Provost’s Seminar Speaker: Jordana Guimaraes, FASHINNOVATION

Jordana Guimaraes addressed a virtual LIM College audience as part of this semester’s special Provost’s Seminar course.

Jordana

Jordana spoke mainly about her and her husband’s company, FASHINNOVATION, as well as her life and accomplishments. Guimaraes published a book —“It Can Be You”—which presents real testimonials of people who are, or have been, homeless at one point, including some major fashion influencers. Her book goes hand in hand with The NYLON Project, which Guimaraes founded to try and get celebrity fashion influencers to aid the homeless. 

FASHINNOVATION uses technology to showcase innovation in the fashion industry and to bring together leading influencers in the industry. The company started in 2018 but has really taken off since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Where in-person events used to get around 1,000 attendees, their virtual summits are now getting around 100,000 attendees, including people and companies worldwide. Jordana and her team have enlisted speakers such as Diane von Furstenberg, Coco Rocha, Susan Rockefeller, Kenneth Cole, Steve Aoki, Mara Hoffman, and many other industry leaders. Jordana believes the pandemic gave many of these people time they wouldn’t have otherwise had to speak at these events while creating the convenience to do so remotely.

FASHINNOVATION is one of the companies that are thriving in the era of COVID-19. When asked for tips on how others can move forward in the industry during this time, Guimaraes talked about how she believes there’s actually more opportunities than before. Mentioning how brands are now looking for cutting-edge ideas to help bounce back from many of the challenges the pandemic caused, she encouraged all of us who attended the seminar to be true to ourselves, and if we have an idea, to go for it!

Guimaraes said something that really made me take a moment to reflect on life prior to the pandemic. It was, “I believe COVID has shifted many of us into a more humane mindset.” She went on to state how people right now are more willing to help others and have switched from more corporate approaches to ones that embrace imperfection. The reason it made me reflect is because I realized that’s the kind of world I want to live in, one where we embrace people’s differences and show love for everyone. I believe life should not have to include working at an office cubicle from 9-5 and wearing uncomfortable clothes, or working in a place that doesn’t inspire you.

I am a firm believer in following your heart and intuition in life; I believe it’s what really makes a person successful, and Jordana Guimaraes does just that. I can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the future—she is helping to move the world in the right direction.