Miami Beach, FL – July 10, 2015 – There’s a new boss lady in town and she’s holding fashionistas hostage with her latest threads and unique styles. At the young age of 24, Simonett Pereira has managed to conquer more than most can dream of in the fashion world with her chic clothing brand, Style Mafia. This Miami-based clothing line targeted towards fashion-conscious women is a one-of-a-kind brand, offering a high fashion look at a reasonable price point. Seriously, who doesn’t want the “I just stepped off the run-way but didn’t make a dent in my wallet” look? After launching her blog in 2012, Pereira’s empire began to flourish. Soon enough, she found herself buying and selling clothing on her 500,000 follower site, ShopStyleMafia.com. After the launch of her online brand, Style Mafia, she opened a showroom in Wynwood and is now carried in more than 50 retailers worldwide.

World Red Eye was able to catch up with ‘Mafia’ boss herself where we chatted about her inspiration, her thoughts on fashion in Miami, and her exciting plans for the future of Style Mafia.

WRE: Tell us about how Style Mafia started?

SP: Prior to starting the brand I had a personal style blog. I got booked to host an event for a shopping app called Poshmark where I was able to amount a following of 500k+ and was reselling brands from LA. One year into doing that I decided to travel to Asia and produce my own clothing.

WRE: Is there a specific reason you chose Wynwood to be your showroom location?

SP: Wynwood is really cool because of it’s “underground” aspect. There has been a lot of development in the area in the recent months but the pulse of the neighborhood is still very local and creative.

WRE: What does the timeline look like, start to finish, when creating a new collection? Knowing you don’t design, in which ways are you involved?

SP: I am constantly looking for ideas and inspiration in magazines, fashion photography archives, vintage stores and instagram. We produce mini collections every month. I come up with the ideas that I present to our designer and in about 15 days he is able to get samples out to us. My job, primarily is to build the Style Mafia brand. Creating our identity,  growing our social media presence, producing webitorials for our site and developing strategies for partnerships and events takes up most of my time but I am also overseeing production and operations. It’s a lot!

WRE: Has Miami’s culture/style had an influence on your clothing? 

SP: Miami is a new city. I think our brand has an up-and-coming identity that is very much in-line with this city.

WRE: What makes Style Mafia’s clothing stand out over other designers?

SP: The clothing speaks for itself. It’s cool to be able to take innovative design to the street by sticking to affordable price points.

WRE: What kind of girl is rocking Style Mafia clothing?

SP: Style Mafia is for the independent thinker. I am a person that is inclined towards the alternative in all aspects of my life and this speaks through my brand. The Style Mafia woman is one that keeps current with fashion outlets but interprets trends in a very personal way.

WRE: Do you think Style Mafia will eventually expand and have accessories/bags/shoes?

SP: This is definitely in our plans. Currently we have a Style Mafia accessories collaboration with local designer Scarlet Massiel that is available exclusively at the showroom.

Simonett Pereira

The clothing speaks for itself. It’s cool to be able to take innovative design to the street by sticking to affordable price points.

Simonett Pereira, Founder of Style Mafia

WRE: What were your inspirations before you launched Style Mafia, are they different today?

SP: Starting your own business is a bit of a  mental and emotional roller coaster. Starting your own business at 22 with no experience in the manufacturing/retailing business is a world in it’s own. I started the company with a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish, a sense of aesthetic and not much else. Every step of the process has led the brand to a new path and we only plan to keep expanding from this point forward.

WRE: Tell us more about Style Mafia’s partnership with Refinery29 and Simon Malls for the five city US tour?

SP: Refinery29 reached out to us to partner with them for their Festival Style tour in the US this summer. We are really very excited to be taking the brand to cities where we don’t currently sell and have such amazing companies backing us up.

WRE: Which cities are you stopping at? 

SP: We will be in Austin, Miami, Philly, Boston and DC! We are also independently producing a pop-up in NYC in August which we will post more about on our site soon.

WRE: What do you hope this tour will do for Style Mafia?

SP: Most of these cities are completely new markets for us so being able to activate at this series of events that juxtapose fashion and music with performers such as Twin Shadow, The Dolls, Austra is definitely a big deal for us.

WRE: What kind of advice would you give someone who’s not too familiar with putting together a great outfit?

SP: Stay true to yourself, always. Trends can be fun but it’s good to keep in mind that uniqueness is always attractive.

Simonett Pereira

Trends can be fun but it’s good to keep in mind that uniqueness is always attractive.

Simonett Pereira, Founder of Style Mafia

WRE: Being the founder and creative director, what is a typical day like for you?

SP: Aside from strategizing for growth and leading marketing, I also oversee daily operations such as order fulfillment, appointments with buyers and content management for our website.

WRE: When you’re not working, what can we find you up to?

SP: With managing the brand and industry-related social commitments, this time is rare! When I am completely unattached to fashion I spend time with friends at places like the upstairs bar at 27 or The Annex.

WRE: Overall, what about your brand or your journey makes you the most proud?

SP: It still blows me away to see strangers on the street and on social media wearing my brand. I am really proud of how much we have grown as a company in just under two years and it feels really good to be in the position to be able to influence and empower young women around the world to do the same.

Simonett Pereira