Building a fashion brand amidst a pandemic; a Zoomer’s reflection on the past year.
A Year Later…
Building a fashion brand amidst a pandemic; a Zoomer’s reflection on the past year.
with Aitana Giebels van Bekestein
“Go to school, graduate, get a job, work your way up, and maybe one day you’ll start your own business”… these seemed like the most logical and viable steps to take through life. Up until 2020, everything was going to plan; I had good job offers lined up for once I graduated from Parsons School of Design. I felt confident I was on the right path, to one day, having gained enough experience and some courage, to potentially start my own brand.
Mid-March of 2020, in a blink of an eye, I was back at home with my family in Spain inadequately completing my Fashion Design courses online. Soon after, my graduation thesis showcase was cancelled, my job offers deferred and my whole future became a big blank, unsettling canvas. I realized that the only thing I had was a whole lot of free time, which consequently, became the beginning of a new plan and let’s be honest, nobody was looking for a fashion designer in the midst of a pandemic. Many small, local fabric stores had been struggling due to the pandemic and were on the verge of default. I needed something to do, a purpose, and so, unknowingly Official GvB’s journey began.
Stunning, high quality fabrics I found, had little yardage left on the roll and would have gone to waste; the local stores were happy as this provided them with some welcomed revenues. This triggered the idea of allowing the amount of fabric I had determine what garment/s I could create out of them. I hadn’t figured out yet what I was going to do with my creations, but at the very least, I could wear them myself, add them to my portfolio and most importantly, I’d have something to do and could encourage myself to keep being creative.
That following month flew by. I had set up a little studio with my sewing machine and would spend the whole day, every day there. I was happily exhausted with no extra time to poison myself overthinking. However, it got to a point where I had made piles of unique, one of one matching sets, jackets and tops and was running out of space to store them.
At this point my family encouraged me to post them on social media, to see if any of my friends wanted to buy them. There were/are so many aspects of social media that make me anxious. I love and admire the work people share, but for some reason when it comes to my work, the thought of posting makes me feel overwhelmed. Albeit, I had nothing to lose and I was the only one holding myself back.
It’s from that point onwards, that my whole outlook on ‘how I should be building my future’ changed. There isn’t a right way to do things, you just have to keep going. I am a recent graduate in my early 20’s, in a current world where information, advice and the ability to reach out to anyone around the globe in a matter of seconds is at my fingertips. A couple of months ago, I was worried about when I’d be able to get a job whereas today, I face the uneasiness of how I’m going to keep growing, survive as one out of millions of emerging brands, and whether the risk of starting something on my own is worth taking.
Consistency and patience are two key factors I have learnt to value much more than I ever have before. Consistently researching, making, posting and brainstorming have kept my sales steady. Patiently saving up money, strategising and learning to really think through and research my ideas, and plans for the future without rushing into things, and letting my excitement get the best of me, have allowed room for crucial development and more thorough, effective planning. Believing in oneself is something else that I am persistently learning how to do better. I have the most amazing, supportive family and friends, which are definitely a huge part of why I’m doing what I’m doing but, at the end of the day it has to come from within.
Understanding that even though I am lucky enough to have a great support group, they also have their own lives to deal with. I’m learning to not seek for someone to lean onto every step of the way and to just appreciate the satisfaction of acknowledging that they are there. I’m also learning to keep a healthy balance between the pressure I put on myself and learning to celebrate the smallest of accomplishments, learning to stay true to my ideas, while taking criticism into consideration and most importantly learning about myself.
GvB stands for Giebels van Bekestein, my Dutch surname, which has a long, meaningful history to me. My Spanish and British upbringing have always played a big role in my designs, which allow me to emphasize the idea of heritage not being about just one culture or nationality. My brand’s designs are a result of my passion for combining classic and modern styles. By fusing classicism and futurism, it conceptually aims to embrace the past as well as its evolution. I aim to fuse sophisticated, classic elements with modern twists.
Official GvB currently offers 1/1, unique, handmade sets, garments and bags made out of high quality, durable fabrics and will not be reproduced. The exclusivity of owning a piece that nobody else has, nor can get, is also to encourage our customers to appreciate the products they purchase and love them forever. The brands progress on finding sustainable solutions and materials is constantly advancing and developing.
I am at the beginning of a long journey with yet a lot to learn. So, to any Zoomers thinking of or starting a business right now the advice, I’d give myself back in March 2020 is to trust the process, never stop believing in yourself, celebrate what you’ve accomplished, trust your instincts and keep bringing yourself back up when you feel down and remember that the world is truly your oyster.
Follow my journey @officialgvb or shop through our website www.officialgvb.com
A child of the 90’s the half Spanish, quarter English and quarter Dutch designer Aitana Giebels van Bekestein started sewing at the age of seven and has never looked back. Fluent in English, Spanish, French, Catalan and Mandarin, Aitana completed her BFA with honors at Parsons School of Design in NYC in 2020, majoring in Fashion Design, with a minor in Chinese Mandarin. Her work with brands such as Mulberry, Lisa King London, L.K. Bennett and From the Road have been hailed as visionary.
