Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Aquino.
Hi Vanessa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started this brand by bringing swimwear from Brazil (my home country) because I couldn’t find a suitable bikini I like here in the States. So I decided to introduce Brazilian bikini and clothing styles to the women of San Antonio, and the outcome has been great.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
So far, the only challenge is competing with bigger store chains selling bikinis and clothes more affordable than us. It’s expensive to import from another country, and because of that and what we bring as incredible quality and exclusive designs, we have to price it fairly to make a profit.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us more about your business.
I started learning about business when I was enrolled in a Business High School in 2005. My parents’ background is of entrepreneurs; my father started to sell clothes in the early 1990s, and his passion for selling and entrepreneurship passed on to me. He helped, and my mom opened our small business in Brazil when I was 14. Then at age 22, I moved to the States for an exchange program, 1 year later, I met my now husband, who has been living in Texas for almost 10 years. I’m now finishing my bachelor’s in business this year. I always learned that when opening a business, we must find a problem and try to fix it. So I tried to fix my problem was that of many women. I struggled for years to find clothes I would feel good in, and I relied on my family to send me cute outfits and bikinis when visiting Brazil, bringing a lot of clothes and swimsuits or asking friends to bring them whenever they were heading to Brazil. Then why not import these beautiful garments from Brazil? Since my father knows the best vendors and has the experience to help me, I jumped right in. Going to a pop-up market was a good motivation to open a brick and mortar. Many women born in the US were amazed by the clothes and swimsuits. They would say, “wow,” whenever I said, “it came from Brazil” I could see their eyes sparkle when looking at the pieces. Those reactions lit up my heart to continue and thrive in the business. We first started as an online bikini shop in 2019 – and just in Nov 2022, we opened the doors to our physical location. The fashion style in Brazil is very advanced, and being able to bring these goodies is such a great honor as a woman. Helping other women find pieces that make them feel confident about themselves.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and are any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Not to give up! I opened this business in mid-2019, and 2020 covid hit, but I continued; even though it was online, I was still up and active, posting and advertising.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wewearbrazil.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/wewearbrazil
- Facebook: facebook.com/wewearbrazil
