When talking to fellow creatives, we often wonder: HOW DO THEY DO IT? To prevent Instagram stalking or doom-scrolling to figure out their secret sauces and success stories, we prefer to ask them face-to-face. Today: an unfiltered conversation with SARA KING MOURA, BRAND INCUBATOR for emerging luxury brands, FASHION WRITER, and BRAND CONSULTANT. Cover image: courtesy of Sara King Moura
IN CONVERSATION WITH SARA KING MOURA
Throughout her childhood, Sara King Moura has been a “proper tomboy.” Always on the lookout for adventure, taking risks, and feeling untamed were some of her boldest traits. King Moura slowly gained interest in the fashion industry after leaving the tomboy era behind in her teenage years.
While at the London College of Fashion, King Moura interned at Glamour Magazine in Warsaw as part of her exchange program. “I mainly organized and sorted clothes and footwear within the fashion office according to the Fashion Assistant’s checklist for a given call sheet. It helped me grow in time management and made me wiser and more aware of shapes and style regarding fashion history, fit, color palettes, fabrics, and quality,” she remembers of those six months. It marked the start of an exciting career within the fashion industry. When she kicked off her grown-up living as a fashion writer, her interest in emerging brands was soon sparked. When she landed her third job – Assistant Buyer at Matches Fashion – she proactively put some newcomers forward.
One thing led to another, and King Moura decided to quit her job after two years. Besides some freelance jobs for Vogue Scandinavia and L’Officiel, King Moura now devotes her time to emerging brands as a brand incubator. Due to her background and experience, her role is threefold, she explains. “On one level, I incubate emerging luxury brands. I steer my clients in the right direction by supporting, guiding, consulting, and actively contributing to every extension of each brand’s operations. This managerial front expands across special and one-time projects, immersive business calls, and 360º packages, allowing me to apply concerted strategies to key departments to boost performance and awareness further.
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Additionally, I write and contribute to media titles like L’Officiel Paris, L’Officiel USA, Marie Claire UK, Vogue Scandinavia, and ODDA.” And if that weren’t enough, King Moura works as a stylist at large, fashion directing stories for ELLE Ukraine, L’Officiel Baltics, ELLE Slovenia, and Jane magazine. “The diversity of my work keeps me only sane. I can stay on top of changes, trends, and moves, allowing me to cross know-how and build stronger brands thanks to a great sense of aesthetic and branding, digital marketing, copywriting, and business development and wholesale.”
“How does she do it?” might be the only question in the mind. King Moura starts her day by filtering emails and searching for emergency cases. “I work across multiple time zones,” she explains. After the shift, it’s time for her dog. “After playing and running around with my dog, I go through my wardrobe and kick off my office schedule. I do not believe in “rituals,” but I can’t work without having a show in the background playing nonstop. Usually, it’s Friends or Sex and the City. It keeps me engaged, aware, and inspired by their outfits.”
“I DON’T BELIEVE IN RITUALS, BUT I CAN’T WORK WITHOUT HAVING SEX AND THE CITY OR FRIENDS PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND NONSTOP.”
Sara King Moura
What has driven you to start working with emerging brands in the first place?
“I’ve always been analytical and strong-minded. Before exclusively focusing on my skills and their added value, I felt relatively suffocated and “undermined” in my previous jobs – even in higher-level roles. I remember leaving work, often day after day, with dissatisfaction and yet continuous curiosity. It was clear that I was unfulfilled and that my heart was eager to do more. After two years of “side gigs,” I was exhausted of the splitting and additional hours. So, I needed to decide. Thankfully, because my background included editorial and buying, I could thoroughly identify gaps within the market. I wanted to be more personal, intelligent, niche, mindful, and present in a sea of showrooms and PR agencies. I left the corporate world in 2016 and never looked back.”
What’s the best thing about the work you do now?
“Many of the newcomers I work with are wonderful regarding design. However, they often don’t know how to translate their creations into a stronger, more desirable, relevant business, materialize their storytelling, and enhance their touch points. My passion is carving and shaping these brands like a sculpture. All through a consistent usage of both analytical and creative skills.”
How do you generate ideas and bring them to life?
“One of the first steps to getting to know a brand and fully prepare the next quarter of work is to build upon a deep dive into branding, persona, and tone of voice. This entails an extended exercise, assessment, and visual and editorial bible development. It’s the starting point of everything else; it’ll inform every other dimension and spectrum of the work that needs to be done.”
What hiccups have you experienced along the way?
“To fail is to learn. The learning curve was striking, and it can break many people. However, it didn’t break me. I’ve grown to become this person who understands that to see the top of the mountain and plan better; it is often necessary to take a step back. If not, you’ll be too and see nothing but a wall in front of you. Creating a company entails a lot of bureaucracy and added – sometimes unforeseen – costs. My biggest lesson was about understanding what brands could and would become. Like any business, some individuals lack a business construct or method to pursue long-term results. All hiccups made me a smarter businesswoman and a more polyvalent and patient human.”
“ALL HICCUPS MADE ME A SMARTER BUSINESSWOMAN.”
Sara King Moura
What’s the best part of doing the work you do?
“To create space for a brand that used to be invisible. Add a seat at the table that happened to be gate-kept or unattainable to them. And to make like-minded people fall in love with my clients and witness growth.”
What’s the one moment in your career that you will never forget?
“The moment Vogue Spain named me a Talent on the Radar back in 2017.”
Who or what is currently on your vision board?
“I’ve been very into Lauren Harrier’s and Nora Attal’s style. I love an interesting intersection between feminine and disheveled looks, which helps me keep my tomboy self alive. On a more goal-oriented level, let’s say that it includes a very special property that should act as an umbrella for everything I do and offer as an incubator, writer, and fashion director.”
How do you manage to stay present?
“Somehow, I’m staggered good with time management. I’m a visually oriented human, a trait that helps compartmentalize every brand, activity, task, story, editorial, and goal within my brain. I always keep my Saturday and Sunday mornings free. I make time for dinners with friends and family, no matter the distance or the time. I often say that geography and long distances are like walking in the park. Everyone I care about is a two to four-hour plane ride away, and that’s doable.”
What are you most proud of?
“Of the fact, I haven’t stopped, just like my dad told me to. Not once, hopefully not never.”
Who do you look up to?
“To everyone I meet who has swum against the current and who wasn’t supposed to “be there” but, regardless and gracefully enough, fit in like they were born for that, that is exhilarating. On a more special note, I look up to my parents. They ensured I was put on another route despite being unable to change theirs.”
“IT’S UNPREDICTABLE AND, AT THE VERY SAME TIME, MUCH OF IT CAN AND WILL BE INFLUENCED BY ME.”
Sara King Moura
What excites you most about the future?
“It’s unpredictable and, at the very same time, much of it can and will be influenced by me. I’m on a trajectory that I used to feel daunting or rather spine-chilling, but who would have thought it could be such an eye-opening journey of self-discovery? On a professional level, I’m eager to introduce some new angles and dimensions to the business and even onboard one to two inspiring new clients. Traveling and living in different countries while providing tailored-made and in-loco services has been beyond interesting; an experiment started with Copenhagen and should be followed by Paris and Antwerp.”
