Today we’d like to introduce you to Valeriia Serebriakova.
Hi Valeriia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started sewing when I was about eight and spent my teenage years competing in national and international fashion competitions, which gave me a serious foundation in garment construction early on. As I began building my career, I became interested in understanding fashion from the business and consumer side as well, which led me to marketing and retail. I worked across very different environments in Russia, from boutique marketing agencies to large retail corporations. At the same time, I consulted for emerging fashion brands and attempted to launch my own label, but the pandemic cut it short.
After that, I came to New York to continue my education. I later started a master’s degree in Media Management and Digital Communications. Beginning in 2024, I worked with independent fashion labels on brand strategy, content, and production, while continuing to develop my own design practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Coming to New York meant rebuilding my professional network almost from scratch, but being an international student added another layer to that. There are very specific rules and timelines around studying and working, and you have to plan your career around those deadlines. You can be excited about an opportunity and still have to think about whether the timing works.
Still, working with independent fashion brands became one of the most valuable parts of my experience in New York. Small teams move fast, and I often found myself involved in much more than one area, from product development and production to content and brand strategy. That gave me a much better understanding of how a fashion brand actually works and how closely the creative and business sides are connected.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My professional focus is brand strategy and creative marketing. While much of my work has been in fashion, I’ve also worked across hospitality, automotive, legal services, and design. Each industry has a very different audience and way of communicating, so I’ve learned not to approach every brand with the same formula. Going forward, fashion is where I want to concentrate most of my work because it brings together the parts I’m most interested in.
A lot of my work has been very hands-on. I’ve organized and produced shoots, worked with photographers and models, created content, managed samples and e-commerce, and collaborated closely with product and production teams.
One of the projects that really stands out for me was my work with Lotte Hotels, a global luxury hotel group. I was responsible for content for Lotte Hotel Seattle, including its Lexus partnership. In January, I developed the concept for a shoot around the partnership and oversaw the process. It was honestly an unforgettable experience. Seeing two names everyone knows come together and knowing I had a role in bringing that vision to life made it especially exciting for me.
On a more personal level, one of the things I’m most proud of is Muse Affair, my own fashion concept. It’s still in development, and I’m hoping to launch it later this fall. I’m approaching it from two directions. One is developing my own pieces, working with local pattern makers and suppliers I already know and trust. The other is a small selection of existing garments from an independent fashion brand that were no longer a fit for its current direction. Rather than having those pieces simply sit in inventory, I’m interested in seeing whether they can find a new customer in a different context.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
We’re surrounded by more information than ever, and everything moves incredibly fast. People’s interests can shift almost overnight, and marketing has to keep up. You see it in fashion, beauty, restaurants, even something as simple as frozen yogurt. A place can exist for years with a regular customer base, and then one trend takes off on social media, and there’s a line around the block.
That kind of visibility is incredibly powerful, and I don’t think brands should ignore it. You need to understand social media, how people discover things online, and the rules of whatever platform you’re using. Five or ten years from now, those platforms may be completely different. When Instagram first appeared, we weren’t thinking about it as a place where a brand could build an audience, tell its story, and eventually sell directly to customers. We adapted, and we’ll adapt again.
What I think will matter even more is what happens after the viral moment. People move on quickly. Today everyone wants one thing, and a few weeks later it’s something else. You have to know how to use that momentum without becoming dependent on it. If people remember the viral product but forget who made it, you’re basically back at the beginning, chasing the next hit.
So if I had to make one prediction, I’d say that the faster everything moves, the more important long-term brand strategy will become. You still have to react to what people want now, but also give them a reason to stay after the initial excitement is gone. The platforms will change, the algorithms will change, and there will always be another obsession. The challenge is building a brand that people continue to care about.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lerucha_
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeria-se/
