Fernanda Simões — Fashion, Mentorship & Brand Strategy

How targeted team training and a 360° mentorship transform creative fashion teams into repeatable, profitable systems

In an industry where creativity often outpaces structure, the brands that sustain growth are those that deliberately combine imagination with process. Brazilian-born strategist Fernanda Simões has spent more than a decade translating creative talent into reliable commercial outcomes. Her approach — a blend of design sensibility, data literacy and operational rigor — is now packaged into two signature services that answer a persistent need across independent labels and boutique studios: Team Training and 360° Mentorship.

This article explores how each program works, what measurable problems they solve, the pillars that make them effective, and how brands can choose between tactical training and strategic mentorship — or use both in sequence to scale collections and revenue.

Why process matters in fashion (the problem statement)

Fashion’s romantic origin story celebrates the individual genius: the designer who sketches a silhouette, the artisanal cutter who shapes fabric, the photographer who frames the dream. But fashion as a sustainable business requires reproducibility: predictable lead times, profitable product mix decisions, and coordinated teams that execute to plan.

In fast-moving categories, small process failures compound: inconsistent fittings, misread sourcing timelines, weak SKU rationalization, and misaligned marketing that undermines launch performance. Fernanda’s work starts with that reality — not to replace creativity, but to harness it so the business can scale without losing its soul.

1) TEAM TRAINING — turning people into an engine for results

Thesis: Every team needs direction. Clear, intelligent processes are the fastest path to hitting targets and turning creative energy into measurable KPIs.

Focus

Creation and/or sales teams.

Program model

Duration: 3 months
Cadence: Biweekly (every two weeks) sessions
Format: Diagnosis → Tools & templates → Guided implementation → Measurement
Deliverables: Process maps, spreadsheets, recommended software stack, exercises, templates and a step-by-step playbook for each department

How it works (concise)

Process audit — A rapid diagnostic uncovers bottlenecks across design, production, buying and sales.
Custom roadmap — Immediate fixes and mid-term process redesigns prioritized by business impact.
Operational kit — Standard operating procedures (SOPs), tracking spreadsheets, suggested SaaS tools and role checklists.
Coaching & accountability — Biweekly workshops with on-the-job tasks and checkpoints to ensure adoption.
Performance review — Metric review at program end and a recommendations list for continuous improvement.

Pillars addressed

Overview of fashion processes (end-to-end visibility)
Project management (timelines, milestones, RACI)
Team management (roles, KPIs, feedback loops)
Results analysis (dashboards, critical KPIs)
Maintenance (how to keep processes alive)

Expected outcomes (realistic)

Faster product cycles (reduced time-to-market)
Fewer late samples and re-works (cost savings)
Clearer responsibilities and fewer bottlenecks
Higher conversion by sales teams due to improved assortment planning

Team Training

2) 360° MENTORSHIP — design collections that sell, collection after collection

Thesis: Great collections are a mix of intuition and intelligence. Fernanda’s Mentoria 360 is designed to teach creators how to make commercially viable collections without straitjacketing creativity.

What it is

A concentrated methodology for building strategic collections in four structured sessions across one month.

Format

4 × 1-hour sessions across 4 weeks
Tactical assignments between sessions (data tasks, collection sketches, mix planning)

Core pillars

Clarity: goals and KPIs for the brand and the collection
Market characteristics: who buys, price sensitivity, channel behavior
Data analysis: simple metrics to inform design decisions (sell-through, conversion by SKU, pricing elasticity)
Product mix planning: core vs. seasonal, anchor SKUs, pricing tiers
Pillars of a “smart collection”: cohesion, scalability, margin logic
Internal process organization: how to translate the collection plan into an executable timeline

Why 4 sessions work

Four targeted conversations are often enough to reset strategy and deliver a usable roadmap. Each hour is a working session: it’s expected that the brand arrives with primary inputs (existing sales data, assortment, and a short brief) so the mentor can translate insight into an immediate action plan.

Outcomes clients can expect

A data-aware collection brief (not just an inspiration board)
Prioritized SKU list based on expected margin and velocity
A 90-day execution timeline that minimizes unplanned costs
A repeatable template for future collections

How the two services complement each other

Think of the 360° Mentorship as the strategy and playbook for a specific collection cycle; Team Training is the infrastructure that makes that playbook executable by people. For brands that lack both a coherent product strategy and an empowered operations team, the recommended path is sequential:

Run the 360° Mentorship to define the collection strategy and product mix.
Deploy Team Training to institutionalize the processes that guarantee consistent execution.

This two-tier approach reduces the gap between intention and delivery, turning sporadic successes into repeatable commercial performance.

A short, practical checklist for brands ready to engage

Do you have 12 months of sales history (even basic)? → useful for data tasks.
Are roles and responsibilities documented? → if not, start with Team Training.
Is the problem poor sell-through or process chaos? → Mentoria 360 addresses assortment; Team Training fixes execution.
Can you commit to biweekly sessions and on-the-job tasks? → both programs require disciplined follow-through.

Simple example (hypothetical) — how a capsule collection improved sell-through

A small womenswear label used Mentoria 360 to refocus its spring capsule around three anchor silhouettes. Using basic sell-through data from the prior year, Fernanda rebalanced the mix to favor best-performing price bands. Simultaneously, Team Training introduced a weekly production checkpoint that reduced sample reworks by 40%. Result: the capsule achieved a 22% higher sell-through in the first 60 days versus the brand’s historical average.

Pricing & engagement options (guidance, not a quote)

Service fees vary by scope and team size. Typical tiers:

Mentoria 360 — project fee for four sessions + documented plan
Team Training — multi-month retainer or fixed project fee including templates and follow-up
Custom proposals are provided after an initial diagnostic call.

How to prepare before a discovery call

Gather any available sales and SKU data (even monthly revenue by SKU).
List current software and tools (ERP, PLM, spreadsheets).
Identify three immediate pain points (e.g., late deliveries, low sell-through, overstock).
Define short-term (90-day) and medium-term (12-month) goals.

Why this matters now (industry context)

The pandemic and subsequent supply-chain volatility accelerated the need for leaner assortment planning and better inventory discipline. Consumers now reward brands that combine originality with reliable availability. Team processes and data-driven collection planning are no longer back-office luxuries; they are strategic differentiators.

Services

FAQ

Q — What is the difference between Mentoria 360 and Team Training?
A — Mentoria 360 is a short, strategic program focused on collection planning and market positioning (4 × 1-hour sessions). Team Training is a three-month operational program with biweekly sessions to redesign processes, implement tools and ensure execution.

Q — How long until we see results?
A — Mentoria 360 produces an actionable collection plan within a month. Team Training usually shows operational improvements (reduced rework, clearer deadlines) within the first 60–90 days.

Q — Do I need sales data to start?
A — Useful, yes — even simple month-by-month sales by SKU helps. If data is limited, Fernanda’s method adapts by using proxies and qualitative audits.

Q — Is this suitable for small independent labels?
A — Absolutely. The methodologies are scalable and designed to be practical for small teams and startups as well as for established labels.

Fernanda on the Listing

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