Born in Milan, Leila Palermo accompanied her family first to the United States, then to Rome, before coming back to settle permanently in Milan, where she now lives and works. After studying humanities, she attended the Istituto Europeo di Design, focusing on graphic design and art direction. She spent a great deal of time working as a graphic designer with fashion and beauty magazines, becoming a professional journalist in 1990. Subsequently, she partnered with several agencies as a consultant, dealing with communication and image strategies for firms like Pollini, Wella and the La Perla Group. In 1995, she founded the Next Agency, a communication agency specialising in brand development, start-ups, positioning and re-launching Italian and international brands, image consultancy and above all headhunting and nurturing new talents. In recent years, she has worked on international projects with Dr Martens, Repetto, Zadig & Voltaire, Byblos and Mila Schön and has managed the strategic side of the creation of several fashion start-ups. She is assisted in her work by some of the most interesting names in Italian creativity.