Building a brand in London requires structure, discipline, and a deep understanding of the market. Svitlana Fedorchuk accomplished this within just a few years, transforming her personal experience into a holistic beauty concept. In this interview, she shares her strategic vision, the most common mistakes entrepreneurs make, and her plans for scaling LUMIÁ.
Today you live and work in London. What was your journey from Ukraine to creating your own beauty brand in the world’s fashion capital?
I’ve been in the beauty industry for more than ten years. I started at 20, and since then I’ve never felt that this was “just a job.” For me, it’s an art form. I’ve always loved drawing, and in essence, what I do today is the same creativity, just in a different format. Instead of a canvas, I work with women’s hands and living energy.
In Ukraine, I created my own brand under my last name, Fedorchuk. When I moved to London, I didn’t look for a new path — I continued my own. I knew exactly that I would build my business here.
In the second week after relocating, I started working in a British salon. It was important for me not simply to begin, but to understand the market from the inside: service, mentality, and client expectations. It was a strategic step. Very quickly, I realized that I could offer a higher standard. Five months later, I opened my own studio in London. It was a small room on the third floor, without a loud sign, but with a strong vision.
In two years, our doors welcomed more than 1,500 women with unique stories who came to “get their nails done.” For me, this is not just a number. It’s proof of trust. People returned not only for manicures. They came back for the atmosphere, for the sense of care, for that feeling: “you matter here.” I always felt this exchange of energy — when a client leaves happier than when she arrived. In those moments, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be.
LUMIÁ Beauty looks like a well-developed luxury project. What was the original concept behind the brand, and how has it evolved?
The original concept was very clear and simple: quality that was missing in London at that time. When I first arrived in London three years ago, I saw that the beauty service market significantly lagged behind Ukraine in terms of technique and attention to detail. I realized there was room for a new standard. I wanted “good” to become the minimum. And it worked.
Over time, the market changed. Ukrainian specialists began opening salons actively, and the level increased. I understood that simply working with high quality was no longer enough. That was when I decided to rebrand. The last name “Fedorchuk” was pronounced differently in Britain — sometimes very creatively. I felt the brand needed to sound simpler, but deeper. That is how LUMIÁ was born. LUMIÁ comes from the word “light.” My name, Svitlana, also means light. This is not a coincidence. For me, beauty is not only about nail shape or polish color. It’s about a woman’s state, her inner light.
In the rhythm of London, where everyone is constantly rushing, I want to create a space for pause. A place where you can breathe, slow down, and remember yourself. We enhance outer beauty, but most importantly, we remind women about their inner beauty. This depth now defines the DNA of LUMIÁ.
Over time, LUMIÁ has become more than a service for me. Last year, I went through a very powerful personal transformation. It was the most difficult period of my life in many ways. That was when I realized something simple and honest: nothing matters if you lose your inner light. You can have a beautiful business, achievements, numbers. But if it is dark inside, none of it has value.
That was when I understood that I want to share not only aesthetics, but a state. I want to support women who are going through their own transformations. I want to create a space where they can pause, breathe, and feel themselves again.
LUMIÁ is about the opportunity to stop time, even if only for an hour. And in that pause, to remember who you are. This direction is still evolving, but I feel we are moving in the right direction. Very soon, it will become even more visible in our space.
You work in a highly competitive environment. What allows LUMIÁ to stand out among other beauty spaces in London?
Today, most brands compete on the surface level: price, speed, marketing, volume. We consciously chose a different path.
LUMIÁ is a holistic beauty and wellness space. We work not only with form, but with state. Yes, we have a high technical standard — that is the foundation. But the key is the atmosphere of slowing down. In London, everyone is running. We create a pause. We work in the slow beauty format: without rush, without a conveyor system, without the feeling that you are just another slot in the schedule.
We remember our clients’ stories: who is preparing for a wedding, who is going through a difficult period, who is launching a business, who is experiencing transformation. LUMIÁ is a space where a woman can stop, reconnect with herself, and leave not only with beautiful hands, but with a sense of inner support. In a world where everyone tries to be louder, we choose to be deeper. I believe this approach represents the future of the beauty industry.
Many Ukrainian entrepreneurs are entering international markets today. What are the most common mistakes they make?
I can speak only from my own experience. My main lesson: talent without systems does not scale. When I started in London, I had no mentor and no experience in an international market. I learned through mistakes. The most painful lesson was that without structure and discipline, business becomes chaos.
You can be a talented specialist. You can have a beautiful Instagram and great reviews. But if you don’t understand:
• cost structure;
• the tax system of the country;
• the difference between revenue and net profit;
• CAC and LTV metrics;
• the scaling model,
you remain self-employed rather than building a company.
The second mistake is copying a model that worked in Ukraine without adaptation. The UK market has a different culture of trust. Reputation sells more than gloss. Google ratings influence decisions more than a beautiful feed. Simplicity and transparency in communication matter more than perfect visuals.
The third is financial literacy. If you plan large revenue, you must think like a CFO, even if you are a creative person.
In the international market, the most systematic wins, not the most talented.
Today, a founder’s personal brand often influences business success. How important is it for you to be public?
I don’t see publicity as an end in itself. For me, it is a powerful tool. I understand that today, a personal brand is an extension of the business. When there is a real person behind the company, with a story, values, and vision, it creates a different level of trust. But honestly, I am still preparing for this step.
Depth is closer to me than noise. I don’t want to become public just because it is expected. I want to do it consciously, when I am ready to speak not only about services but about the philosophy behind the brand.
A salon can serve only a limited number of people per day. Through social media, you can build a much larger community. I see great potential in that.
This year, I plan to show up more. But it will not be a perfectly polished blog full of filters and gloss. If I go public, it will be real. Because if we talk about inner light, it should not look like an advertisement.
For me, recognition matters only when it carries meaning.
What is your strategic vision for LUMIÁ over the next three to five years?
Over the next five years, I see LUMIÁ as an international holistic beauty and wellness brand.
We started in London, but I don’t think in terms of one city. The plan is expansion into global capitals. London is just the beginning. I am interested in markets where luxury, dynamic energy, and strong female audiences come together. But for me, scale is not only geography. I want LUMIÁ to be recognized not simply as a beauty salon, but as a concept. As an approach to beauty where aesthetics and inner state are connected. We plan to develop wellness directions, signature rituals, our own products, and formats that support women both externally and internally.
I do not see LUMIÁ as a salon opening new locations. It is a multi-location model with a membership ecosystem and retreats in the future. The first one will most likely take place at the end of 2026.
LUMIÁ is a brand that is shaping a new culture of beauty. This is already a strategy: to build not just a space, but a system of values that can scale without losing depth. The details will remain behind the scenes — you will see everything soon.
