Rafael Blanc Cumellas (Barcelona, 1993) is a UPF Alumni of Business-Management Sciences (2016) and now has just a few subjects left to do to complete his bachelor’s degree in Law at the University of Barcelona.

During his time at UPF he showed an interest in entrepreneurship, acting as vice-president of the UPF Entrepreneurship Society. A few years on he has taken a step forward with the creation of Vasquiat.com, the first online platform offering advanced sales of branded clothing at a reduced price.

Vasquiat.com’s mission is to connect consumers of the latest fashion with top brands

The project, which was launched in September 2018, already has more than forty brands in its portfolio. It aims to create a global community of innovators in the world of fashion, an exclusive club for members who can join by invitation. Its mission is to connect consumers of the latest fashion with top brands.

The UPF Emprèn Awards, organized by Pompeu Fabra University’s Board of Trustees have this year (2018-2019) reached their eleventh edition, with a well-established track record of promoting initiative and entrepreneurial capacity. They consist of the categories Idea and Business, both endowed with 10,000 euros.  

—How do you value having won the UPF Emprèn award?

It is a great financial help to receive this grant, a few months after launching, when you incur a lot of expenses and are getting little income and you need to invest to validate the business model. But in particular, it is recognition for the innovation we are introducing, and that’s exciting.

—Can you explain how the idea of creating Vasquiat.com came about?

At some time I don’t recall during my studies at UPF, I noticed a lot of promotions and discounts offered by the fashion industry. I thought that a decreasing cycle of prices encouraged consumers to buy late, which greatly harms the brands and is very frustrating for the buyer, who has paid more for an item which is then reduced or who has simply had to wait until end of season to purchase. I began to investigate whether this was really a problem, and when I saw that it was, I decided to think of a way to turn it around. Years later I set about doing it.

—How would you define the fashion consumers at the present time and what do they expect from their purchase?

There are many kinds of fashion buyer today. It should be pointed out that millennial consumers now have considerable purchasing power and have changed the rules. Generally speaking, new buyers enquire via Internet before buying, and increasingly do more online shopping. They are very unfaithful to the brand and purchase if they identify with its values. Therefore, brands must be continually looking for new ways to interact with them and no longer serve unilateral and general advertising messages for everyone. Thanks to the Internet and social networks, these consumers can compare prices and  are very knowledgeable, and so they are far more demanding. It is no longer enough to offer a catalogue of products to sell.

“It is no longer enough to offer a catalogue of products to sell"

—Why does the fashion industry traditionally benefit buyers who purchase later?

It is amazing how many times the price of a fashion item can be reduced. The full price of a new fashion collection lasts increasingly less time. I think this is due to the combination of digitization, with huge competition between brands and between retailers, and the behaviour of the new consumer.

—Is Internet changing the world of fashion? Does it have room to grow?

Less than 10% of fashion is sold over the Internet; there’s still a long way to go.

Rafael Blanc, accompanied by Núria Basi, president of the UPF Board of Trustees, Pelegrí Viader, deputy vice-rector

—What and which is the operating principle of your online platform?

Vasquiat.com is a private club that offers its members the opportunity to reserve future collections of luxury fashion at reduced prices. The sooner the reservation is made, the less you pay. The reduction ranges between 40% four months before and 10% in the last days. The normal way to join the club is by invitation of one of our brands. But it can also be applied for by filling out a form.

—How can Vasquiat.com benefit the brands?

We offer three major benefits: 1) Branding: we present their collections to a community of fashion lovers around the world and give special treatment to their customers. 2) Crowdfunding: through advanced sales, they can fund a part of the collection or produce on demand. 3) Data: the brands get feedback before bringing the clothes to market.

“With Vasquiat.com, consumers discover emerging brands and the upcoming trends”

—And the consumers?

They can get the latest luxury items, which have not come out yet, at a lower price. In addition, they discover emerging brands and upcoming trends, and belong to a worldwide community of industry people and fashion lovers. We give very personal treatment.

—What kind of brands and companies respond positively to your proposal?

So far almost 100% of the brands we have contacted have given a positive response. We started with emerging designers and medium brands, though always authentic international ones. Approaching these brands has given us the credibility of being an “expert” platform with personality, and has allowed us to learn a lot during these months. Now we are beginning to negotiate with major brands.

—How many customers do you have and which countries are they from?

We have thousands of members from more than fifty countries. Our sales come mainly from Spain, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France (from most to least volume).

“We are working to make Vasquiat.com a participatory platform”

—At which point is the Vasquiat.com project now and where is it heading?

Within a month we will be launching the new website, which is a major improvement compared to what we have, which is very basic. It will be technologically superior and in design, and it will offer collections we have previously presented to the club, but at full price and in a section open to the public. In addition, we are working to make Vasquiat.com a participatory platform, so that it is the community that dictates the trends. Now we are starting to prepare the next round of funding.

—Do you think university trains and encourages entrepreneurship enough?

The truth is I am not sure how to foster entrepreneurship. I think that doing multiple choice tests is quite the opposite of encouraging it. But on the other hand, Pompeu Fabra University offers many opportunities in this field.

> Video of the 2018 UPF Emprèn awards ceremony posted on YouTube