How Andrea Tetangco Uses Social Media to Grow Her Fashion Business
Andrea Tetangco has been in the fashion industry for 17 years now. As such, the fresh-faced designer, has seen the rise and fall of various trends, as well as the advent – and continuous growth – of social media.
“Seventeen years ago, we didn’t have social media. Growth was very organic,” she recalls. “We didn’t have that many young designers back then either.”
Today, Andrea has established herself through a namesake atelier that is known for elegant and feminine designs. She makes intricate yet timeless bespoke dresses for brides and event attendees. Through this, she’s had the privilege of dressing some of the most influential women in the country, including actresses and politicians. Yet, she acknowledges there’s a new wave of women today, one that cannot be discounted: the rise of social media influencers.
Crediting content creators as one of the drivers for her new ready-to-wear collection, Andrea says, “We have more influencers now and people see that you can dress up. [The] Majority of people are on social media and they see that it is possible to dress up for things, it is accessible.”
For those curious about Andrea’s ready-to-wear line, it is available at her boutique office in Kirov Tower, at Proscenium Rockwell. Here, a wonderland of beauty awaits: from beaded gowns to ruffled skirts, to bow-top dresses, and feathered capes.
Dubbed “luxury ready-to-wear," Andrea’s designs are truly next level. “I love statement details on timeless silhouettes,” she explains.
Though established now, Andrea admits that growing up, she had no idea she would end up as a fashion designer.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do [when I was young],” she says. “But I know what I wanted to become. I wanted to become successful.”
A born leader, Andrea established her design studio after completing her studies. To this day, she’s never worked under anyone but herself. Her powerful statement pieces embody the “girlboss” she is.
“I knew I wanted to lead, even at a young age,” she notes.
Of course, the business and fashion landscape was vastly different in 2007, when Andrea first started. As previously mentioned, social media had yet to fully take off. Back then, the designer had had to rely on word of mouth to gain traction.
“No one trusted me [in the beginning] but I couldn’t give up,” she recalls. “If people don’t believe in you, but you believe in yourself, you’ll find that you’ll [be okay]. You have to believe in yourself first before other people will.”
Now, through social media platforms such as Instagram gaining global prevalence, Andrea has found greater success. She dresses women who have the power to share their experiences with friends and followers. In this way, word of mouth is still the best kind of marketing for fashion designers.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that creativity and a good following are all it takes to run a business. As Andrea has come to realize, learning the technical aspects of management is crucial for designers.
“When you study fashion design, sometimes, business education is lacking. Fashion designers can be proud of their designs, but at the end of the day, it’s still a business. If you want to last, you have to learn, because the DNA of it all is your team, your production, and the data.”
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