Hello, darlings, welcome to another week on my blog. I apologize for the day's delay, but I bring you another day full of stories to share with you! I feel that for all of us, this week was marked by sad weather, with extremely unpleasant cold, wind, and rain. As you can imagine, the fresh new store ended up matching the weather ☹. I always say, and this is after 20 years in this business, that the change of seasons is complicated and always will be, due to the instability of the weather, leaving people confused and indecisive.
Think about it, we had days of 25 degrees in January, early February followed the same pattern, and now we start March with temperatures typical of a harsh winter, horrible! But do you know what our luck is? Over the years, plane travel has become more accessible to virtually everyone; there's no need to wait until August or July to feel warm; just choose a hot destination and voilà, off we go, even if it's March.
Few people know this, but last year I decided to experience it and embarked on one of the most wonderful trips of my life. Bali, a true enchantment! In the middle of March, I traveled for the warmth, but it wasn't just the atmospheric warmth, it was also the human warmth, the culture, the customs, everything. It was captivating! Conclusion: I packed more pieces from the new collection and took fantastic photos! What I mean by this is that, with this bad weather, the only hope we have left is that you, dear chic customers, travel and buy beautiful pieces from the new collection for your holidays! Right?
Changing the subject a little and following your advice, I started to count on the girls' help, and on Friday, we did a live session with Brenda. You liked Brenda so much that I even got jealous of the countless compliments she received, almost as many as those about my new look, lol. (I admit, I'm vain.) Thank God, it was a success, both for me and for Brenda, of course!
It's great that the feedback was positive; she is a wonderful and super intelligent girl, with above-average maturity for her age. I'm very happy! In the back office, I have the whirlwind Joana, who pushes everything forward, leaves nothing for tomorrow, it's all for now!
Little by little, things are falling into place, with the exception of Catarina, who missed the live session on Friday, leaving me extremely worried. But we had Alexandra's support, lol. I love you, girls. (We already seem like a family.)
Now, the more serious part of today's blog, it is with great sadness and nostalgia that I announce that I will no longer be working with the Nakuro brand, a brand I have been with since the beginning, as if it were a lucky charm, a baby I helped grow for these 20 years.
When I opened my store, I knew nothing about brands and was looking for something that interested me and that I identified with. That's when I was told about Nakuro, a national brand with beautiful and fashionable pieces. I remember going to Gaia, in Candal, a little shy, asking to speak to the saleswoman and opening my heart, explaining that I was opening a small store, that I would like to carry the brand, but I didn't have the money to pay upfront. I proposed that, if they trusted me, I would pay everything in 30 days. Jorge Vilar, the owner of the brand and now my personal friend, overheard the conversation and told the saleswoman: "Sell it, this girl has a future, I believe in her." (I only found this out years later.)
Needless to say, it was an absolute success, a true craze. I worked wonders with just 18 m². Feelings of longing and nostalgia flood me when I think about it. Telling is one thing, experiencing is another. In one year, due to growth, I had to move stores, and, of course, it wasn't just because of Nakuro, but without a doubt, the brand was number one in terms of sales.
We sold so many dresses, especially that year when "Floribela" wore full-skirted dresses with tulle. Nakuro launched an inspired model, the Fifty. My God, there wasn't a wedding or prom without one of those dresses. Imagine, we sold about 20 dresses in 3 days, all without online sales, only in the physical store. Ah, those were the days!
We built a beautiful friendship over the years, and Jorge and I were like good luck charms for each other. He made sure I was the first to see the new collection, for good luck. We went through many ups and downs, and at the lowest point of my life and professional career, Jorge was, without a doubt, my biggest support, not just as a supplier, but as a friend. I always get emotional when I talk about this... I am immensely grateful to him, because if Carla Valente still exists, I owe it to him, who always believed in me. He and Isabel, the saleswoman, were an incredible duo.
Nakuro was like a family, from the pattern maker to the seamstress, Rita, Delfina, Zé, the driver, all spectacular. With the pandemic, like many companies, we faced crises, and Jorge was already thinking of leaving the "rag trade." The pandemic was the final push for that decision. When he decided to close Nakuro or pass it on to others, I felt as if a knife was stabbed in my chest, a pain mixed with various feelings, but sadness stood out.
He was a true gentleman until the end, compensating all employees so they wouldn't be helpless during the pandemic and even ensured they stayed with the new management. A man with a giant heart.
In 2021, Nakuro changed management to a younger group, full of ideas, but with little experience. They tried to change the style, somewhat distorting the brand's character, increased prices, and delivery times were rarely met. The scarcity of products and the drop in quality also began to fall short of expectations.
It seems the magic disappeared, that family warmth that welcomed us vanished... Forced friendliness and everything very commercial. For 20 years, I worked to make the brand grow and I am sure I did an excellent job, because in Matosinhos there was no one who didn't know Nakuro. Now, these new gentlemen, without values, decided to open an outlet next to me, in the greatest secrecy, without a word, an email, nothing, for a customer of the brand for over 20 years. It's horrible to see how a brand can be ruined in 3 years. Given this attitude of the new owners, realizing that I still have their brand in the store and they didn't even have the decency to say a word out of respect, all I can do is leave the brand. And I do it without regret, because I only tried until now out of consideration and respect for the former owner, Jorge Vilar; these new ones mean nothing to me.
You might not realize it, but the fashion world has been a constant battle in recent years. Those who frequent the store in person know what I'm talking about. But I'm still standing strong here, and sometimes I might feel down, but I quickly rise from the ashes, like a phoenix.
It's not easy, we're in an era where anything seems to go, a every-man-for-himself situation, but for me, not everything is permissible. I still operate in the old-fashioned way, I value my principles, so it's not luck, girls, it's a lot of hard work. For 20 years I put the brand at the top, and now they come to reap the fruits of my dedication? Weak! Good luck, despite everything.
This blog post sounds more like a book or an autobiography. I started shyly and today, look at me, I spent almost 2 hours writing. You are already part of me, thank you!
Thank you for the support shown throughout the week, in all ways, for my look, for my team, for my store. For everything and more, thank you!
A kiss to your hearts, with affection, Carla Valente.
