Breaking new ground with Disney
By Rosalia David
WITH her YouTube channel now gaining popularity due to her astonishing style, the sky is the limit for this blogger as she plans to introduce new products to her ‘July by DSNY A’ brand.
In a one-on-one interview this week, the self-driven social entrepreneur and environmentalist by profession, Disney Andreas (DA) takes us through her journey of being a fashion blogger.
RD: Kindly give us a background on who you are and how the fashion bug bit you?
DA: My name is Disney Andreas, a self-driven social entrepreneur and an environmentalist by heart and profession. An absolute advocate for the creative scene in Namibia and especially the Namibian fashion industry.
I am fashion style creative, sustainable fashion blogger and YouTuber.
Besides my personal style and my love for the environment, I found that the fashion industry is the biggest contributing factor to climate change issues. In 2015, the fast fashion industry used 80 billion cubic meters of freshwater, which means that it was responsible for producing 20 percent of global wastewater.
Forty million people work in the garment industry today. Long hours and low pay and new styles appear almost daily at major fast-fashion retailers; 85 percent of our old clothes end up in a landfill and of those only about one percent of textile waste is truly recycled.
You can read more about this in a recent article I featured in. This is why I like to think of myself as a sustainable fashion enthusiast.
RD: In 2018, you introduced your personal style and fashion blog while you also launched ‘July’, a three-piece collection, how is that going and what is currently new?
DA: Since its launch, it has been going really great. The main goal was to finally start a conversation around sustainable fashion in Namibia of which it still is. We plan on expanding the ‘July by DSNY A’ brand by introducing new products – products that are focused on making your wardrobe and closet space more sustainable.
We also have various events lined up soon so please keep an eye out.
RD: You have also your own YouTube channel, how has the experience been so far and what makes your vlogs unique?
DA: Vlogging has always been something I wanted to tap into because I wanted to show people who I am, what I get up to and what makes the Namibia fashion scene different from the rest. I believe every video on YouTube is unique because of the individual perspectives to provide.
As a creative person, I immediately think of ways to create mystery, and the same intrigue could be produced through vlogging. The sky’s the limit here! Would I use vlogging to help my brand or any other? For sure!
RD: Being a content creator, what are some of the challenges you experience trying to put out content worth watching? And have you always wanted to be an influencer?
DA: I’d say one of my biggest challenges would be staying consistent with the work I put out there. Consistency breeds familiarity and with time, followers should come to know what to expect from you, and they should want to flock to your platforms for the unique content and experience you offer.
I don’t believe I always wanted to be an influencer but rather someone who creates impact in whatever I do, where people can come to trust with what I think would be beneficial for them.
RD: What is the one thing that you enjoy the most when it comes to creating content?
DA: Plugging people. On a serious note, I love building trust, I love providing my viewers with something of value to people. Sometimes I find myself recognising that people don’t know what they need until they see it.
RD: What is your take on the vlogging culture in Namibia, do you think we have what it takes to make it big?
DA: Absolutely! I mean have you seen the stats on Namibian YouTubers and the work they put out there? I love it even more because we are at a point where we are sharing what our country has to offer and our diverse culture. I am here for it all and so should you!
RD: Apart from being in the fashion industry, you are also a communications officer, how do you juggle between the two?
DA: I have been blessed immensely to be able to juggle a lot of things I set mind to. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but that’s the beauty of it all. I get to see what makes me truly happy. Over the years, I have learned to manage expectations especially when I let a team know of my availability and commitments. I have also learned to get organised and adopt a schedule that works for me and everyone else around me. Most importantly, I learned to give myself breaks – I call them health breaks because they allow me to celebrate my accomplishments, learn from my mistakes and for plans moving forward.