{"id":74456,"date":"2023-04-06T19:24:25","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T19:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=74456"},"modified":"2023-04-06T19:24:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-06T19:24:25","slug":"brianna-wu-game-changer","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/brianna-wu-game-changer\/","title":{"rendered":"Brianna Wu Has a Talent for Transforming her Hobbies Into Successful Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
BRIAVIA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Every issue,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>GRAZIA USA<\/strong> highlights Game Changers<\/a>, who inspire, educate and celebrate individuality, beauty and style. Meet Brianna Wu<\/a>, <\/strong><\/em>the founder of clothing company BRIAVIA<\/a> who’s a jack of all trades with a knack for transforming her hobbies into successful business ventures.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I moved to Los Angeles straight after high school when I was just 18. I didn\u2019t know exactly what I wanted to do but I felt that I needed a change in life. I had a few friends in L.A., so I visited first and found I enjoyed the culture. I always knew I wanted to be in the fashion space, but my only experience in clothing at that point was essentially just shopping.<\/p>\n

I worked in retail when I first moved to L.A. I then did a lot of modeling, social media, fashion blogging and styling. I wanted to try every single part of the industry to figure out what I liked best. After working about 10 different jobs in fashion, I realized I could combine everything if I started my own brand. My business really started off as a hobby. I was reselling old clothes from my closet, and eventually I started my brand BRIAVIA. At the end of the day, I created it because everything that I love to do is rolled into it.<\/p>\n

My friends and roommates all helped me pack orders from my house \u2014 I was just selling from my room before I expanded to my garage. Now, I\u2019m fortunate enough to have my own studio space in downtown L.A. My friends who helped me in the beginning work full-time with me now. I\u2019m so lucky that I\u2019ve been able to keep everyone together. I love coming into work every day and hanging out with my friends in our studio.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, I\u2019ll have a horrible day if my outfit isn\u2019t good. When I was a stylist, I saw that by simply putting on a new outfit, it could change someone\u2019s entire mood. I thought, if I can boost someone\u2019s confidence with clothing, this is the route for me.<\/p>\n

My ideal customer is someone who wants a more minimalistic lifestyle, the woman who appreciates functional and practical pieces that can be worn out on a casual day or elevated while out at night. I truly believe my customers focus on quality over quantity<\/a> \u2013 someone who is trying to build a capsule wardrobe and who wants to shop more sustainably with an impact<\/a>. Basics are very in right now and they\u2019re timeless pieces that are also sustainable<\/a> due to their versatility.<\/p>\n

Growing up, I never had an education about how much waste clothing builds in the world. After learning that, my mind was blown, and it led to why I wanted to start my business by providing the basics. Schools should educate on sustainability<\/a>. If people realized the impact, I think they would buy less fast fashion<\/a>. I\u2019m hoping that people will begin to stray away from fast-fashion companies and support more designers, who are essentially getting ripped off by fast-fashion brands stealing their work<\/a>. I\u2019m hoping people will shop straight from the designer, so that they can begin to get the credit they deserve.<\/p>\n

These days, I escape the daily grind with a different creative outlet. On my personal TikTok account, I post a ton of interior design. During the pandemic, I moved to Utah, and I built a house from scratch. It was interesting getting to design a house rather than clothing. That\u2019s my newest hobby and now I\u2019m creating content for Target Home and Wayfair.<\/p>\n

In the beginning, I was just winging it as I went along. I started off more as a designer but as my business has grown, I\u2019ve grown into the entrepreneurial side. No one in my family owns a business, and growing up I never saw any female entrepreneurs, especially Asian women. I liked the thought of doing something different, and hopefully one day I can inspire others.<\/p>\n

Being an Asian entrepreneur, I want to be able to tell my story and show other women that you don\u2019t have to take the traditional route. I want to give a sense of hope for people who don\u2019t necessarily know how to take that first leap. I think my story is special because I started it as a side-hustle without a ton of money. I\u2019d love to mentor other female entrepreneurs in this space one day because it\u2019s a male-dominated industry. We need more women, women of color and Asian women in this space. I want to be able to tell my future kids, \u201cI built this from nothing and it\u2019s something that you can do also.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read GRAZIA USA<\/em>\u2019s Spring issue<\/a> featuring cover star Lucy Boynton:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n