Interview with Founder of Lucky People International

One of the best things about Instagram is discovering new brands and companies from around the world. We recently stumbled across a brand called Lucky People International which originally caught our eye due to the name (quite catchy), and the beautiful images of artisan products.

Andean Shoes, Argentina $59.45

We were able to chat with founder Sergio Reyes about why he started Lucky People International and how the business originally came to life.  

As a filmmaker by profession, Sergio couldn't help but admire the art, narrative, and uniqueness in the places that he would visit. 

One thing he realized while visiting various countries such as Colombia and Argentina was that there was a lot of isolated creativity.  There were plenty of unique creations without a real audience.

As an artist himself, Sergio was personally impacted by this problem, which was how the brand originally came about.

Despite Sergio's current work in many huge commercial areas such as film, photography and graphic design, he chose to dedicate himself to this project and apply his many skills to help promote these local artisans.  

With the help of a small but mighty team, Sergio is slowly paving the way for designers and artisans from the smallest towns across the globe.  

Adventure Journal from Argentina $45.50

But the idea of Lucky People International as it is today officially started to cook in his mind after spending almost a year in New York in different neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Manhattan.  

Here he was able to witness at first hand a burst of creativity everywhere he looked, from people from all around the world trying to make a living from what they truly love.

After NY, he flew to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he began to go to artisans fairs and visit different regions in the country to buy the most beautiful items he could find.

During this journey, he made the decision to focus at first in third world countries and isolated towns or communities, but eventually will integrate more first-world urban items made from artists whom he hugely admires as well.

Read on to learn more about Sergio and Lucky People International.

Where are you based? 

I am based wherever Lucky People International takes me, right now, I am managing things from Colombia, in a couple of months, it seems like it will be Mexico. 

When did Lucky People International start? How long have you been around? 

It started actively around a year ago, when I traveled to Argentina where I began contacting and buying crafts from artisans. The web started functioning around february and Instagram 4 months ago approximately. The reception on Instagram has been outstanding so far, we are grateful with the community that follows us. Since we are new, we are still working on driving sales, but we can see a bright future and a great niche market gap to fill. 

Royal Handbag from Columbia $110

Where are the majority of your products from?

Right now, from Argentina and starting to include products from Colombia. Actually, we are traveling Colombia meeting great people and beautiful crafts that you can only dream of. Really, Colombia is a country full of color and passionate people. 

Who is the Lucky People International customer? 

The Lucky People International customer is someone who wants to stand out wearing exotic items brought from remote places, or to surprise someone with an unexpected, rare and beautiful gift. Is someone who cares for preserving ethnic traditions or help communities and independent artisans to keep having their way of life.

Carnival Change Purse, Columbia $25.35

Where is your favorite travel destination?

It's difficult to say, Argentina has stunning landscapes, huge mountains, and high views, it's really jaw-dropping. Colombia has a lot of green and some magnificent beaches, there's color all around. I wouldn't say I have a favorite destination but looking forward to visiting some Asian and African regions. 

Where do you want to travel next and what products do you hope to find?

It would be Mexico. We are very interested in finding unique objects that represent their culture and traditions, such as the  day of deads skulls, their famous 'Alebrijes', their multicolored embroidery of flowers and animals, their Talavera art in ceramics and their handmade masks. I know we will find a lot of interesting personalities and artisans to talk about on the web and Instagram. And of course, looking forward to taking some wonderful pictures.  

Brazilian brand Uma Hits the Streets of NYC with New West Village Location

Brazilian brand Uma is making itself available to American fans with an eye for minimalist design. Having opened the doors to its new Bleecker Street location in Manhattan, the Brazil-based line has added a New York location, in addition to its São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro operations. 

Having been active players in the Brazilian market for almost 20 years, the company, created by Raquel and Roberto Davidowicz, has elected to expand its reach into new territory, while not straying too far from a familiar demographic. 

The classic Uma audience consists of a working woman with style, not limited to her surroundings, yet not such a jet-setter that she isn’t relatable. For lack of a better term, the Uma crowd is filled with the types of grown-ass women many of us admire and maybe someday even aspire to be. Appreciating art and understanding style, not trends, is what sets this groups apart from the masses, and if anyone can fit into that shoe, it’s a New Yorker, no doubt. 

What makes Uma special? The name alone says it all. Meaning unique or original in Portuguese, Uma’s designs are the result of a series of collaborations with various Brazilian artists, the influence of whom is not at all lost in the translation from visual art to textile. Voices are very clearly heard, and the end result reflects some of the brand’s core values, remaining versatile, authentic and timeless. Because so much of the creative work behind the designs are a joint effort, each line taking on a life of it’s own, Uma as a brand is constantly evolving to support the vision they choose to display. 

Uma is designed to highlight the individual, offering the wearer an opportunity to make a statement without having to explain anything.  Using asymmetric hemlines, unusual folds and a monochromatic or muted color palate, the aesthetic created by the minds behind Uma offer cultivated designs with a minimalist edge. Additional elements just aren’t necessary here, the simplicity of the silhouette already says it all. 

7 Days of Style - Spain

"My name is Paz Halabi Rodriguez. I was born in Chile but when I was 18 years old I moved to Spain. I spend a lot of years between Barcelona and Madrid, so sometimes I feel more Spanish than Chilean hehehe. I studied Fashion Design and Pattern Making in Barcelona, and I have worked for Inditex but nowadays I live in Helsinki due to my husband business. I started my blog because I love fashion and I wanted to show the collections that I will do in a future. I'm a vintage lover, but I follow trends also.  But I always try to give my own perspective to the outfit that I wear, because I think if you don't make it different we are going to look the same. The idea for me at least is to have fun with fashion, forget to be shy and just be yourself!"

FB: facebook.com/pazhalabi/

INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/pazhalabirodriguez

TWITTER:twitter.com/pazhalabi

PINTEREST: https://espinterest.com/pazhalabi

DAY 1– Manic Monday: Overzised vintage sweater are so comfy and easy to match with everything, mostly with my skinny jeans and the comfy granny shoes!

DAY 2 – Trendy Tuesday: The return from the seventies is something that I love, because I'm a vintage lover since forever! Patchwork print dresses are so on trend right now, and I just simply love it!

DAY 3 –Work It Wednesday:  Mixing a classic pencil skirt in my fav color, burgundy, it's so easy with this amazing denim bell sleeve blouse!

DAY 4—Throwback Thursday: This pencil skirt with the ethnic touch I made it a while ago, and I really think is super easy to pair with a lot of garments!

DAY 5 –Fancy Friday: This bell sleeve fluid dress in tile color from Zara has many ways to wear it, and you can wear it for day or for a night going out!

DAY 6: Swanky Saturday: Maybe is not the classic "going out" outfit, but I just simply love this flowered pattern dress from Zara. And, at least for me, could work perfect for a Saturday night!

DAY 7: Spontaneous Sunday:  I choose this outfit because it was this past Sunday that I wear it, and was so comfy and cool at the same time! 

Fashion From Around the World Straight to Your Doorstep

Have you ever been on a vacation to another country and been blown away by all of the amazing and unique designers that you see? I once went into debt on a college trip to Europe because I found so many amazing pieces that I couldn't pass by. I remember thinking that I'll never be back here again (this was during my broke student days).

Fast forward over ten years later and there is now a "fashion hub" that connects emerging designers around the world to customers everywhere. Meet Runway Passport, where fashion around the world can be discovered from your own living room. Discover rare and unique fashion finds from Ethiopia, to Germany, to Brooklyn, NY. There is something for everyone at this unique shopping experience.

With their impending launch this month, I interviewed the founder/CEO Liz Entin to get a little more insight about her company and how she came up with such an amazing idea.

GG: Runway Passport is such great idea for a shopping site!  How did you come up such a unique idea? Elizabeth: "Thank you! Its been so exciting to bring people who really are passionate about their personal style a central hub where they can shop and discover new designers from all around the world. And hopefully find their new favorite! We just launched Runway Passport this August! My main passion always was finding new unknown designers and I noticed there wasn’t much of an outlet for them. It was on a trip to Thailand where the idea really came together. At first we were a content site which covered fashion weeks all around the world. After a realization that that model still left off designers who didn’t have a fashion show, left off the more wearable pieces, and still didn’t give people the opportunity to actually purchase these pieces, we decided to pull back and rebuild/relaunch as an e-commerce site for people to discover a new favorite designer and statement piece"

We try to be very diverse in our choice of designers and not stick to one aesthetic since our customers are all very fashion forward and have their own unique sense of style.

Zaaf bag from Ethiopia

What's your career background? Did you come from the fashion world? How did you become interested in fashion?"I have always loved fashion! My whole life I found it a daily creative outlet and have loved the feeling of wearing and personally interpreting someone else’s creations. When I was little I used to sew dolls clothes and make them all these really creative outfits. I also loved dress up and decorating anything including my room nd dollhouse. When I grew up I began assisting fashion stylists and styling shoots for magazines."

How do you find these unique designers across the world? "Each one comes to me through a different way. We have local curators who are really in on the fashion scene in their country. Some find us and some one of the team will come across online, on instagram, Facebook etc.  We try to be very diverse in our choice of designers and not stick to one aesthetic since our customers are all very fashion forward and have their own unique sense of style. We want to give them access and allow them to make their own style choices - not choose for them." What's a typical day like for Runway Passport?"Omg - every day is so different I could never answer that!"

Assuming you use drop ship type of method, how exactly does a customer receive product from another country?"It comes directly from the designer to the customer."

GG: If you could give one piece of advice for a young entrepreneur what it would it be? "Stick with it.. fulfilling your dream and it isn’t supposed to be easy. You definitely need stamina, passion, excitement and a constant daily slow steady commitment."

Do you have any fashion icons or heroes that you look up to in fashion or business? "Oh wow so many. First of all all of the designers out there who have a strong vision they are sticking with and working hard everyday to share - because they love it. Being a designer (especially an emerging one) is so tough and anyone who is diving in and doing it is a hero of mine. Then I have to say - same as probably most people - Diana Vreeland Carine Roitfeld and Anna Wintour."

Your favorite place to shop, or designers?  "Sorry have to say Runway Passport - I know I am a bit biased!"

What does the future look like for Runway Passport? Where do you see the business in the next 5 years? "We just want to keep expanding and offering people who love fashion a real choice of designers regardless of where the designer is from or how early in their career they are. (both of which limit people’s access to have a full opportunity to discover their new favorite designer)"

Check out more amazing designers around the world at www.runwaypassport.com

TOP 20 FASHION BLOGS IN THE WORLD

Each season Signature 9, a website that covers everything from lifestyle news, consumer products and trends across various categories such as fashion, food, and tech, publishes a list of their top 99 Fashion Blogs. The blogs are broken down into different categories such as personal style, street style, fashion news, and shopping. Then based on different criteria such as general content quality, popularity/buzz, and social media data, the blogs are ranked 1 thru 99. The methodology that Signature9 uses is geared more towards percentages of these different elements so that traffic isn't the sole ranking factor. For the sake of Global Garbs being focused on style across the world, the list we have curated is a well rounded look of style bloggers, street style, and fashion news that have the greatest overall appeal no matter where you live. Our top 20 list covers 16 different countries, many of which you've probably already heard of, but hopefully there are a few new sites to discover. You can check out the full list of the the top 99 here . But below is our curated list of the Top 20 from a global point of view:

#20 MAKE LIFE EASIER - POLAND Katarzyna or "Kasia" Tusk, the site's founder originally studied to be a psychologist. Her blog now has over 800,000 unique visitors each month. She posts mainly about fashion and personal style, but overall it's a lifestyle blog in which she also includes film, literature, cosmetics, and cooking.

#19 STYLE LOVELY- SPAIN Style Lovely is a blog/magazine that focuses on daily style, fashion, beauty, street style, celebrity style and even weddings. The format is a bit overwhelming because there are so many different categories to choose from. The blog also features other blogs on their site that they admire

#18 KAYTURE - SWITZERLAND Founded in 2011 by Kristina Bazan and her partner James Chardon, Kayture is the most influential blog in Switzerland, and one of the biggest names worldwide thanks to it’s vast international reach. At only 20 years old she has grown to be one of the most influential bloggers worldwide and has worked with many high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior to Mango, Guess, and Jimmy Choo. #17 BRYAN BOY- PHILIPPINES Started in 2007 by Bryan Grey Yambao , aka Bryan Boy, the previous web developer is now known as one of the original and most successful men's personal style bloggers in the world. Known for his signature poses and witty commentary, Bryan Boy's fashion sense definitely is geared more toward the conspicuous consumer. Bryan Boy has done collaborations with Marc Jacobs and was also named as "One of the top Internet Celebrities" by the New York Post. #16 SELECTISM - GERMANY/USA Founded in 2007 by Jeff Carvalho from Berlin, Selectism is a bit more modern and grown up version of the Hypebeast sneakerhead guy. Now owned by Titel Media who also owns High Snobiety, Selectism focuses on many lifestyle categories besides fashion such as sports, food/drinks, grooming and gadgets. #15 MISS MOSS - SOUTH AFRICA Diana Moss from Cape Town, South Africa started her blog in 2009 as a means of sharing her love for visual treasures. As a full time graphic designer and part time blogger, what started out as a passion project has slowly has become recognized not only in South Africa but world-wide. She has been featured in various publications online & off including Marie Claire South Africa, Elle South Africa, Fair Lady, Lucky Magazine, Refinery29, Net-A-Porter Magazine, Elle Decor Online, the UK Telegraph & The Sunday Times. #14 JAPANESE STREETS - JAPAN As one of the first fashion blogs on the internet, Japanese Streets was the first blog to cover Japanese fashion in English. Started by Kjeld Duits a photo-journalist, was inspired by the stunningly creative street fashion that began in the late 90's. Japanese fashion is the some of the most outrageous and creative street style one can imagine and Duits has been capturing this type of "harajuku" lifestyle for more than two decades. #13 STOCKHOLM STREET STYLE - SWEDEN As another blogging pioneer, Caroline Bloomst started her blog Stockholm Street Style in 2005. Now known as Carolinesmode the blog is a huge success and she has even started her own clothing label. She has collaborated with many brands such as Zara, style.com, and Vogue. #12 STYLE SCRAPBOOK - MEXICO AND THE NETHERLANDS Andy Torres, 30, was born and raised in a small town in Mexico but took the plunge and moved to Amsterdam a few years ago. Her global following has resulted in design collaborations with Mango and Kipling. Her blog is viewed as more of a personal style and inspiration gallery #11 FACEHUNTER - UNITED KINGDOM Yvan Rodic, also known as the FaceHunter, is a Swiss street style-photographer who travels the world photographing people at cultural events and fashion events. In February 2006, he began posting the results online and since then he's contributed to brands like Armani, Esprit and Volvo. #10 TOMMY TON - CANADA Originally called Jak and Jill blog, Tommy Ton started with a new way of capturing candid women's fashion. In early 2005, blogs such as the Sartorialist and various street style blogs were only photographing women's fashion from head to toe. Tommy Ton began focusing more on the details of the clothing and taking pictures only in landscape format. His career soon took off and he began shooting for GQ and Style.com #9 KENZAS - SWEDEN Swedish/Moroccan blogger Kenza Zouhiten, started her blog when she was just 16 years old. Eight years later she has grown to be the top blogger in all of Sweden. As a blogger, model, tv host, designer and entrepreneur, Kenza has accomplished more than most people will accomplish in their entire career at such an young age. #8 STYLE BUBBLE - UK Susanna Lau, also known as Susie Bubble, is a writer and editor living and working in London. She started her blog Style Bubble in 2006. The blog mainly consists of her widely read thoughts, personal experiences and observations on fashion with a focus on spotlighting young and unknown talent. #7 GARANCE DORE - FRANCE Doré, born Mariline Fiori, was working as a freelance illustrator in France before beginning her blog in 2006. Her original illustrations have been featured by Louis Vuitton, Dior, Kate Spade, and Gap. Shortly after beginning her blog, Doré began incorporating writing into her posts. #6 CAMILA COELHO (SUPER VAIDOSA)- BRAZIL Super Vaidosa is the blog counterpart to Brazilian blogger Camila Coelho's popular YouTube Portuguese & English beauty channels. With over 5 million followers between Facebook and Instagram, Camila is one of the most followed style bloggers in the world and one of the only bloggers with her own Youtube channel. # 5 THE BLONDE SALAD - ITALY Launched in 2009 by Chiara Ferragni at the age of 22, Theblondesalad quickly became one of the most well known and inspired blogs across the world. Having a huge following in Italy (her hometown) and the U.S., Chiara has collaborated with major fashion houses, and the most read magazines around the world. She was recently named one of the most influential personalities of the international fashion world by the Business of Fashion. #4 HYPEBEAST - HONG KONG Founded in 2005 by Kevin Ma, a sneaker enthusiast from Hong Kong. Ten years later the site is one of the most well known men's fashion blogs in the world. Ma had originally started out working in finance but soon realized he was more interested in fashion, music, and street culture. He soon went full time with his blog and it has grown to over 2 million monthly views. #3 CUPCAKES & CASHMERE - UNITED STATES Created by Emily Schuman, as a way to document her love for fashion and food, Cupcakes and Cashmere is more than a blog. It is meant to inspire and encourage readers who are interested in fashion, food, beauty, and interior design. The aesthetic is very Los Angeles inspired where Emily and her husband currently reside. She began her career in media at Lucky Magazine and Teen Vogue. #2 REFINERY 29 - UNITED STATES In 2005, four friends founded a company called Refinery29 with a mission to help people discover and refine their personal style. Starting with just a $5,000 investment and based out of a 750 square foot apartment, they published only one story a week. And now, nine years later, they've grown to over 200 employees and publish over 1,800 stories a month. Now with 36 million visits per month, 258 million page views and over 2 million email subscribers, Refinery29 is the largest independent fashion and style website in the U.S. #1 THE SARTORIALIST - UNITED STATES As one of the first street style blogs to ever gain such world wide popularity, The Sartorialist is definitely one of the most influential blogs from a global standpoint. Founder/blogger/photographer Scott Schuman started the blog with the idea of creating a two-way dialogue about the world of fashion and its relationship to daily life. His photography is more lifestyle and fashion oriented with an artistic and thoughtful approach to his curated images rather than focusing on fashion trends.