashion or impressions, shared by photographers, designers, make-up stylists. Many people look forward to watching it again after the summer break.

 “Could you describe one of your days at the agency?”

“All my days follow a different pattern. I get up at eight o’clock, I take care of my appearance and I drive in my car to work. On the way I try to remember all forthcoming tasks.  As soon as I arrive at 9.30 we have a short meeting. Then I spend a lot of time on the phone. After that  I have appointments, negotiations, I  have a look at the latest issues of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire etc.

“How about your weekend?  What do you usually do then?”

“Over the weekend I usually monitor the photo tests of new applicants. I teach them how to pose in front of the camera, what style and image to strive at developing.  In this case I am doing the job of a stylist who shapes up the overall presence of the model. The tests normally take five or six hours that’s why I can’t do them on a weekday.  I I rarely go to my villa in the mountain. My grandparents live on a farm near Dupnitza but I hardly have time to visit them. When we are lucky to finish the photo tests earlier, I usually go to the Castle Hotel where I can keep fit and relax for a few hours. I love playing squash because there is a strong competitive edge to it. So you forget about your worries and you want to improve yourself. At the same time you get rid of all the toxins and the stress. At other times I like seeing films, all genres, depending on my mood.  I adore horror movies. They remind me there could be worse things in life.  I love reading Jackie Collins novels. They are entertaining and at the same time they make you dream and strive to attain the unattainable. But, when you read the biographies of famous people, you come to realize that, very much like her heroines, most of them started from very humble background and they rose to fame thanks to their dedication to their talent.

“Do you still cherish hopes to turn Sofia into a fashion capital on the Balkans?”

“Yes, I do. We have a great variety of faces, talented people working in fashion, distinguished people in the arts and the sciences.

“Is traveling an enriching experience for you?”

“Definitely. I still travel as a model to Italy, France, Germany, Greece, Russia, Japan, Korea etc. Since I am fluent in English, Italian and Russian, I have no communication problems. There are fascinating aspects to each culture and I try to know and understand them better. Also I am always   well-informed about different ways of conducting business both as a model and as managing director.

“What are the things you always want to have in your office?

“The usual office equipment, my papers, a TV and a video, a lot of plants and pictures. Also a few smart suits should be available in case of an emergency”.

“Are you susceptible to believe in superstitions?”

“No, I wouldn’t say I am susceptible to superstitions or a fatalistic outlook. But still I always carry in my bag a tiny icon image of the Virgin Mary which has been sanctified. It makes me feel confident and less vulnerable...” 

Sofia Western News Monthly, 1998