Today I’m chatting with 3 amazing young girls who founded a fashion startup Bookalook: a digital showroom. The 3 founders Melissa, Carolina and Marta live in different cities around Europe. They both were having their first work experiences in styling, PR and magazines when they realized there was a problem to manage the sample request and that a google sheet is not effective and also visually appealing. They joined their knowledge to found a new digital showroom. BookaLook is a platform to manage showrooms, research and request samples but also where media professionals, stylist, brands and PR agencies can network each other. I asked them to share with us their first job experiences in fashion, how did they meet, how they managed the initial phase from a financial point of view, how being young girls helped them, how they found their first clients and if you want to start your own business, you’ll also know how to find and request the money for the project.
They’re so smart and their story will inspire you. Enjoy this new episode of The Glam Observer Podcast and don’t forget to subscribe on Itunes and leave us a review if you like it.
Meet the Bookalook Team
Melissa Fernandez CEO and Co-Founder
- BS Management with International Business
- Previous Job Experience: Fashion Editor and PR Assistant
Carolina Molossi Co-founder & Head of Communications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy
- Master in Fashion Communication with promotion Central Saint Martins in London.
- Previous Job Experience: Freelance Stylist
Marta Jakubowska Partner
- Bachelor’s Degree International Business in London
- Previous Job Experience: Luxury PR
How does the process of requesting samples work:
“A stylist chooses the pieces, you email the PR to ask for that pieces to use for the magazine or to dress a celebrity, then you have to return them to the brand and then the magazine does it again all year around.”
Melissa figured out this process cannot be managed with a Google Sheet and that a platform that connects stylist, PR agencies and brands where they share the information and keep track of the items everytime was the solution. Carolina loved this idea and Marta joined them because she had their same idea.
Don’t raise when you need the money, raise before that.
Do a financial forecast: plan what your expenses and sales are going to be. Do 3 types of financial forecast: realistic, pessimistic and optimistic. Work for the optimistic and raise for the pessimistic.
You’re doing a fantastic process Man, Keep it up.