Lera Ruma (LERA RUMA) and Personal Brand: Reflections by Kateryna Nechyporenko, Founder of REPULO’S

On the FAM x LERA RUMA meeting in Warsaw, the power of story, networking and storytelling — and how it reshapes the direction of a pleated occasion-wear brand.

A personal brand is not just your visuals or your follower count — it is the sum of your values, your story and the consistent actions you share with the world. That is exactly what Lera Ruma spoke about at the FAM x LERA RUMA meeting at the Sound Garden hotel in Warsaw on 23 May, and it is the lesson I, Kateryna Nechyporenko, founder of REPULO’S, took away for myself and for the brand. The short answer to “where does a personal brand begin?” is: with the truth about your own journey, told without fear.

This was not an ordinary event — it was a meeting I had been looking forward to. Lera Ruma is a real example of a woman who, through her thinking, actions and energy, creates a strong impact and reshapes the reality around her. The event gathered women who are not afraid to scale — in life, in business, in ideas. The atmosphere was inspiring, sincere and open, surrounded by people who know exactly what they want and work on themselves every day.

01 — The eventWhat FAM x LERA RUMA is, and why it matters

FAM x LERA RUMA is a closed business gathering for women entrepreneurs, where Lera Ruma shares her experience of building a personal brand and scaling a business. The format is simple yet powerful: a live conversation, real case studies and networking among people who build beauty, meaning and business even in the hardest of times. The way Lera turns her own path into a powerful tool of influence is a genuine art — and behind it stands a strategy built over years, not chance.

02 — The definitionWhat a personal brand really is

A personal brand is the lasting way other people perceive you — shaped by your values, your story, your expertise and the consistency of your actions. It is not a mask or a “pretty picture”: it is what people feel and remember when they hear your name. For an entrepreneur, a personal brand works as a bridge of trust between her and her product — people first fall in love with the person and her story, and only then buy what she creates.

I always believed that reputation and a sense of style were already part of a personal brand. But after this meeting I saw a deeper level: how important it is to tell your story, to not stay silent about the path, the mistakes and the wins. People want more than the result — they want to understand what stands behind it.

03 — Key takeawaysWhat Lera Ruma taught me

I noted a few key ideas worth remembering for anyone building a personal brand:

04 — My takeawayWhat it gave me as a designer and entrepreneur

For REPULO’S I clearly felt new directions for growth. We already have a recognisable signature — pleated clothing that moves with the woman who wears it. But now I want the brand’s story to sound louder: through me, through the team, through our clients, through video, texts and public speaking. A founder’s personal brand and a company’s brand reinforce one another when a single, sincere story stands behind them.

That is why REPULO’S is not a “made-to-order” tailoring workshop but a women’s occasion-wear fashion brand with its own collections: evening dresses, suits, skirts and pleated trousers. And our made-to-measure service is available fully online, with remote measurements — a natural extension of the same philosophy: attention to the person and her story.

05 — In practiceHow to build a personal brand: 5 steps

Distilled into a simple plan, building a personal brand looks like this:

06 — Questions & answersPersonal brand: your questions answered