Q&A

1. VISUALIZATION & CONCEPT CREATION

2. EDITING

3. EXECUTION

With a hands-on approach I make things look nice. Whether it be with styling, directing, or concept creation, I elevate with story telling and refining is my specialty. Details are extremely important to me in a creative process. Bring me a project that’s been started and I’ll edit it, refine it, polish it, and I’ll make it look expensive. OR give me merchandise to promote and I’ll create the visual communication concepts to feature it—whether that be an e-com visuals strategy, editorial campaign, or advertisement. I enjoy being the guiding force in the creative process from the initial phase of a project until it is complete and presented to an audience.

CURIOSITY: Most of what I’ve created in the past is rooted in curiosity and a deep desire to challenge myself to try something new and learn from that process. 

Through emotional connection. I tell stories that are real + relatable, that inspire, and that evoke an emotion. A formula that I have found to be successful in appealing to a target audience is as follows:

RELATABILITY + INSPIRATION = EMOTION, REACTION, AND APPLICATION

METHOD: I show target audiences or customers an elevated/polished/curated version of who they are, what they want to be, OR what attracts them to stimulate an emotion that creates a positive reaction, therefore creating a space for application in their life in some capacity. This formula reproduced and received with consistency creates a foundation for a trusting relationship between a brand and consumers.  

CASE STUDY: Net-a-Porter does an incredible job of communicating in this way to their target audience. They speak the fashion-forward “it girl” language and they translate that lifestyle in their visuals—they understand who their customer is and how to serve them. The Ralph Lauren brand is a fantastic example of this communication strategy as well. 

FOUNDATION: When you’re selling a product to consumers within the Fashion and Beauty space, it really comes down to two simple questions: “Who are they?” and “Where are they going?”. I emphasize going back to the basics because it’s an effective and stable foundation to build and create from.

PROVISO: While it’s essential to have the ability to discern how to appeal to and communicate with a target audience, the driving force has to be the brand’s identity. Without a cohesive brand identity, the opportunity to create trust with a customer base can’t exist because if the customer is confused about who the brand is, they won’t have the security in transacting with them. 

From my experience, a brand strategy is how a company positions themselves in a select market and how they present themselves to consumers with the purpose of gaining prominence, reputability, and good rapport. An effective brand strategy is built on a solid business plan that is already in motion—if a company understands their function and their capacity to provide a service or deliver a product, if they fully comprehend who their customer base is, and if they set intentions for developmental stages to be met throughout the projected lifetime of the business, then a brand strategy can be successfully implemented. If a company doesn’t know who they are, what they offer, or where they’re going, initiating a brand strategy with cracks in the foundation will prove itself to be ineffective.

BRAND IDENTITY: To me, the initial phase of brand strategy development begins with solidifying a brand identity—what is the brand’s mission and how does the brand differentiate themselves from competitors, functionally and visually?

TARGET AUDIENCE: Second most important part of developing a brand strategy is fully understanding who your brand is speaking to. Do you sell jeans? Because jeans are not just jeans—WHO is buying your jeans? Is it a highly impressionable Gen-Z consumer who purchases your jeans through an affiliate link from their favorite fashion influencer on social media? Or are they an elegant matriarch who summers in the South of France and has a personal shopper?—these 2 customer profiles are very different and a brand’s method of communicating with them should be as well.

TEAM BUILDING: Lastly, a brand strategy can’t be created and set into motion alone—it takes a village. A well-rounded team of creative and business-minded individuals who work seamlessly together to elevate a brand and create longevity in the market is essential to the success of the brand—very much like a machine with many moving parts that is well-oiled and working in synchrony.

1.) EDUCATION: To start off, my education at FIDM laid a solid foundation for me to build upon in my career, and although I majored in fashion design, I had a well-rounded education plan that gave me exposure to the business and marketing side of the fashion industry which sparked a curiosity and desire in me to learn what makes a brand, and dissect its components. What starts as product development ends with a strategy to get the product in consumers’ hands—my goal has always been to acquire the knowledge of the process from start to finish so that I could be equipped to one day develop and manage my own brand.

2.) EXPERIENCE: I worked for the Neiman Marcus Group (Neiman Marcus & Bergdorf Goodman). My career with the company started with e-com styling, which lead to editorial styling opportunities, that turned into an opportunity to art direct projects. During my tenure I participated in multiple re-brands and brand strategy shifts. I was fortunate to get to work with and shadow leading creative individuals in the industry and I was able to absorb and implement a wealth of knowledge from that experience. I’m tremendously grateful for that formative time in my career. 

3.) OPPORTUNITY: From the work I accomplished with the Neiman Marcus Group, I was hired to consult with a womenswear company to elevate and modernize their brand and online presence. Going from a major luxury corporation to witnessing the inner workings of a small family-operated company gave me an immense amount of insight on what it takes for a micro brand to grow, succeed, and achieve long-term relevance in the fashion industry.

TEACHING: Life after graduating from design school in the US didn’t go as planned due to unexpected life-altering events. I found myself back home in Brazil where my family lived. My dreams and career goals had to be put on pause for a few years, and during this career detour I became a teacher. I taught English at various schools from elementary grades to high school, and later to pre-med college students. In 2018, I moved back to the US to pursue a career in fashion again. Becoming a teacher taught me leadership and administrative skills, as well as giving me the opportunity to study and understand how to effectively communicate to a target audience in a manner that is not only easily comprehended, but inspiring, motivating, and applicable to their lives. 

Whether I’m working towards visually elevating established brands or establishing my own brand, it is my ultimate goal to advance in knowledge, experience, and creative abilities to have the capacity to further pour into and influence an industry that I’m passionate about—the fashion industry.