Isabella Vrana originally downloaded Depop just to buy and sell bits and bobs for herself, but during her first year of university she realised just how much she enjoyed sourcing and selling secondhand clothes. She began to put more time, money and energy into her shop, and since then she has taken the world of sustainable and vintage fashion by storm. At just 23, Isabella is the proud owner of a vintage empire, selling thrifted pieces and her own designs from her London studio with her all female 4-person team. Isabella has shopped secondhand since she was little, “My mum, my sister and I have been selling our old stuff on eBay together for ages,” but as her Depop grew, she became more invested in the longevity of a life cycle of clothes and the importance of keeping clothes in circulation. Isabella’s talents as an entrepreneur are clear, and she now is ranked as one of Depop’s top five sellers having sold over 13,000 items and amassed a devoted following of over 160k on the app. “It’s really overwhelming to know that so many people love the clothes I sell. I put so much effort into them and love the pieces so it’s really rewarding to see that people feel the same.” Isabella also uses her platform to promote sustainability and conscious consumption in fashion. She runs a ‘Charity of the Month’ programme supporting different charities and donating a percentage of her shop’s profits to them, plus raising awareness of their work.
Sheesh Magazine chatted with Isabella Vrana about sustainability, her new designs, future plans and more…
How did you get into ethically conscious and sustainable fashion?
ISABELLA VRANA: I realised that clothes on the highstreet were quite cheap, bad quality and wouldn’t last very long. I just hated those clothes, so vintage has always had a place in my heart. As I grew my brand, I started thinking of other ways to make my business sustainable. All my packing is biodegradable and when I started designing I made sure all my stuff was produced in England to reduce air miles and to support the local economy. Stuff like that is really important to me and I’ve tried to keep my designs as sustainable as possible.
Where do you get your inspiration from and how would you describe your style in general?
ISABELLA VRANA: I get a lot of inspiration from the 90s and early 2000s. At the moment I’m really into 90s office wear so Rachel Green is a huge inspiration there. I love shows like Friends and The Sopranos. Phoebe and Rachel and Meadow and Adrianna always have the best outfits. I also take references from other places, like streetwear. I try to make my streetwear vintage as well when I can and look to find vintage Stussy or second hand Carharrt if possible. I’m also really into my sneakers and love my Air Forces and stealing my boyfriend’s clothes. I definitely mix and match between true 90s and ‘00s and more modern stuff too.
If you had to put together an outfit that embodies your brand, what would it be?
ISABELLA VRANA: I recently did a video where I chose my three favourite outfits from my wardrobe. These are always changing because I definitely go through major phases, but a pale green shirt and black sweater vest, a 90s mini skirt, blazer and Steve Madden shoes is my favourite look at the moment. I feel like it looks very me.
What have you been doing to take some time away from your screen during the pandemic?
ISABELLA VRANA: Instagram has really become part of my job so I do recognize that it’s important to take a break from that. It can feel quite overwhelming sometimes, especially because I post Instagram stories everyday of what I’m dropping at 5pm on my Depop and then promo for my designs and little bits and bobs about my life too. It can get a bit much. I really try to take a step back from my screen to manage my mental health. By the end of the day I find I can’t look at my phone anymore so I’ve tried to take up new hobbies. My boyfriend makes rugs so I’ve been getting into that recently. I’ve been enjoying reading and going on walks as well, and lately I’ve gotten into cooking. Things like this are really important to me to make sure I’m not just on my phone all the time.
Any tips for thrifting and finding good secondhand pieces?
ISABELLA VRANA: When you’re thrifting you need to make sure that the clothes you’re buying go with the pieces you already have. I recommend thinking about how you would style a piece before you buy it. But sometimes I’ve been thrifting and I’ve seen something where I’m like ‘I don’t know why I like this, but I really know that I need to buy it.’ I don’t wear the piece for like a year and then later I end up wearing it all the time. Sometimes I just buy things for an older version of myself who will love it. So trust your gut when you’re vintage shopping, too.
What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs and young creatives?
ISABELLA VRANA: Really throw yourself into it and put a lot of energy into what you’re doing. Make sure that you feel excited about it because that’s when my best ideas come to me. I actually don’t tend to come up with many of my work ideas when I’m actually at work, it’s usually when I’m in a yoga or pilates class or cooking or doing something else. Make sure that you’re giving yourself some space from work, too, so that your creative juices can flow. Start small. Don’t just jump into hiring people and getting a studio. I was working out of my bedroom by myself for four years before I worked up to getting a storage unit and someone to package a couple of hours a week. Then I got a little studio and now I’ve moved into a bigger place but that definitely took a lot of time. Don’t see other people doing this and that and think ‘Oh, I need to do this too.’ Go at your own pace but when you do get to a certain stage you do need to recognise that outsourcing and delegating are really important parts of running a business. Analyse the different tasks and see if you can outsource anything if you can afford to.
What sort of stuff do you do to give back to the community who support you?
ISABELLA VRANA: I try to do all sorts to give back to the community, not just the community who support me but also the community in general, like resellers and people in fashion and manufacturing. I supply mid-size Depop sellers with vintage clothing because Depop sellers tend to have a very fixed image but there are so many amazing sellers who don’t get enough spotlight on the app. I’m trying to help with this by supporting and uplifting these sellers. It feels really good to do this and I’ve never been super competitive in this field because I really do feel like there’s room for everyone. I enjoy showing my followers how amazing other sellers are. I try to do giveaways as well and I have a mailing list where I tell subscribers about restocks before I announce it anywhere else. For a really exciting drop that we did one or two months ago I sent out an early access code to the mailing list subscribers so they can have first dibs. I love my little community and helping them as best as I can.
What does fashion mean to you?
ISABELLA VRANA: Fashion means everything to me. I just think about clothes all the time. I’m obsessed and it’s all I talk about and it’s all I think about. I really enjoy planning what I’m going to wear the next day and ever since I was little I would lay my outfit out so it was ready for me. I love the idea of dressing other people, too, and keeping clothes in circulation. It’s so cool when you wear something knowing that someone else wore it and loved it in the 90s. Things like that are really important to me.
Favourite piece you’ve ever thrifted?
ISABELLA VRANA: I honestly couldn’t choose but in Amsterdam I did get these denim block kind of Steve Madden shape high heels with a platform and I love them so much. I have this Prada pony hair leopard print bag as well which I love. Oh, and my afghan coat. I love that as well.
What current trends have you been loving at the moment?
ISABELLA VRANA: I’m obsessed with mesh tops and I’ve been loving them for a long time. I have to give a shoutout to my Uggs, too. I really got back into them a few years ago and now they’re everywhere and I’m so here for it. I love my Uggs. That might not be a fashion trend but I love them anyway.
How did you go about creating your own clothing pieces?
ISABELLA VRANA: Creating my own clothing is something which I’m constantly thinking about. Right now in my head I’ve probably got about ten unreleased designs I’m thinking about. I come up with a concept, do a sketch, find the fabric and then think on it for ages before sampling it up. I write anything and everything that comes to mind down on the Notes app on my phone along with photos for inspiration. I use an ethically run factory in East London which is really near me so everything on that front is as sustainable as I can get. Making my own clothes is something I’ve wanted to do for ages but I didn’t really have the nerves for a while. Whilst I was at uni, I assumed I’d go down a more conventional path in the fashion industry but it wasn’t really happening for me. I didn’t have internships and I was finding it really difficult to get jobs without them. Then a month before I graduated I decided that I should do this full time and see what happens. That was almost 2 years ago now and I’m so glad I pushed myself to do it.
What are your future plans for your brand?
ISABELLA VRANA: I’ve got loads of amazing collabs coming up which is really exciting. I’ve got three that I’m working on now which haven’t been released yet so I’m just really enjoying building up these relationships with amazing creatives that I love. I’ve got loads more designs coming, too. I’m going to be bringing out a couple of dresses for spring and summer which I can’t wait for. Literally until last year we only did trousers and skirts so to branch out has been really fun for me. We’re even printing our own original fabric designs for the first time. I’d love to do a pop-up once all this Corona madness is over. Me and my friend Susa Musa love doing pop-ups together so we’re definitely going to do some more of them when we can.
