Category: Fashion

We heard constantly how important is to have a strong personal brand and it is so true. It can land you in a better job, get that sought-after promotion, have that salary rise and all in all, have new opportunities in life.

Sounds good, right? It does, indeed! So we wanted to find out more about how can we improve or even start with our personal branding. As usual, we decided to go with the experts and we found Stefania Brunori. She will blow your mind with just a short conversation. That for us means… She knows her stuff! Don´t miss the interview and the next workshop she will be doing in Dubai.

THE INTERVIEW: STEFANIA BRUNORI

How did you become an Entrepreneur? What is your background?

After more than 20 years working at senior positions in Marketing in the corporate world, I finished a 2-year project with Nokia and I couldn’t find a role matching my level of seniority in Dubai, so I had to reinvent myself. I matched my Marketing skills with my passion for Wellness as well as with a market need and decided to launch my first start-up.

I also studied Design and Coaching. Those two disciplines helped me a lot to build brands and go beyond the limitations of a standard 9-5 type of job.

How did your Personal Branding help you to build your career as an entrepreneur?

Having worked in corporate branding for many years gave me an understanding of the power of a brand beyond the tangible attributes. A ring is a ring. And the cost of manufacturing is usually the same for brand A and for brand B. But the margin that the brand gets is directly proportional to the perceived value of the brand rather than the cost itself.

It’s about identifying a niche, a specific group of people with a common need, and solving it with your product and the added perceived value. The same happens with us as professionals, consultants or entrepreneurs. We project an idea about our personal brand, so we shall work on conveying the message that communicates well who we are and what’s our value

Could you share an example where your personal brand made you directly win a project or get a new client?

I got selected for an urgent project for a big client by someone who had never met me in person. Thanks to my Linkedin profile and my brand-building strategy over the years, he thought I was the ideal candidate. We never met: we talked over the phone, and he sent me the brief. I worked, delivered, and by the way, he even paid in advance. It was all about the perceived value of my personal brand, based on trust.

What are the most common mistakes that you see in the Personal Branding of entrepreneurs, consultants or anyone who needs to make their brand visible?

Lack of consistency and strategy. People share a post on social media here and there, not based on a calendar, and without KPIs in mind. Could you imagine a luxury car brand spending thousands of dollars on marketing campaigns without a clear objective of what they want to get out of the campaigns? Or sending confusing messages to the audience, without clarity on the brand values? The same applies to our personal brand. We need to know what we want to communicate, be consistent, and also set goals and measure results regularly.

How can someone take the first steps to build their personal brand? What would you recommend for them?

Clarity. Know thyself, as the ancient Greeks said. You need to know what are your strengths, and your weaknesses. So you will decide which type of projects you can do at your best, and which ones you should not.  A self-assessment is crucial to building a strong brand.

PERSONAL BRANDING WORKSHOP … WE ARE IN!?‍

If someone wants to get some external support in their personal brand, how can you help?

I am running a Personal Branding workshop on 15^th February. There I will teach how to use the power of personal branding to ACCELERATE SUCCESS and GROW BUSINESS, either as an entrepreneur or as an employee.

I will share very practical steps to enhance their personal brand, with hands-on exercises and one on one tuition. How to differentiate themselves from peers and competitors, clarify their niche market and discover the best type of client for them, to also attract and engage key decision-makers.

When regular folks look at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Grand Canyon in the US, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, or the Tower Bridge in London, they see iconic locations from around the world. Jessica Minh Anh looks at them and sees catwalks.

The 31-year-old is not your average supermodel. Sure, she gets to visit exotic places, jet around the world, wear gorgeous outfits and strut in front of cameras for a living, but the Vietnamese catwalk producer gives all of it heft and significance by using the platforms to push heavily for the cause of sustainability.

When Jessica began her own production house in 2010, all the fashion shows she could see were being hosted at “standard” venues: hotels, museums, showrooms, warehouses and tents. At a time when the world was still firmly in the grip of a global recession, going the conventional route held neither promise nor interest for her. “I believe the most exquisite designs should be showcased at the best of locations,” shares the entrepreneur. “I also want my audience to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences they will remember forever. That’s why when I wanted to do a sky-high catwalk, I produced the show at 4,000 feet above the Colorado River on the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Or when I wanted the most iconic venue in Paris, I hosted the Eiffel Tower’s first and only fashion show, instead of using it as a background or building a simulation of it in a different location.”

Her reach-for-the-sky philosophy has certainly paid off over the last 10 years, catapulting her to the top of the game, thanks to her various headline-grabbing productions that are truly visual spectacles – and the fact that she has not taken a break in 10 years, even though she admits she probably needs one. “Every time you see me on an island, I am working on a project,” she explains. “When we promoted sustainability in the Maldives, we filmed from 2am until 12am almost everyday, and I did not have time to swim in the wonderful pool in my own villa. But I am certainly not complaining. I’ve been very fortunate to work with the biggest brands and experienced some of the most luxurious destinations on earth. You choose the life you lead.”

‘Embrace the pressure’
For Jessica, it’s a life she loves, despite the intense pressure it often brings. Event management, after all, is no cakewalk. Pressure is an excellent thing, she believes, for it provides the framework within which to innovate. “Over the years, overcoming obstacles while preparing for a show has become the norm, but it’s always the challenges that have helped push me forward.”

Take the time an unexpected storm destroyed the entire backstage area two hours before her fashion show at Spain’s Gemasolar power plant in 2015. “Everyone was panicking,” she recalls. “I had a choice. I could give up and cancel or postpone the show – or I could get over my shock and work to fix the problem immediately. I decided on the latter, and ended up using the bus that transported all the models to the plant as the new backstage area.” The show became one of their most successful productions to date and Jessica, who recently delivered a TedxTALK on the need to embrace pressure in order to transform, says, “Without that pressure at such a critical time, I would not have known my own strength in the face of disaster.”

It was the same thing the year before, when she arrived in New York with a plan to produce a show at the Niagara Falls, but decided against proceeding with the venue after a site inspection. Compelled to come up with another location immediately, she looked up and saw America’s new symbol of hope and freedom: One World Trade Center. “That was it,” recalls the model. “Had I not been put in a challenging position of finding the next best thing, I would not have made that historic catwalk on Level 63 of the iconic tower six months before it was officially opened.”

She acknowledges, however, that there can be such a thing as ‘too much’ pressure. “I think it is subjective and each person must define the level of pressure they can tolerate. If you tell yourself it’s not too much, and truly believe it, you will be able to embrace the pressure and overcome it faster. Of course, if you feel that you are overstressed and unable to operate effectively, it is important to take a break from everything to come back more level-headed. It’s okay to not be excellent all the time; and telling yourself that will, in itself, take a lot of pressure off.”

‘Fashion must have a call’
Recently, Jessica has been feeling a different kind of pressure: the need to advocate for environmental issues. It was in response to those concerns that she started her Fashion x Sustainability series a few years ago, highlighting the most advanced renewable energy and recycling initiatives through fashion. The series saw her successfully promote green technology at the Gemasolar power plant in Spain, hydroelectric power atop the Hoover Dam in the US, and ‘Waste-to-Wealth’ practices in the Maldives. It saw her produce the world’s first solar-powered ocean catwalk aboard the Race 4 Water, which is the world’s largest solar catamaran.

“I believe fashion shows should be more than just being visually attractive. They should convey a meaningful message or a call for a better future. We are living in a special time when sustainable practices must be implemented to protect our future and the future of the younger generation,” she observes. “There are different ways to stimulate global mindsets toward green living – I chose the creative approach. And it’s helped me promote everything from solar power, hydro power and wind power to recycling, upcycling, and now the sustainable supply chain, which is a big part of the fashion industry.”

As someone who has seen the best of both natural and manmade creations up close, Jessica says both have had a major role in shaping her current view of the world. “I have a great respect for architects and developers of architectural wonders. They have proven that humans are such creative beings, so it is a privilege whenever I get the chance to transform one of them into the world’s newest catwalk. But after learning more and more about the environment in the last few years, I have become more determined to highlight the importance of sustainable practices. I believe the new generation has a voice that is as powerful as the hydroelectric power I’ve been promoting of late.”

The supermodel is already on the lookout for her next iconic location and has “definite” plans to return to Dubai (she was last here in 2013). “Dubai is a wonderful place where technology, sustainability, and innovation are currently in focus. I’ve been considering a number of unique locations in the city and will hopefully surprise the world yet again there!”
She signs off with a word of advice for youngsters who are feeling the pressure of today’s fast-paced world, just like she did a decade ago when she needed to make something of herself. “Look at pressure in a positive way,” she says. “If you embrace and use it to your advantage, it can make you stronger, more determined, and more satisfied once you’ve overcome it using your own initiatives, efforts and solutions. In the end, it’s all about your attitude towards challenges that makes you a winner.”

Her fashion week debut let people speeches.
24 years fashion model and social media sensation impress everyone with her amazing confident walk opening Alicia Ayla fashion show.

Radi Budyonova has been ranked number 1 on the list of Most beautiful fashion models.
Radi is 24 East European fashion model and beauty queen, whose photos of her beauty and career have amassed her social media popularity.
She become most loved Miss Global.
Over 15 magazines choose her to be them cover girl in 2019
She is one of the most successful Models . She has ranked on the list of those famous people who were born on November 7, 1995. She is one of the Richest Models who was born in Bulgaria. She also has a position among the list of Most popular Models .

An initiative that started in Australia is turning heads in the fashion world, as all the first-timers do. We had the opportunity to talk in exclusive for Dubai Fashion News with the founder and here is all the scoop of this event where 18 models and 7 designers made history. We speak to Tarik Houchar, CEO of Hijab House, one of the designers participating at the Modest Fashion Runways.

Why making Modest Fashion Runways in Australia?

Most people don’t know this, but Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of modest fashion.  The modest fashion scene here is booming, and it’s more advanced than most international markets. Online, Aussie modest brands and influencers are the envy of the world.  I am so glad that Melbourne has picked up on this and is bringing this industry to the attention of the Australian people.

Who were the designers that participate in this event?

Ilham .A. Ismail, Courtney Zoh, Yasmin Jay Designs, Sala Okabe, Boutique Nour Al Houda, Sunna Style, Hijab House X Nawal Sari.

What was the theme of this first Modest Fashion Runways edition?

“Modest fashion in spring definitely involves lots of white, matte satin and flowy, billowing dresses. The key piece for the season is a pair of baggy, high waisted denim jeans in hues of pink, lime or yellow, paired with a linen cropped jacket. Turbans are all the craze, as well as metallic scarves and embellished head clips” – says Tarik Houchar.

MODESTY AWAKENS

Do you think this changes the game in the fashion industry? Please explain why.

Definitely. Modesty is not only a trend but a lifestyle. Corporations are benefitting from this ‘movement’ but in reality, it is a way of life for the majority of people. We are hoping to do our part in this global issue here in Australia.

Are you planning to do this event in other cities or countries?

Unfortunately, at this stage, we are unable to disclose any details, but be assured that the team is working overtime to ensure that modesty is well represented globally.

What feedback did you have from designers and attendees after the event?

We have received much great feedback and well thought out constructive criticism. The common factor we share with our designers and attendees is that we would like to ensure the success and accomplishment of spreading modesty across Australia.

There is a new generation of women (feminists) trying to get rid of the hijab and promoting a very different kind of empowerment. Do you think these two trends will collide? Do you think any of them will be the stronger one?

Personally, the idea of getting rid of the Hijab is absurd. Trying to abolish a religious and cultural garment is the opposite of woman empowerment. If a woman decides to wear a hijab that it is 100% her decision. If she wishes not to wear it, then that is also 100% her decision. There should be no pressure from either side. Especially if it is a cross between Islamic and Western countries/ Cultures.

Exciting news for retro fans: last week Dubai was touched by vintage fashion royalty. Seth Weisser, the founder of hot US vintage haunt What Goes Around Comes Around, was in Dubai to introduce the US store’s Rue de Chambon Vintage Chanel collection at Harvey Nichols (04 409 8888). The selection includes signature quilted chain-strap shoulder bags (pictured below) and statement jewellery such as huge double C earrings and logo necklaces. Snap it up before someone else does!

Meanwhile, we’ve noticed a bit of a trend forming in Dubai of late. Following the opening of Nasimi Beach Boutique last year, two more Dubai nightspots have just launched fashion collections of their own. XL Beach Club has unveiled XL Beach Wear (055 348 5629), a line of gowns, bikinis, accessories and branded shades and caps. And the new Villa Romana Saint Tropez Dubai has opened Villa Romana Boutique (056 231 5924), selling floaty kaftans and beachy gowns.

Finally, Swedish brand Cos plans to open a store in Dubai in April. The retailer already has stores in Kuwait and will stock high-street designs and stylish basics in The Dubai Mall. Until next week: get shopping!