Sabrina Calabrese: The Women Powering A Fashion e-Commerce Revolution

In the digital age where trends change at the drop of a hat, a new wave of women is reshaping the fashion e-Commerce landscape, not just by following trends, but by setting them. These visionaries are stitching together technology, style, and strategy to create brands that don't just sell clothes, but spark conversations. Similarly, Sabrina Calabrese, at the age of 23, she began her journey with Bonprix while still completing her studies. With a career deeply shaped by her passion for the German language and culture, she stepped into the fast-paced world of fashion e-Commerce, a space dominated by shifting trends, evolving technology, and high expectations. Her decision to move to Germany and work at bonprix’s Hamburg headquarters proved transformative, helping her develop a resilient mindset and a culturally adaptive leadership style.

A decade later, she no longer walks into meetings as a newcomer, but as a decision-maker. Her rise wasn’t accidental, it was carved out of consistent hard work, resilience in the face of doubt, and a sharp intellect that proves that age is just a number and caliber is everything. Since stepping into the role of Managing Director for Bonprix’s Italy office, she continues to champion collaboration, growth, and cross-cultural insight as pillars of her leadership philosophy.

Introduce us to Bonprix. What roles do you shoulder as the company’s Managing Director?

A fashion and e-Commerce business, Bonprix operates in 16 European countries and serves about 10 million active customers each year, primarily women, with affordable and stylish fashion. Founded in 1986, we offer a wide range of products from women’s and men’s fashion to kidswear and home items, with a strong focus on sustainability and in-house design. bonprix is one of the focus companies within the Otto Group.

As Managing Director of the Italian subsidiary, I am responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations, legal compliance, financial performance, strategic planning, and aligning with our global goals. I also work closely with stakeholders and headquarters to make sure we are moving in the right direction.

I see my role as not just leading, but setting an example, fostering collaboration, especially across different countries and functions.

Critically assess your day and Identify areas for improvement before evaluating or judging those of others

How do you facilitate positive business outcomes and strengthen operations for Bonprix?

As a leader, my approach to driving success at Bonprix is built around five key pillars, namely customer centricity, operational excellence, strategic development, cultural adaptation, and performance culture.

First and foremost, everything starts with the customer. I strongly believe that understanding their needs and heeding to their feedback is the key to staying relevant and competitive.

To foster operational excellence, I work closely with colleagues across Europe to streamline and standardize our processes, which helps us stay efficient and deliver high-quality service consistently.

On the strategic side, I collaborate with our headquarters to shape long-term goals that make sense for our local market while staying aligned with the wider company vision.

Given our international setup, cultural adaptation is also crucial. I support my team in navigating different cultural dynamics and building an inclusive, collaborative environment.

Finally, performance culture is a big focus. We set clear goals, recognize contributions, and promote feedback so our people can grow and thrive. It's about achieving strong results while making sure everyone feels valued and motivated.

What key challenges do you encounter and how do you navigate through these roadblocks?

In my current role at Bonprix, one of the key challenges I face is managing change, especially as we shift toward a more international structure. We are bringing together people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds to work on the same teams or projects, and that requires building a mindset that embraces collaboration and adaptability.

Another important challenge is making sure that local market voices are heard within our broader international strategy. I put a lot of focus on staying connected with our local teams, gathering their feedback and insights so we can stay relevant and responsive in each market.

We are part of a fast-moving industry, so staying in tune with our customers is essential. That means tracking trends, but also actively listening, using tools like data analysis and surveys to really understand what our customers want.

Adapting to international structure has its complexities, but by managing change thoughtfully and integrating both local and customer insights, I believe we can strengthen our performance and stay competitive.

What are some of the most significant professional milestones you have achieved? What is your ‘success mantra’?

As a business leader, one of the biggest milestones in my career was being appointed Managing Director of bonprix’s Italian subsidiary. At first, I had doubts about my readiness, but through self-reflection, I gained clarity on my strengths and aspirations, which gave me the confidence to take on the role.

I place huge emphasis on personal development and maintaining a growth mindset. I regularly reflect on my performance, assess what I can improve, and apply those lessons to become more effective both as a leader and as an individual.

My mantra is to reflect on my own actions before evaluating others and to focus on self-improvement rather than external criticism.

How is the Italian business landscape evolving and which major industry trends are you betting big on?

In Italy, the B2C e-Commerce sector is evolving, with modest growth despite challenges like inflation, global competition, and the push for more sustainable and digital practices.

Emerging sectors like technology, sustainability, and agriculture are driving Italy’s innovation, and fashion plays a key role in these shifts, especially in terms of sustainability and digitalization. At bonprix, we aim for more sustainable products and practices. For example, we have been increasing the percentage of organic or recycled fibers, offer circular designed products and are enhancing transparency toward the customer about material origins and environmental impact.

Additionally, there’s an ongoing digital transformation as companies adapt to new consumer behaviors and market conditions. The use of digital tools for sales, customer management, and marketing is growing. We use 3D tools for our fashion product development and technologies like AI and analytics are helping us improve operations and create more personalized shopping experiences for our customers.

Sabrina Calabrese, Managing Director, Bonprix

Sabrina Calabrese, Managing Director of bonprix Italy, is a seasoned professional with a strong customer-centric mindset. She began her career as a call center agent at 23 and later studied strategy, sales, and negotiation techniques in Germany. After returning to Italy, she led the Customer Service Department, focusing on service quality, process optimization, and digital transformation.