We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sylvina Bravo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sylvina, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry
There is a growing need for sustainability, so more and more people are thrifting and shopping for one of a kind vintage clothing. Shop The Sylvie provides just that. Everything is handpicked. If I wouldn’t wear it, I won’t sell it.
Sylvina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve always been a fashion girl but I didn’t really realize I had always had a love for vintage clothing until I was about 26. I slowly began collecting vintage pieces and that’s when Shop The Sylvie was born. I sell vintage closet essentials from the 80s and 90s, as I think it is essential for everyone to have staples in their closet vs trendy pieces. Fashion is cyclical and timeless pieces never run out of style.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I started Shop The Sylvie, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I didn’t know where to start or how to even run a business. I had to postpone my launch date twice because of a few issues out of my control but one thing I knew was that this was what I wanted. So I didn’t quit. Here I am almost a year later, still lost as ever but also very determined.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One thing I had to unlearn was how to not let imposter syndrome take over my plans for my shop. Feelings of inadequacy can be very strong but allowing myself to feel confident in my work took a long time to overcome. I don’t think this ever fully goes away from though. I remind myself constantly that my shop is a reflection of who I am and it’s quite lovely.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://shopthesylvie.com/
- Instagram: @shopthesylvie and @thesylviebravo
Image Credits
Photos taken by Julien Clifford