We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Portia Brewer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Portia below.
Portia, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
I was extremely fortunate to have my parents who vehemently spoke life and positivity to their children daily. We were told, we can do and achieve anything as long as we apply ourselves and work assiduously towards our goals. The daily affirmations not only built confidence but it also helped build my self-esteem. I knew I was more than beautiful on the outside but I was taught inner beauty is more profound, being loving and kind is more dutiful.
This is why it was pivotal for me to design a luxury Ready-to-Wear (RTW) fashion line for influential ambitious women. Women who gives her clothing true character and is not defined by her clothing. They exude confidence in every aspect of her life. The Portia Renia Brand is artfully crafted with precision to provide the perfect fit to accentuate the curves and embrace the female form. We embody the classic silhouette with an even combination of elegance and sensuality. All women deserve to look lavish and draped in quality clothing but not have to break the bank to do so. Looking and feeling confident as you conquer your dreams helps build self-esteem, assertiveness, and women moguls. And Portia Renia wants to be in the forefront of the movement by promoting women’s empowerment.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I originally hail from Detroit, MI, a city where dreams can indeed come true with lots of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. My journey into fashion started at the tender age of 8. I aspired to compete and hold the title as “Miss America”. During my premature competition preparations, I would sketch my clothing for each competitive segment, unbeknownst to me that this was the beginning of my true love for fashion. From that moment on, I would sketch fashion illustrations in my free time. I also hold one other nostalgic memory; my grandmother and I would make clothing for my Barbie dolls out of old socks. This was my introduction to actually turning a design into a constructed garment on a small scale.
In pursuit of my educational endeavors, I studied Business Marketing with a minor in Fashion Design at Tennessee State University. I obtained my bachelor’s degree in 2005 and matriculated to Graduate School to obtain a Master’s in Business Administration concentration in Marketing. Soon after graduation, I discovered I was pregnant. I was overjoyed about the news and prepared myself for motherhood. Such a joyous moment was soon interrupted by some news no parents want to hear….. Autism. My son was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), a disorder on the autism spectrum. At that time, I decided to put my fashion career on hold and focus on educating myself on this disorder while working a traditional job to help pay for my son’s therapies. After nine years of therapy and specially developed curriculums, my son is doing remarkable at coping well with his autism. I learned that early prevention is vital, and I am happy I took the much-needed time to focus on my child’s developmental needs. In 2019, I decided now is a perfect time to refocus on my dreams and start my fashion line. I used money from my savings to start my first collection.
In February 2020, I debuted our first Portia Renia collection designed and manufactured in Atlanta, GA. However, the global pandemic COVID 19 presented several setbacks in our production schedule and release dates. But by the grace of God, the collection was completed and was nothing less than perfection. We received such a great response from consumers on the design, craftsmanship, quality, and fit of the garments. We are now four collections in and now focusing on the next collection. While planning the next collection, we are focused on brand awareness and scaling the business.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back on my journey, three key qualities that have been the most impactful for my success: perseverance, adaptability, and a willingness to take risks. For those who are just starting out, never give up on your dreams, be open to change, continuous learning, and to have the courage to take bold actions towards your goals. Remain tenacious and passionate in your work, take calculated risks, embrace your creativity, and be open to adapting and growing as necessary. It’s not an easy journey but with God, you are equipped with all it takes to succeed and each day you are a step closer to living out your dreams.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The biggest obstacle that is hindering our growth is the lack of brand awareness and the challenge of scaling. As a small company with limited resources, it is extremely difficult to fully market ourselves to the world. It is expensive to create luxury clothing then to have financial resources to market the brand to our target market is one of the largest challenges we face today. We are working to secure financing to scale our brand to the next level and be seen globally. The second challenge as a brand is competing with fast fashion in the industry which has mass production. We address this challenge by staying true to our brand values, providing quality and affordable luxury clothing, and engaging with our customers to create a community. We believe that by staying authentic and transparent, we can differentiate ourselves from fast fashion brands and lead the way in ethical and sustainable fashion.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.portiarenia.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/portiarenia
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/portiarenia
- Other: www.pinterest.com/portiarenia1
Image Credits
Kauwuane Burton Photography
