Freshman Franchesca Yamamoto flaunts the pieces of her company at an open house event
An average day for a typical teenager? School, homework, sleep.
An average day for freshman Franchesca Yamamoto? School, run an international company, sleep.
It’s true. She showed off her license for her elaborate British-inspired fashion company, Bleu Umbrella, at an open house event on April 30 with a smile. She spoke about it simply, but it is anything but simple.
Yamamoto creates the designs, sends them to factories and flaunts the umbrella logo on every single one of the pieces, including classy cardigans, unique shorts, fashionable bags and slick jackets.
"I went on a trip to England without my parents and was inspired," Yamamoto said. "My parents said they will support me."
Support her? They technically work under her, along with 30 other people as entrepreneurs, freelancers and models, many of them MVHS students, like freshman Srisruthi Ramesh.
Ramesh is a Bleu Umbrella freelancer who makes 15 percent commission off of the items she sells online or at open house events. Ever since Ramesh heard of the company, she showed interest.
"Overall, the idea itself is interesting and fascinating. An entrepreneur at 15," Ramesh said. "And she hasn’t given up no matter how crazy it may seem."
This overnight idea obviously required a level of initiative and chutzpah to ignore the risk with creating an entire company, especially one that sells in thirteen nations, including ones like Mauritius, Austria and Indonesia.
Despite the risk, Yamamoto’s mother, Nitza Figueroa, was on board since the very beginning, one year ago.
"I said, ‘just go ahead’," Figueroa said. "She was doing everything so quietly and I said, ‘I wonder what she is doing’ and she said ‘I am going to put this sign on T-shirts’ and I said ‘Really?’."
But it doesn’t stop there. The next step, as Yamamoto and her mother explain, will include a non-profit foundation called Bleuville, which will focus on "helping the lifestyles of underdeveloped countries," according to Figueroa.
"I prefer her inside the house doing something good for other people," Figueroa said. "[The company] has been blessed in many ways, and it is time to take things back to the community."
It gives us clothes and aid to others, but how does it change Yamamoto?
"She has opened herself more," Figueroa said. "[It is] something good for her and very positive."
As for the future, perhaps the logo of the girl holding up an umbrella will replace all of our moose and eagles.
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