Meet Geanniffer Almera | Fashion Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Geanniffer Almera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Geanniffer, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
Within the fashion design industry there are a lot of aspects that, in my opinion, people don’t know. When we buy clothing, we only look at the result, but behind that piece, there is a long process, one that starts with an idea, an investigation, a drawing, then it comes the designing part, the clothes pattern, cutting and finally the sewing (and in many cases after the sewing there are some extra steps). When we see a dress in a runway, people forget that dress has been through all these stages, and usually for big brands, there is a whole big team taking care of every step, it’s a hard effort.

In my personal case, the effort is even bigger, because even though I have been in this industry for many years, I’m just starting, so I don’t have a big team. I do everything by myself, the idea, the design, the making, tailoring… After I finish a piece, I like to verify everything is A+, and that’s when I proceed with all the final touches, I put on the tag and spray our perfume for fabrics (a little bit extra care I put on my work), finally I take care of the packaging and shipping.

It is a lot, but I’m happy to do it for me, for my clients and for my brand. My clients don’t know all of this, they think I have a whole crew, and I really hope to be there someday, but for now, it’s all done by my hands.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a fashion designer and I specialized in lingerie. I think what sets me apart from others is that i put a lot of detail and effort in every piece I make, since i do everything by my own i make sure that everything i sell has a great quality. One of the things that makes me really proud is that even when I had to leave my country I was able to make it in a new place, it was a lot of work and tears, I’m not going to lie, but it was worthy. When I look back I can tell the path wasn’t and it’s not (still) an easy one, but I have to keep trying, that’s the only way I’ll be able to get where I want to be. That’s my lesson, it may sound cliché, but that’s what I have learned, to never give up, no matter how hard it is. I would like GAAS (my brand) to be known by everyone, and my clients to know this is not another retail store, but that there’s a fashion designer behind it, that cares and work hard to make them happy. As my slogan says, to make them feel like a queen.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would take her to the beach of course. I’m not a big fan of the beach, but Florida has a lot of amazing places. I like Longboat Key. So maybe we can spend one day at the beach and at night go out for dinner. Another day we can go shopping, Dolphin Sawgrass, Aventura Mall are the spots. We could go another day to Wynwood and, since I like Asian Fusion, we could have a nice dinner at Crudos Fusion Art, another place I like is SushiKong in Coral Gables. Of course she cannot leave without visiting Miami Beach, so probable last day would be a nice night out in the area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Of course i would like to start thanking my parents and my sister for always believing in me and trusting i would make it in this hard industry. Secondly, my great friend and former boss Fabrizzio Calvanesse who went beyond the books and the basics and helped me to discover my abilities as a fashion designer.

Instagram: @geannifferalmera

Image Credits
Credits to models: Alicia de los Angeles Aletia Nunez Lily Prince