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Modern Fashion: Josephine Dease of Savavia On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today

An Interview With Candice Georgiadis

The first thing that I think people need when starting a fashion business is, to be honest with themselves. You will not see success unless you do what it takes to succeed.

Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?

In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”

As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Josephine Dease.

Josephine Dease is the CEO of Savavia, a fashion brand. She has an experienced SEO team, focusing on fashion brands. She believes that e-commerce will be the beacon for fashion brands marketing. Thanks to her keen insight, she has been onboard during the pandemic.

Josephine Dease: Online shopping is now an irreversible trend. Most fashion brands open their online store and some even sell products only through the internet. So fashion brands must follow up this trend to meet the needs of the Gen Z. Internet is complex and changeable. SEO is becoming indispensable for e-commerce. So, it’s super important for fashion brands to own an experienced team to keep pace with the changes.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

It all started when I was very young because I had so much passion; I wanted to be an entrepreneur growing up. My parents owned a successful home improvement business, and I was intrigued by the idea of starting a business. I had a lot of interests, but fashion and entrepreneurship have always been my main passions. At the age of 15yrs, I started selling my fashion clothes and accessories. I built strong connections in the community but wasn’t interested in a traditional degree or career path. I started my business with no prior knowledge or experience in fashion as a professional. However, later I started a professional training program where I learned all aspects of the fashion industry. At 19, I was able to open my first store; I felt I should create my online store. I decided to launch my first e-commerce website. That way, Savavia was born and steadily developed through the help of the professional training program. At 22, I started seeing success with my business and have never looked back!

Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?

When I was growing up, fashion and entrepreneurship were always in my life. I come from a small town, and it was a unique place where people were passionate about their passions. I learned from the people who were not afraid to share their knowledge with others. I learned how to be a brilliant entrepreneur from them, seeing how hard work and passion can lead to success. That has given me the confidence, willingness, and capability to be an incredible entrepreneur.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I have had so many exciting experiences since I started this career path. But, when I first launched my brand to consumers. It was a delightful feeling to see how my customers like my designs. I love seeing their elegant photos and hearing their feedback about the dresses on social media.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Being honest is very important. I’ve seen people with many talents and connections fail because they were not honest.

2. hardworking is also another crucial trait needed to succeed in business. I’ve also seen people with no connections succeed by working harder than everyone else. I succeeded in my business simply because I have always worked.

3. Passion is a great trait in business. My passion for fashion has always been a driving force throughout my career.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

The key element of my company is affordable products of high quality. When I started my business, I wanted to ensure that my customers could afford my products. Quality was also important to me. I wanted to ensure that my products were high quality, so I often get the original fabric from which my dresses are made. Another thing that makes my company stand out is our customer service. We have top-notch customer service and always give our best to ensure our customers are 100% satisfied with whatever they purchase!

Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”-Winston Churchill.

This quote is so actual. I have seen many people give up after the first mistake or failure. It needs hard work and determination to become successful. I have been able to achieve my goals because of this quote.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?

I am so excited about the growth of the e-commerce industry. It will become more and more important to people as time progresses. I am glad that fashion can be affordable on the internet through e-commerce. I think this is where much of the growth in the fashion business will happen as well as in other industries because it will be easier for people to access information through an online environment.

Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?

The piece of clothing you wear is a reflection of who you are. I try to create the most beautiful, comfortable, and affordable pieces of clothing so all women are reflected in their clothes.

Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?

I only work with companies using fair labor and ethical manufacturing processes. I have bought many materials, but I try to make sure that I buy from a company that works with fair labor and ethical manufacturing processes.

Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?

Absolutely! Fast fashion is doing irreparable damage to the environment and the people involved in making it. I am glad that companies and consumers like myself want to change that. I want to give my customers a way out of the fast-fashion cycle by giving them something of higher quality and creating clothes they will wear longer with very little waste.

Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.

1. The first thing that I think people need when starting a fashion business is, to be honest with themselves. You will not see success unless you do what it takes to succeed.

2. Next, I think they need to have a positive attitude. If you are not happy with your business or believe in what you are doing, no one else will be either.

3. The next thing that I think people need is hard work and determination. This takes time and dedication to get where you want to go in your career path. It is great to see many people with talent and connections fail because they are not hardworking and determined.

4. The next thing that I think people need is a great product. It will not be enough to have a good idea if you do not put in the time and effort to create something others want to buy.

5. Finally, you need the element of “timelessness.” People will only buy your merchandise if they can wear it to a party or a special event. The design of your clothing should not date quickly. You will have people buying the same thing repeatedly if it does not look good for years to come.

Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?

The fashion industry needs to improve and become more sustainable. We need companies to hold each other accountable to try and make these changes happen. I would like to see more companies being more conscious of environmental issues, so we do leave a better world for our children.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

I would start a reliable movement to bring more affordable and sustainable fashion worldwide. I can provide customers with beautiful clothing at an affordable price point with my business model. This can help many people in many different ways, especially if we reach people who may not have a lot of disposable income.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

My Fashion brand website is: https://savavia.co.uk/

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.


Modern Fashion: Josephine Dease of Savavia On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.