50% Buda and 50% Beyoncé… Helena’s greatest strength is, possibly, knowing herself to the point of knowing her skills well but also her limits, balancing her aspiration for action and positive impact, with the natural need for withdrawal and contemplation.

We have known Helena Antónia for several years now, since her brand, Vintage for a Cause, became part of the selection of sustainable brands in our store, in xxx.

Always with a positive contagious energy, Helena won us over, not only because of the HRV concept very much in line with our line of action, but also because of her personality: sensitive and dreamy, pragmatic and determined.

A lawyer by training, Helena changed course and has been advocating since 2012 for upcycling and social inclusion through Vintage for a Cause. A brand that is also a cause, with the mission of reducing textile waste in parallel with the training and promotion of active aging for women over 50 years old.

The VFC pieces, usually designed by external designers (like Katty Xiomara, for example) follow a slow fashion model. The focus on timeless design contradicts the logic of the collections and the brand adopts its own, more sustainable cycle, based on resources, demand, and the production of small quantities and exclusive pieces. Concept that has been worth several supports and awards (CMP, EDP, Gulbenkian, Yves Rocher …)

Vintage For a Cause can be found on its website and in CRU’s physical and online stores,of course!

What led you to create Vintage For a Cause?

VFC was a fluke It was born as an idea in 2012, because I went to do a postgraduate course in Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation, without major goals. My intention was just to diverge from my professional activity at the time, lawyer and claims technician at an insurance company.
I had to come up with a business idea that would respond to one or more social or environmental problems. And I think it was my personal experience that conditioned the idea that came up at the time: creating sewing clubs to take isolated women out of the house where they would transform clothes and discarded materials into cool urban clothing (pieces that I wanted to find at competitive prices) in co -creation with designers, in order to occupy your time in a creative and stimulating way, have extra income and return to active life in a register more suited to your life stage.

I have to admit that at the time I did not look at HRV as my possible job or a source of income and that for some years I was not clearly aware of the best ranking for the initiative. It was simply something new that allowed me to apply and develop skills and to be in constant learning and in contact with people from different sectors.

Are you a lady or a slave of your time?

I impose myself to be more a lady of my time, than a slave to him. But it is an on-going achievement and challenging management. I have been achieving this in stages, defining work and personal care routines, daily intentions, and learning to say no with less hesitation.
I have been learning from other people, especially from different cultures, how important it is to “work well” or “work smart” instead of working long hours or “work hard”. This, combined with greater honesty in relation to my limits, made all the difference in this management.

What books have influenced you the most in your professional life?

I have always consumed immense literature in the area of ​​human development (I particularly like authors like Joe Dispenza or Gregg Braden or even Simon Sinek).
Due to the constant need to deepen different themes, I read a lot about sustainable fashion and the circular economy of many different authors and even researchers. (And there are so many incredible authors. I like Sandy Black and Sass Brown, but there are a thousand.)
However, I would say that Daniel Christian Wahl’s book “Design of regenerative cultures” was possibly the most impactful, because it made me better understand what would actually be the added value of initiatives like Vintage for a Cause from a systemic point of view.

Who are Vintage For a Cause customers and what makes them choose your products?

Vintage for a Cause has different types of customers, given the intervention areas (social, environmental and economic). Even so, I would say that the method is always the same: create networks and aligned partnerships that we work as much as possible and end up bringing greater communication strength.
We partner with more brands, projects, in segmented contexts.
Whether in the domestic market or in the foreign market, we always rely on platforms linked to circular economy, social innovation and sustainable fashion and we communicate a lot about impact.
With regard to the product, those who choose the brand are customers who buy in a more informed way and who like to differentiate themselves in trends and standards. They appreciate the way the product was made, but first of all a more unlikely design at a competitive price.
The brand also intends to democratize access to sustainable fashion.
We have recently approached communication also from the point of view of PR and press relations with a partnership with C.Greener.

Atrás de uma grande mulher está sempre…quem?

A huge trampoline made up of immense people, who make up the core team, the volunteers, the multiple professionals who represent our customers or partners and a number of people who touch me in ways that they are not even aware of and that, regardless of the nature of relationship that we can have, are true supporters.
And of course, my family, friends and close people who have always supported me unconditionally.

What ‘sweaters’ do you wear enthusiastically?

I am excited about “sweaters” that work for change and for the common good. Realistically, palpably, in equity, and making room for more people to get together and develop together.
So I am connected to more organizations like Fashion Revolution Portugal, Circular Economy Club or Between Parallels and more informal groups that like to do cute and healthy things.

Tell us what was your first crisis as an entrepreneur.

I have never taken myself nor taken myself very seriously as an entrepreneur. And I often have crises, because I feel that I am working in an area that has to have different KPIs, but to execute them I have to use the same ones from any business and from a more capitalist and competitive system where it is difficult to fit.
And it is a complex game, which is both challenging and stimulating, given the multi-stakeholder management it requires.
And, on the other hand, I know myself, and I know that my profile serves part of the game’s needs, but not all. I am also aware that, depending on the evolution of the brand, it may make sense for me to change my role in it and share the leadership.
This experience allows, above all, the development and acquisition of skills and support networks that enable me to do anything else and I feel very comfortable with the idea that my professional development may involve embracing other projects that I identify with and that my profile can serve.

How do you see the growth and scale of Vintage For a Cause in the coming years?

The scale model of a business with the HRV value chain can only be equated in a logic of replication of framework that takes advantage and redesigns structures and the use of existing resources, which can be led and implemented with some decentralization. More in the format of a stakeholder aggregating platform. It is the only way to generate more impact. Lightly, almost in a logic of certification and facilitation of processes for more local, inclusive and responsible models.

Who is Helena when she is not working?

I have never taken myself nor taken myself very seriously as an entrepreneur. And I often have crises, because I feel that I am working in an area that has to have different KPIs, but to execute them I have to use the same ones from any business and from a more capitalist and competitive system where it is difficult to fit.
And it is a complex game, which is both challenging and stimulating, given the multi-stakeholder management it requires.
And, on the other hand, I know myself, and I know that my profile serves part of the game’s needs, but not all. I am also aware that, depending on the evolution of the brand, it may make sense for me to change my role in it and share the leadership.
This experience allows, above all, the development and acquisition of skills and support networks that enable me to do anything else and I feel very comfortable with the idea that my professional development may involve embracing other projects that I identify with and that my profile can serve.

What tips or advice would you leave for someone starting out in the field of Social Entrepreneurship?

Fundamental: team, team, and team Test and fail well and fast, with little risk. Don’t be a perfectionist …
The rest concerns soft skills (which should be called strong skills), some luck or serendipity.
And in this field, I think it is very important to get to know each other as much as possible, to be very clear in relation to our personal “success” terms and to be super comfortable with continual failure, because this will be the constant of the process that will allow learning and evolution of the business, whatever that may be… I would say that 80% is commitment and personal work, a good team and good relations and 20% science or management.

CRU Spotlight is a rubric of short interviews with people from the CRU community, focusing on aspects of their professional life as independent in the Creative Industries sector.
Text: Tânia Santos Edition: Rossana Fonseca Photos:courtesy of Helena Antónia Silva