BIOGRAPHY
Vanessa Fernandes is a multi-award winning entrepreneur. Born in Lisbon to parents from Guiné-Bissau, Vanessa moved
to London in her early teens. After obtaining a degree in Fashion Journalism,
Public relation and Marketing at London College of Fashion part of the
University of the Arts London, she went on to study a Masters in Innovation
Management and Entrepreneurship. After a brief time working in Fashion and in
the corporate world she soon realized it did not align with her life
objectives. The mother of 2 is the Director of NAYA LONDON Ltd a business she
started at the age of 19, she has been awarded, Young entrepreneur of the year
in 2014, Rising Start of the Year in 2018 and also Highly commended in the
Health & Beauty category of Women in trade awards (Wintrade) in 2019, the
same year she won Entrepreneur of the year at the Black Women in Business
Awards.
As an advocate for supporting women in Business, she has
twice been invited to talk at the House of commons, BBC radio, her brands
featured, in various printed and digital publications such as, ELLE.com, DAZED
magazine, Pop Sugar, Forbes and recently the industry leader Beauty Independent
published her interview with LA based journalist Rachel Brown.
Through partnerships and a collaborative effort her work
with NAYA LONDON alongside her global partners is using the business of beauty
as a medium to empower women worldwide, supporting women from Ghana as far as
the Amazon forest in Brazil and Suriname to earn a living beyond aid.
She has been an advocate for education for young women
across the world, helping support a free school for girls in Guiné-Bissau and
joining the leadership team of Strong Women Strong World an education program
funded by the International women and children charity WorldVision.
Vanessa’s passion, dedication and desire to break boundaries
led her to establish the first black owned, black led Luxury Aesthetics clinic
in Knightsbridge, London, one of the
most expensive postcodes in the British Capital. Her resilience and commitment
have not gone unnoticed and in July 2024 Vanessa received the Freedom of the
City a commendation also known as the key to the city, awarded by the Lord
Mayor of London, this recognition is the highest honour the city can bestow
upon a person, an 800 years old tradition with Vanessa being the first
recipient of Luso African Descent to ever receive it.
Connect: www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-fernandes-36240778/