Uncovering successful entrepreneurs who are driven to follow their passions!
MilliOnAir | Fashion Uncovered
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The world is full of people who have ideas of starting a company or a brand, but only a small minority succeed in fulfilling their dreams, or even try to turn their ideas into
By Alison Lowe MBE
Yanina Goncharova at Belarus Fashion Week
This autumn I was invited to visit the Belarus Fashion Week for the first time and I was thrilled to add their fashion week to my schedule and have the chance to learn more about the country, the fashion and the passionate people behind the week.
First of all, I have to be honest and say that my first thought on being invited, was where the hell is Belarus? It was also the first thing that everyone else said, when I mentioned going there! So where is Belarus? It is the landlocked, former Soviet country in Eastern Europe that borders with Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. It is a sizeable country, and the national website states that the reasons to travel to the country includes hospitable people, 12th – 17th Century architecture, Belarusian cuisine, natural history, wildlife and adventure sports.
During my tour of the capital city Minsk, it became obvious that the focus for the country has been sport, with numerous new stadiums and sports arenas dotted around the city. There seemed to be little focus on fashion, luxury, culture or the arts. There was no mention of the linen fabrics that the country is widely known for, nor fashion design or manufacture – so I was intrigued to learn more and discover what the country had to offer the fashion industry.
Yanina Goncharova
into a fully- fledged business. As the saying goes, talk is cheap - and so are ideas! To take an idea or a concept and turn it into a commercial business is hugely expensive, both in terms of money but also the added costs of your time, energy, focus, passion, drive and ambition.
Most people are not prepared to put in the time or are just
too scared to even try and launch their own business.
As a serial entrepreneur, I understand the challenges it takes
to launch a business, which has made me passionate about
supporting other entrepreneurs and start-ups across all
sectors. I am very lucky, and feel honoured that my work
enables me to discover rising talents and support them. This
column was born out of a desire to give some support and
exposure to the many next generation designers, brands and
rising talents I meet through my work.
Over the last few months, I have had the pleasure to discover
or connect with some really passionate individuals who have
founded or lead a new brand or an organisation that offers
not only great product or service, but also has a genuine
purpose. In their own ways, they are each striving to make a
difference and their passion for what they want to achieve
has made them stand out.