She is living proof of the fact that if a woman wants to succeed, she can do it on her own. Svetlana Verina fits this bill perfectly. She is undeniably beautiful, an influencer, blogger and the founder and CEO of World Fashion Week, Lana, as she is fondly called, has made a mark for herself in the world of fashion.
“I am absolutely self-made, building my business from scratch, without any sponsors or investors, nor did I have rich parents or wealthy husband. If I need to do it again, I will.” she says determinedly. With this strong mindset and an established track record she is now ready to take the event to the global platform under the royal patronage of Sheikh Majid Rashid Al Mualla Group of Companies.
Fashion Cocktail
Hailing from Ukraine, she is grateful for the life and education that her parents gave her. She holds two higher degrees – one in legal education and the other in PR and advertising. “I worked and studied a lot in my youth. From the age of 18 I worked in a court and wanted to become a judge to fulfill my mother’s dream and make her proud,” but she was soon disillusioned with the legal system of her country and decided to change her career path. “God gave me an open mind and I always listen to my heart and follow my dreams.” And that’s exactly what she did.
Going global
In 2009 she created a TV show on fashion and art and called it ‘Fashion Cocktail’. Her sister Anna generated ideas and wrote scripts for the show, and Lana became the host of her own TV programme, and also the producer taking care of organizational issues. Thus began her fashion journey.
“I interviewed a lot of pop stars, fashion designers and artists for ‘Fashion Cocktail’. Then we started organizing parties and fashion shows. Step by step, I got closer to the idea of organizing my first Fashion Week and, in 2013, I founded the Crimean Fashion Week. Then followed the World Fashion Union – an international organization I founded in 2014, with the idea of uniting fashion designers to help them advance in the international market. We are now ready to start working with the Rome, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks,” she says with excitement.
Last year, Lana along with her partners founded ‘World Fashion Week Dubai’. WFWD successfully represents designers and brands from all over the world at the best locations in Dubai.
God gave me an open mind and I always listen to my heart and follow my dreams.” And that’s exactly what she did”
The drive
Finding inspiration in the appreciation expressed by people, especially her clients, and the opportunity to connect with accomplished individuals, Lana continues to work on the process of expanding and growing her business. She believes that a person becomes a leader by sheer confidence and passion for what he or she does. The ability to lead and inspire others, she believes, stems from their talent, love, and unwavering faith in their chosen endeavors.
To stay relevant in the fashion industry one must be broad-minded, she says. That said, she lives by the credo, ‘Trends change, but style is eternal’.
Proud of the path she has walked, the constant self-development, and all the achievements held, it can only get better and better from here on for this determined lady.
And so, with courage and faith in her dreams, hard work, prayer and faith she is all set to conquer not just Dubai and then ramps of fashion’s most favoured destinations… from New York to London to the Maldives… Because Lana walks the talk, clearly. On the ramp and off it too.