With a loyal 13,400 followers on Instagram and a feed full of empowerment for both women and fashion, we sat down to speak to Alecsandra about how she balances her career/life as a Mum and what inspires her to create such empowering content.
How did you become a creator?
‘‘I have had many attempts at becoming a content creator, I was always passionate about fashion and dressing up elegantly every single day.
Whilst being recognised as “The Best Dressed Female in the Office” for consecutive years and admired for my personal and professional style, I was encouraged to take the plunge and set up my blog.
I chose a niche and decided on a project: “FashionSuitsMe” which arose from my passion for fashion and styling whilst being a working (addicted to suits) woman in the city.
Unfortunately, I had abandoned the idea before even launching it. I was afraid of what others would think, and also of not being taken seriously, especially as I would have juggled between my finance career and creating content.
Months later, I had the most wonderful surprise when I found out I was pregnant after years of trying and I became a mum in September 2018 to a beautiful boy, Maximilian (baby Max).
Whilst on maternity leave, I decided it was time for me to take advantage of my spare time and re-think my initial project.
I was also fond of the idea of building a community of women and mums, passionate about similar things as I was. I wanted to help women to look and feel great about themselves, I welcomed them to share their experiences, their inspirations and their journey, and at the same time divulge their views and thoughts.’’
Where did your inspiration come from for being a creator?
‘‘Whilst growing up, I embraced the opportunity to explore cultural destinations, events, and iconic places in Bucharest, also known as Little Paris (a classy, modern and bustling European metropolis underpinned by a rich heritage and culture). As VOGUE once described it — “housing some of the world’s coolest fashion labels” — I was in my element.
Due to my inquisitive nature, I discovered that culture and fashion go hand-in-hand as fashion provides opportunities for cultural expression without any boundaries on creativity.
I realised how blissful it was to follow precious pieces of advice from my chic and classy grandmother, to dress elegantly and stylish each day, as if it is the best day of my life.
At the stores, I would spend hours reading fashion magazines from cover to cover seeking the editorials and expert opinion fine-tuned my flair for fashion and creativity.
Over the years, I continued to develop both my career in finance and my interests in fashion and writing, I left home to study in Paris and eventually moved to London for my career prospects.
I’ve always enjoyed keeping abreast of new styles, trends and creativity by attending fashion exhibitions and events to cultivate my knowledge and creativity.’’
What has been your favourite Takumi campaign that you’ve worked on?
‘‘I have enjoyed working on many campaigns with Takumi, but my favourite was “War on Cancer” as its cause was close to my heart.
I had lost my father to cancer ten years ago, just after securing a scholarship to study in Paris. I had left my home with a broken heart, and started a new chapter in my life.
I was very young at that time, so little did I know about coping with grief, mental health and learning to heal. I guess I kind of ran away from my feelings and memories I’d shared with him because the pain was too much to handle, I had a strong and special relationship with my father.
I wish I knew at that time that more people were going through the same thing as I was and that I could have connected with them. Therefore, I was very fond of this campaign as it’s also helped me on a personal level.’’
What do you think of the platform TikTok?
‘‘I think TikTok is a great platform where an individual can promote their content, creativity and themselves in general. When it comes to marketing, TikTok is quickly becoming one of the most relevant platforms for the coming years.
I personally didn’t like TikTok for a long time,
I thought it’s more for the younger generation to use. I didn’t identify myself with the content that was shared within the platform as I thought I was too old for TikTok content.
But it turns out, TikTok is more than that and is being used by more than 800 million monthly users, so definitely to be considered one of the big players in the social media world.
More brands have started to show interest in this app so it’s worth looking into experimenting a different type of content. It’s something I have just started to learn more about and I am thinking of ways to incorporate it within my niche.’’
As a working mum, how do you find a balance between your career and your life as a mum?
‘‘I must admit it’s not something I am mastering perfectly, but I am a multitasking type of person, I enjoy being busy and juggling multiple roles.
It does prove to be challenging sometimes, but I am trying to have certain routines in place and organise my work in advance.
I am working full time throughout the week, so I am planning certain days over the weekend for content creation, whilst looking after a toddler… triple the fun!
I would usually wake up much earlier to be able to work quietly, before my family wakes up, or I would spend time in the evenings after they go to bed.
Usually, my son would go to nursery for 3 days per week, and we would take turns to look after him for the remaining 2 working days, while weekends are for family time.
The circumstances are different nowadays, so my husband and I are equally sharing our duties.’’
What are 3 things that most of your followers don’t know about you?
- I read in five languages and speak three of them.
- I had a long-distance relationship with my husband before moving together and marrying him (16 years of relationship and counting!)
- A third one would be (and maybe some did wonder about the little two scars on my lip and cheek) that a dog bit me when I was 7 years old!
What’s most important to you when pursuing brand partnerships?
‘‘I think the most important thing when pursuing brand partnerships is that not only I would trust the product, but to know that my followers will also trust the product. I would only promote things that are meaningful to me and that I know people can trust.
In regard to my relationship with a brand, I would seek to have a good connection, to identify myself with the brand and vice versa.’’
If you would like to guest contribute to our blog, simply drop the team an email and we’ll get back to you hello@takumi.com.
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