Susie Breuer

Founder of Co-Lab54 & Author of Blue is the New Black 

Born in Lancaster, England, Susie developed an early interest in fashion which led her to work her way from a retail sales associate to leading the development and production departments of global fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, and Tommy Hilfiger.

Susie’s knowledge of the fashion industry stems from her extensive hands-on experience setting up production and development teams, building department structures, and creating sourcing strategies. Susie distilled these experiences into her recent book Blue is the New Black, a 10-step guide to the development and production of a fashion collection. Released in 2012 and enthusiastically received as an “industry Bible”, Blue is the New Black is currently used by fashion schools across Europe as course work and by fashion companies from Italy to China as a blueprint for development and production. Blue is the New Black is available internationally, has received a glowing review by the New York Times magazine, and is being translated into several languages.

Susie founded the consultancy Co-Lab54 in 2010 providing strategic guidance to large and small fashion companies around department setup, range planning, and information flow. She also offers practical workshops to fashion professionals to improve their understanding of the development process.