The Fashion Blueprint's Giovanna Viera On Why It Is Independent Fashion Designers’ Time To Shine

“The independent fashion brands of today will be the big fashion houses of tomorrow”, Giovanna confidently tells New Wave, predicting that in the future, the industry may potentially see big fashion businesses hiring independent fashion entrepreneurs as creative directors or as CEOs.

This seems like a huge statement, but for Giovanna Vieira Co (she/her), co-founder and chief executive of THE FASHION BLUEPRINT (TFB), this mantra runs in the veins of her company. Founded in December 2019, TFB is a community and consultancy service that supports a thriving ecosystem of independent, black-owned and sustainable fashion brands. 

Giovanna has worked in the fashion industry for over ten years in a diverse range of roles, from luxury brand management at Selfridges to sales and client development at Louis Vuitton, and CRM at GANNI to marketing at ROTARO. She is well-versed in the world of fashion, and TFB was founded in testament to everything she knows about the industry, and wants upcoming, independent designers to know. 

At its core, TFB helps designers grow their brand via personalised consultations, networking events and workshops with fashion insiders, and e-resources that are the blueprint to building a brand. The business has been a roaring success since its inception, having been backed by the world’s largest investment bank, JP Morgan, last October after winning the Founders Forward Perfect Pitch Programme by Newable. The business is also set to launch a technology platform called ‘Fashion Upcyclers’ this year to help designers tackle waste pollution. 

With an aim to teach upcoming designers the fundamentals of ‘making it’ in the industry, Giovanna says designers who embrace new technologies and prioritise sustainable production models – whilst remaining authentic and value-driven - are those that will succeed in the future. We spoke in detail about the importance of designers understanding the marriage between these two essential spheres, how TFB equips independent designers with the knowledge and values to excel, and where she hopes the industry will be if designers continue to innovate, experiment and learn. 

As Giovanna states with blunt precision: “We don't need any more fashion businesses in the world. We have enough clothes in circulation for us to not have to produce anything new for the next six generations. So, if you're going to come into the industry, why not make an impact and stand for something that is meaningful and life enhancing?” This statement is the driving force behind TFB, and as Giovanna reiterates, must be the motivation that pushes designers to keep designing – not just for the sake of designing – but to make an meaningful change in the industry. 

First, I want to know why you started TFB. Was there one moment that triggered the business idea, or have you always wanted to start a network such as this one? 

I started for a culmination of reasons. I went to the London College of Fashion and studied fashion management in 2013, and graduated in 2017. Having worked for some large businesses like Selfridges and Louis Vuitton, I knew a lot about the fashion industry, specifically the sustainable needs of the industry. I had become disillusioned with the luxury side of things, and realised it wasn’t too dissimilar to high-street and fast-fashion brands in terms of how much they produce and how fast they operate. 

So, whilst I wanted to explore the sustainable side of the industry, I also wanted to support more up and coming businesses that maybe had the right ideas and the right ethics, but didn't necessarily have everything they needed to succeed in the industry. It takes a lot as an independent fashion brand to get the help to get ahead. 

But, around six years ago, there wasn’t much information online about how to start a fashion brand or how to run a fashion business. There was no community for people to come together, learn from each other, and network. It was then I realised that consultancy could be a way for me to use my knowledge and support these independent fashion businesses. 

We decided to create something where, apart from just learning from me in terms of the consultancy side of things, people could learn from each other. We wanted to spotlight underrepresented groups that were up-and-coming in the industry and give them the space to learn from bigger designers.

Also, coming from a West African background, I see the impact that the end of life can have on our local ecosystems. I feel I was best positioned in the UK to create change and maybe divert some of that dead stock from ending up in places like West Africa.  

You have over 10 years’ experience in the fashion industry, working with a diverse range of luxury fashion houses. How have you seen the industry evolve? Has it changed for the better or for the worse, and how are you contributing to its evolution? 

The fashion industry has evolved massively. When I was at university, for example, no one cared about sustainability. 

At the time, I was working in buying at River Island, so I was directly in contact with suppliers. I was placing orders for tens of thousands of units per style, selecting the fabric and wash, and I thought: if this is just one company, imagine the magnitude of this issue if we consider all of the other companies that are doing the same thing?

I remember proposing to one of my tutors to do my placement years project on how to create more sustainable jeans because they are so water consuming. My tutor completely shut down the idea. She said:  No, don't do that. You won't be able to get the literature. You won't be able to move forward with it. 

It showed me that sustainability wasn't something that the industry was prepared to tackle at the time. 

But, since then, there has been a huge change, especially due to more pressure groups and a consciousness amongst consumers. Many people didn't understand what happened behind the scenes, but now more of society has a greater awareness of the environmental impact of fashion because people dig deeper. For example, more brands are being outed on social media via articles, documentaries, and fashion brands have been forced to address the issues raised.

Right now, I wouldn't say that most fashion brands are walking the walk and putting in the work to change their business models. But, because there is more awareness of these issues, they are making an effort. Some progress is better than no progress. 

I want to talk about the designers in the TFB network. Who are they, what are the biggest barriers they face and what do they stand for? How do you fill a gap in the market?  

We welcome anyone who wants to start a fashion business. 

Our early adopters were very much individuals fresh out of university. Initially, it was more individuals who wanted to start a fashion brand and be part of the fashion industry. We would support them with express consultations and we did lots of social media initiatives, such as answering questions on Instagram live. 

I always remember being one of two black girls at university in a course that had 140 people. It didn’t make a huge difference to me, but the other girl felt she was an anomaly because she didn't see the representation. It reminded me how important it is to be visible because if other people can see you doing something, they feel like they can. 

But, as the years progressed, I realised that to sustain the business I had to see what bigger organisations and fashion brands were doing. I freelanced for bigger organisations, such as Graduate Fashion Week last year, and worked with contemporary fashion brands. It is important to still be in the industry and create change from the inside out as much as possible. 

When building a brand, many designers find it hard to balance creative input with the logistics of a business. What advice do you give to designers about balancing creativity with the business side of fashion? Do you think the dynamic between sustainability and technology can be used to potentially encourage creativity? 

The question isn't whether the technology exists, it's more so whether brands are using it. Large fashion brands remain very traditional, and they are slow and resistant to adopt new technology. Yet, these brands are equally innovative when it comes to creativity and pushing designs forward and concepts. However, there are many new technologies being developed, such as devices that reduce waste at sampling stage.

In terms of how I operate and how I support businesses - whether small or medium sized or larger corporations – it is to always plug them with existing solutions. Recently, I took part in an accelerator program. It is called EVO learning by the Fashion District and within that cohort alone, there were around 20 different sustainable fashion technology businesses pushing things like 3D design, digital prototyping and sourcing and fabric, blockchain, and digital factories. 

It is a matter of one those businesses getting funding to be able to scale, but also fashion brands who are more established being the early adopters of these technologies, because the smaller businesses may not necessarily be. 

So, although it is great practice for small brands to adopt the technology now, in terms of scale, it won't have the same impact as a large corporation that is creating hundreds of 1000s of units per year. 

TFB has a heavy focus on sustainability, and you are launching a new tech platform called Fashion Upcyclers that connects fashion brands with re-designers to ‘tackle waste colonialism’. Can you talk a little about this?

In essence, Fashion Upcyclers is a result of everything I've learned and experienced in the fashion industry, coupled with my desire to make business models more circular.  

Initially, when I started TFB, I wanted to change the fashion industry from the inside out by altering business models and influence brands to do things differently. However, I realised it takes a long time to change mindsets and attitudes to then change systems and processes. As a more immediate way to create circularity, I wanted to tackle the issue of waste. 

I realised there was a gap between what happens after brands put items on the shop floor that they don't sell. Brands have design systems, merchandising systems and sales systems in place, but what happens to the clothes that brands don't sell? 

It is typically a grey area. Sometimes these items go into liquidation, outlet, or it may go into recycling – which is around 2% of it. But what we do know is that around 85% of textiles end up in landfill - this is $560 billion worth of unsold, unused stock ending up in landfills in the Global South. Clearly, this stock is not being managed properly. 

However, there is value in that stock. The issue is that it's not being distributed properly, or it's not being views as valuable enough to repurpose. This could be because, for example, brands don't have the direct channels within their businesses to do that. It is easier to find a supplier than it is to find an upcycler. This is because when items are recycled, it decreases the value of the product. For example, if you have a man’s blazer, and you then convert it into a women's wear blazer, you're not losing as much as of your margin, but you’re still able to sell it at a markup if you wanted to. 

It is a way of connecting fashion brands with dead stock management solutions. We're starting with upcycling, but eventually I envision it becoming almost a go-to platform for businesses to come to after merchandising. So, if they have items they haven’t sold, there is a way of reimagining that product and reselling it themselves, as opposed to discarding it. 

This new product has come off the back of new EU regulation that is forcing brands to take accountability for the full life cycle of their products. It says that by 2030, all items of clothing circulating in the EU will have a digital product passport. This means that brands will be held accountable for the end of life of their products. So, if a brand sends discarded items to landfill, they'll get fines for it. 

I’m pushing for this platform to be an early solution for brands to adopt that works within their existing business models. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, but provide brands with end of product life cycle options. 

Sustainability can entail endless factors in fashion from the governance of a workplace and social responsibility of brand to the use of ‘green’ material and minimal wastage. How do you define ‘sustainability’ and how do you educate brands in the TFB network about it?  

TFB primarily works with independent fashion entrepreneurs, so we focus on teaching them about the environmental impact of the fashion industry. We reiterate that people’s lives are not worth a pair of jeans, or that looking nice when you go out with your friends shouldn't cost someone's health.

It is helping these new designers to understand there is a whole supply chain behind a fashion brand, and that they should be aware of how they're sourcing their products, where they're sourcing them from, and how things are made. They should question suppliers when they do find them, and ultimately, questioning what type of industry they want to contribute to.

We are quite honest with them in saying that we don't need any more fashion businesses in the world. We have enough clothes in circulation for us to not have to produce anything new for the next six generations. So, if you're going to come into the industry, why not make an impact, or why not stand for something that is meaningful and life enhancing, as opposed to just doing it for your own self-fulfilling purposes? Most people enter the industry because they love fashion, but they need to ask themselves: What is currently missing in the market that I can tap into and fulfil? This is the angle to approach it from.

But when it comes to doing things on a bigger scale and working with bigger companies, we approach sustainability from the lens of waste reduction. Over-production is impacting our ecosystem the most. The idea is: if brands overproduce, there will be over-consumption because these brands must market products to potential customers more. 

This is coupled with the ethics of marketing, such as how it impacts people's mental health because society feel they constantly need more. But if we approach it from a lens of reducing overproduction, which is commonly a result from suppliers who request high minimum order quantities from brands. 

But what happens when brands can't sell all the products that they make? This is what is not currently being addressed properly, and this is the angle TFB is fighting hard to tackle.

How do you support designers in integrating sustainable practices into their operations? What are the most common challenges faced by emerging designers in adopting sustainability?

I always come from the angle that if you say that sustainability is expensive, that is a cop out. The most sustainable thing you can do is not produce and not buy anything new, right?

If companies start with things that are already in circulation – such as dead stock fabric suppliers – this progresses into the upcycling side of things. We really want to push this agenda forward where we show how it is possible to repurpose things which are already in circulation, rather than merely talking about it.

This is how we see the future of the industry, whether it's if you are a designer and you want to create a new product. Start with existing materials, as opposed to extracting from the environment and using processes that are super water intensive and energy consuming. Designers must think: how can I reimagine and reinvent this?

We’ve spoken about sustainability time and time again not just across the fashion industry, but we are now at a stage where climate change is real. Designers have to think what they can do today, tomorrow, and the day after, to create change and reverse this negative cycle. 

The only reason why brands follow suit is because this is how it's historically been, but it doesn't have to continue to be like that going forward. This is why TFB wants to provide a solution more so than continuously talking about it. 

Technology – especially AI - has been the talk of the town in recent years in the fashion industry. We are increasingly entering a highly digital world, and many fear the power of technology, yet others welcome its power by smartening production lines, creative processes and sales. Do you think technology is beneficial, particularly in the promotion of a sustainable business? What advice do you give to designers of the future when integrating the two? 

Fashion brands of today cannot be successful without incorporating technology into their businesses.

The majority of the high street is dead now, such as previously big brands like Topshop. This is because they could not adjust to the current times, or perhaps their overheads were higher than what they were making. 

The quicker the fashion businesses realise that, the more of a chance they'll have to succeed and stand the test of time. Now, we can even say that TikTok is a new technology. It is not just necessarily from supply chains, but even how consumers are engaging with fashion brands has changed. 

It is about being smart with technology, such as using predictive software to ensure you only produce what you can sell. This is difficult to do based on intuition, and fashion trends and what people are likely to buy is available through predictive analytics. I predict a gap will form between independent fashion entrepreneurs and businesses that can afford said technologies. This is because they'll have access to information, and have a level of speed that those who are just starting out may not have. 

But, to reiterate, in order to succeed as a business, and to become more sustainable - not just from an environmental point of view, but also by ensuring a business is long lasting - technology is crucial. 

Lastly, how do you envision the future of fashion in terms of sustainability, technology and inclusivity? What role do you hope TFB will play in shaping this future?

Right now, it is independent fashion designers’ time to shine. They are the ones that are creating the most innovation. They are the ones which are putting fresh ideas out there, and because they're closer to the market and have less rules, they're able to experiment and learn faster. They are the brands who understand social media and how to speak to the consumer are those who will succeed. 

I'm definitely backing independent fashion brands. They will continue to push forward, create change and they will also be the brands that consumers gravitate towards because they have a level of authenticity. They are more interesting, and the clothing quality may be better as well, because even luxury fashion brands are exposed to sweatshops. More consumers will be aware of this and make decisions that align with their own best interests.

The independent fashion brands of today will be the big fashion houses of tomorrow, and what we'll potentially see is those big fashion businesses wanting to invest or acquire independent fashion entrepreneurs as creative directors or as CEOs because they have a level of knowledge or insight.