Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thelma Espina. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Thelma , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
The fashion industry is an economic powerhouse that keeps our society ecstatic and changing. However, it´s one that has proven to have a negative impact on our environment, as well as our society’s inclusion. For the same reason, my mission since day one, has been to fuse my Guatemalan heritage with modern techniques. Our combination of the finest fabrics with our handwoven textiles is the heart of the Thelma Espina fashion house. This cultural mixture has shown both inclusion and sustainability, making my business stand out and push the industry’s stigmas aside. Guatemalan huipiles (indigenous women’s embellished blouses or dresses that date back to pre-Hispanic times, but continue to this day) and craftsmanship have the stereotype of being exclusively of ethnic use. I´ve always wanted to change this generalization, to promote their inclusion in the world of fashion, outside their usual communities. Through high fashion/haute couture; a new life has been given to traditional, Guatemalan pieces, and there´s nothing more special to me, than showing the world the immense talent that exists in all my beautiful country.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m a proud Guatemalan! I was raised in the city by the most successful and pure hearted role models I could’ve ever asked for, my parents. With their example, I got into the fashion world, and into entrepreneurialism. Thanks to them, I carry a strong worth ethic, compromise, perseverance, and multicultural upbringing. Growing up in a land of strong aesthetic eclecticism, made me develop a tropical and post-Maya style. This foreshadows my work, which mixes inherited techniques with innovative processes, to create pieces that represent both my roots, and the modern empowerment of women. From the retail industry, to my own fashion house, I´ve grown inside the fashion world as a designer, and in the business world as a CEO. With their guidance, I´ve flourished, and continue to do so to this day. I will forever treasure my family as part of my journey.
How did you build your audience on social media?
With time, I´ve learned that the best way to create a presence on social networks is by connecting as much as possible with my followers and targeted audience. Mainly, I have achieved this thanks to my incredible photography and videography team, with which I´ve managed to develop photos and videos that show the essence of each one of my collections. The photo sessions carried out would not be possible without my hair and makeup team, who help me develop the styling that completes the Thelma Espina looks. Another extremely important point has been working with models who have significant influence within my targeted audience, and who help me symbolize what Thelma Espina represents. What I would advise those who are starting to build a social media presence, is to always have the importance of constantly uploading content and being active on networks in mind. The Thelma Espina team likes to keep our clients updated and at our side on each step and stage of the business’ growth. For us, our connection with our clients is vital and to be able to do it through our unique and lovingly created content is very special; I think that’s what everyone should strive for.
Any advice for managing a team?
Getting to where I am today, wouldn´t be possible without my team; my parents, my family, my collaborations, partners, atelier team, etc. My advice for managing a high-morale team is to assemble one where all of its members have similar values and principles. This increases the chances of creating a healthy and fruitful environment, where communication, respect, admiration, patience, and love flows. I really believe communication is key with all types of relationships, which is why I maintain a regular, stable conversation with my team, either by phone or in person. Overall, a lot of esteem and humbleness must be present in a team’s air. There´s no perfect work group in the world; however, the ones that are aware of this, thrive. That is to say, my team has highs and lows, and is conscious that we’ll have both good and bad days. However; the respect and appreciation we have for each other is never lost, which is what I would advise all the other teams who intend on maintaining high morale.
Contact Info:
- Website: thelma-espina.com
- Instagram: thelmaespina