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In our newest column, Branding Diaries, we talk to inspiring brand owners who let us in on their personal journeys and the stories behind their brands. They're sharing their intimate stories, revealing the inspirations, challenges, and secrets behind their brand's success

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This week, we spoke with Giovanna Vieira Co, the co-founder of THE FASHION BLUEPRINT, a consulting agency dedicated to creating a sustainable, diverse, and inclusive fashion industry. With over a decade of experience working with some of the world’s biggest brands, Giovanna launched TFB to support independent, black-owned, and sustainable fashion brands. From facing the challenges of a global pandemic to the products she can't live without, Giovanna shares it all.

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What inspired you to create your brand, and how has it evolved since its inception?

My vision is to build a more sustainable, diverse, inclusive, and equitable fashion industry. I started THE FASHION BLUEPRINT (TFB) to create the type of community I wanted to be a part of. After 10+ years in the industry, working for some of the world's biggest brands and learning about their structures and processes, I decided to start a consulting agency to change the system from the inside out. I wanted to pour my knowledge and energy into brands that need the most support and that I would love to see flourish—specifically independent, black-owned, and sustainable fashion brands. My agency provides a network, resources, and consultancy at accessible price points for the size of the companies we work with. Since its inception in 2019, we have grown our community to over 4,000 members, hosted several panel and networking events, parties, and workshops, and built our own fashion supply chain tech platform.

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What’s a key challenge you faced while building your brand, and how did you overcome it?

We planned to launch the business with a fashion week after-party in February 2020, just before being hit by a global pandemic. This forced us to pivot and soft launch our operations by establishing a digital presence, building a community online via social media, and providing our consultancy services remotely. While this period slowed our growth—community-building being a key aspect of TFB —we didn’t let it stop us. Everything we did during that time served as research and development, which is a critical stage for any business. We built the foundations of our business and are now focusing on the services we have tested and refined in our community.

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What strategies have been most effective in growing your brand’s presence and engaging with your audience?

Our community events have been instrumental in building a loyal audience that goes beyond social media interactions. Over the years, we have hosted several activations that have attracted new clients and strengthened our relationships with existing clients and the wider industry. These events provide an opportunity to engage in real-life conversations, inspire our community, and help them grow by offering a supportive network.

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The goal is to create an ecosystem of fashion entrepreneurs who can start and scale "sexy, sustainable" businesses, breaking down structural barriers in the fashion industry.

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What role does storytelling play in your branding, and how do you use it to connect with your audience?

We send regular newsletters to our audience where we share motivation and advice from both a business and personal development perspective. On LinkedIn, I have a newsletter: Pep Talks, From Me To Me, where I openly share my reflections on my entrepreneurial journey, including all its ups and downs. I often share day-in-the-life content to show the ins and outs of running our business. When I host events or do public speaking, I always share a bit about myself and my journey. This approach encourages others, as my achievements might inspire someone to strive for their dreams, and my challenges might help someone view their situation differently or approach it from a new angle.

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What is the one thing you wish you’d known about running a business before you started?

I wish I had known that it might take way longer than expected to really get things going. Your business’s growth level rarely surpasses your level of personal development as an entrepreneur. You need to be resilient, strategic, and relentless to achieve financial success, especially when starting from scratch with no handouts. The journey will test you from every angle, both within the business and in your personal life. People talk about it, but I didn’t understand the depth of it until I experienced it myself.

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What are some must-have tools or strategies that you use in your business that you can't live without?

Some of the tools I can’t go without are Asana for project management, Gmail, my laptop, and a separate work phone to keep work and personal life distinct. In terms of strategies, having clear processes and structures from the very beginning is crucial. This includes spreadsheets, trackers, and a brand pack. These tools provide direction, build consistency, and help you stay accountable.

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Has your online presence influenced the trajectory of your brand? How?

Absolutely. Some people have discovered TFB through my personal platform, while others have found my platform through TFB. The two go hand in hand. As a community-based consulting agency, it’s important to have a human aspect to our online presence.

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How do you maintain a work-life balance while managing your brand?

This is the bane of my existence. Sometimes I achieve it, but other times it gets too busy and stressful, so I push through and focus on work at the expense of my well-being. I haven’t been able to take a proper extended holiday where I completely switch off for a while now, so I try to implement that balance in my weekly routine. Generally, I wake up as early as possible, exercise, and have slow mornings to either relax or get organised while it’s peaceful. On weekends, I avoid work unless absolutely necessary. Sometimes I spend a whole Saturday in bed re-energising; other times I visit friends and family or organise my space, which feels like Feng Shui to me. Sundays are for spiritual re-setting and spending time alone with my thoughts or with my partner. I like to work hard, but I always know when I’m reaching my limit and need to recalibrate.

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A brand/product you can’t live without?

Nala’s Baby Skincare range and Sunday Riley Vitamin C cream. I don’t wear makeup every day, so these products help keep my skin clear and hydrated.

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Where do you find inspiration for your work?

My inspiration comes from personal experiences, interactions with people, travelling, social media, documentaries, and generally just witnessing the state of the world.

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Book, podcast, or TV show you can’t stop recommending?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a book I recommend to everyone who has a dream and is on a journey. A documentary that really opened my eyes to the state of the fashion industry is The True Cost.

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What’s your favourite travel destination or dream vacation spot, and why?

My favourite travel destination was Havana in Cuba; it was a dream vacation spot! Generally, I really want to explore more of Latin America and Africa.

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How would you describe your personal style?

Alternative-luxe. I put things together in a way that makes sense to me, rarely inspired by current trends or any one given aesthetic. I love high-quality, designer clothes, especially those made by independent, black-owned, luxury, and sustainable fashion brands. I mostly like to dress up and be a bit extra. Casualwear is not really my vibe.

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What’s a hobby or interest you have that people might not know about?

I used to be a contemporary dancer until the age of 20. I started in my early teenage years and participated in various showcases and competitions in Lisbon and London, the cities where I grew up. It’s something I would love to do again, maybe by joining a class.

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What’s the best piece of advice you can give to someone who wants to build their own brand from scratch?

Start as soon as possible. Don’t delay the process by asking too many questions or over-researching. Try things out to see how you would approach it and how it works for you. Then, you can always iterate your process, start again, or go in a different direction based on new information from both theoretical principles and practice. There can be a huge gap between idea and execution.

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A wantrepreneur will have an idea today and another idea tomorrow. An entrepreneur will have an idea today and a business tomorrow. You have to bring things into the physical realm and then go from there.

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What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from your entrepreneurial journey?

Keep moving forward by any means necessary. Things will get extremely difficult at times, and your progress may slow down, but you owe it to yourself to do whatever it takes to grow. Sometimes this requires making difficult decisions or drastic changes, but it’s all part of the process. Everything is a test, and how you respond to your situation determines your ability to succeed.

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How do you envision the future of your brand, and what goals are you working towards?

I envision TFB becoming the go-to platform for independent, black-owned, and sustainable fashion brands. Our goals are built on three main pillars:

1. Community: providing more resources, workshops, and networking opportunities.
2. Sustainability: educating businesses on regenerative and circular practices.
3. Innovation: developing fashion technology and cutting-edge solutions to address the industry’s biggest problems.

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If you could have dinner with any celebrity or public figure, who would it be and why?

I think Emma Grede would be a great person to have dinner with. She seems to have a great personality and can hold a good conversation. I’m very interested in her journey as a serial entrepreneur, transitioning from the UK to America and creating both service-based and product-based businesses. She seems like a very interesting person overall.

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