Vesper Ireland wants you to make meaningful connections.
We talk to Brand Consultant, events creator, and former Basic.Space Head of Partnerships, Vesper Ireland on her new venture, VESCORP.
The buzz of branded events - air kisses, camera flashes, and the fleeting clout of being close to the cultural elite - is often just that: a buzz. A momentary champagne high that feels effervescent in the moment but passes quickly, leaving little opportunity for real connection.
Vesper Ireland, however, is seeking to do things a little differently. With her new venture, VESCORP that’s part social club, part brand consultancy, Vesper’s on a mission to not only change the way we connect with brands, but also one another.
Off the back of the first-ever VESCORP Summer Retreat, Vesper sits down with me to share her journey from Styling Assistant to VESCORP founder (by way of Gigi Hadid and Basic.Space), what makes a good brand partnership, and her vision for helping the fashion industry build meaningful, lasting connections.
You've had such a diverse career in fashion, from working as a stylist assistant to now running your own company, VESCORP. Can you tell us about how you got your start?
Vesper Ireland: I had a pretty nontraditional path but it was always my dream to work in fashion so I dropped out of college and started working in New York when I was very young.
My first role was as an assistant to stylist Tom Van Dorpe, who was at the time, working with Harper’s Bazaar, Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss. There were a lot of big names across commercial and editorial work and it gave me a really great grounding.
Eventually though I hit a point where I wanted to try something new and I didn’t know whether I wanted to become a stylist, and that’s when I met Gigi Hadid…
What was your experience like working with Gigi (Hadid) as her Assistant? What was it like going from Styling Assistant to Personal Assistant?
Vesper Ireland: Working with Gigi was an incredible experience. I met her on set for her W Magazine cover, where I was assisting stylist Carlos Nazario. She was extremely down to earth and genuine. Knowing I wanted to transition out of styling assisting, I gave her my number for potential future employment, and after a couple of months, I was hired to be her assistant.
While I was able to revisit a lot of my relationships in the fashion industry, it was definitely not the same job so it was very cool to be able to move into a new world with a steady cadence and routine.
I was at a crossroads in my life when the role came about. I was in the interview process with W Magazine for a fashion editor role, which would’ve been a great continuation of my styling career... but as I tend to do, I took the more unique and risky opportunity, and asked my intuition to lead me down a more diversified path.
Working as Head of Partnership at Basic.Space seemed like it would’ve been a bit of a blend between your fashion work and your time as a personal assistant. What was it like there?
Vesper Ireland: Basic Space was a fantastic learning ground. I wanted to grow my experiences beyond being an assistant and have more autonomy. So, I fully stepped into working on freelance projects for a short time in 2021. Then, through a friend, I connected with the founder of Basic Space, an e-commerce startup that curates pre-approved tastemakers like Emily Oberg and Virgil Abloh. They wanted me to help build their presence in New York through brand and talent partnerships. I started at the end of 2021 and soon became the Head of Partnerships, managing all global partnerships and helping to build out the team. It was a departure from my previous roles, allowing me to own my lane and learn more about business strategy, marketing, and being an effective part of an organization. Basic Space helped me come into my own, and it was probably the most normal job I've had in my life, not that it was normal (laughs).
With so many collaborations and partnerships happening in the industry, what do you think makes a successful collaboration?
Vesper Ireland: Authenticity is key. We're inundated with collaborations, but the ones that stand out are those that feel genuine. That’s why it’s important to take the time to find the right partners who align with your brand's ethos and will help you stay true to your vision. I love fully immersive experiences that bring people into the brand's world from A to Z. I think everyone is excited by trendiness and pop culture references. I love those too but I’m more rooted in classic experiences. I love and respect a high low moment but maybe my version of that would be similar to Chanel taking over a diner.
Now, you're leading VESCORP. How did the idea for VESCORP come about, and what is your vision for it?
Vesper Ireland: VESCORP came from my desire to create more intentional and meaningful connections in the fashion and lifestyle industry. It's a two-part company: one part focuses on agency work, building brand identities through experiential moments, and the other part is about hosting my own curated events. I want to bring together tastemakers, thought leaders, and influencers in a way that fosters genuine connections and deep conversations. Fashion has a lot events but often it’s hard to spark something when there’s a lot of people and sensory overload so I want to change that and create a high impact, smaller-scale events that truly resonate with people.
Your events aim to counteract the often superficial nature of influencer gatherings. How do you curate these experiences to ensure they are impactful?
Vesper Ireland: I focus on creating smaller, more intentional gatherings. It's not about hosting huge events but rather bringing together a curated group of people who can have meaningful interactions. I pay attention to every detail, from the venue to the guest list, ensuring that the environment is conducive to real conversations and connections.
And you’ve just hosted your first retreat for VESCORP as well? Can you tell us how it unfolded?
Vesper Ireland: The VESCORP retreat was a culmination of everything I believe in—authentic partnerships and meaningful experiences. We had about 15 brand partners intricately woven into the retreat. I was very selective about the brands, choosing those that I personally use and trust, like Costa Brazil and Maison D’etto, to reflect the calibre of experience we wanted to provide.
The slogan of the retreat was ‘get away, to get back to yourself,’ centering around wellness but not strictly in the conventional understanding of the word. We provided healthy food made from fresh, local ingredients but it wasn’t all “clean/vegan” food. We thought about wellness more in the sense of letting go and getting back to yourself - making connections, having a cocktail, staying up late having meaningful conversations on the couch.
We paid attention to every detail, from the sheets by Ettitude to the Away luggage. I wanted to create a special, subsurface connection between our guests and the brands. The retreat was also highly immersive, and we had over 100 UGC posts with tons of tagging, not only for VESCORP but for the partner brands.
The programming itself was very purposeful. We included a mantra workshop to set intentions to support participants' goals, followed by meditations and even solo self-care activities like lymphatic drainage treatments. We had engaging conversations, including a talk on women’s health by Chelsea Leyland and another on nutrition by Faye Baygi from Nutrifaye. To further connect everyone, we organized activities like a farm tour and wine tasting, which informed and bonded the participants. Real friendships were formed during these moments.
I concepted and produced the retreat myself. It was a mad dash to put it together in just two months after Callisto Farms reached out to me in April. While it wasn’t 100% perfect, I achieved what I wanted to: learnings and lasting impressions.
Looking ahead, I want to expand these retreats domestically and internationally, partnering with hotel groups and other brands. It’s truly an immersive gifting suite where people can connect with brands, covering everything from hair care and skin care to food items.
On a personal note, this retreat was a learning lesson in becoming a better collaborator. It enlightened me to how wonderful it feels to empower others and be part of something bigger. In the midst of production, my mom reminded me that sometimes the purpose is the process, not the result. This retreat, the biggest project I’ve ever done, taught me that it’s about the journey and the connections made along the way.
In an era dominated by algorithms and AI, how do you see the role of human curation and taste-making evolving?
Vesper Ireland: While algorithms can be useful tools, especially in influencer marketing and discovery, they can't replace the nuance of human curation. Authenticity and personal connections are important. People crave unique, genuine experiences that algorithms can't replicate. I think we need more analog methods to find out what truly makes us unique and to create novel ideas and it’s part of the reason why I wanted to start these events.
Vesper’s Taste
What are you reading at the moment?
Vesper Ireland: I started gardening recently and I picked up a book called Natural Magic that speaks to that hobby. The book centers on Emily Dickinson and Charles Darwin who both studied natural science. It’s an interesting read about the juxtaposition between how the two approached the same topic - Emily Dickinson being more of a poet than Darwin having a more scientific sensibility.
What are you listening to?
Vesper Ireland: I’ve found myself trading music for manifestations and listening to recorded tracks of Louise Hay manifestations. This helps me ride out overwhelming periods with work.
Anything on the wishlist?
Vesper Ireland: For somebody who's so surrounded by fashion all the time I don't really shop that often for specific things. For a while I was hunting for good, thin cashmere sweaters, but I kind of filled that bucket. I'm always interested in a new set of sheets. I love the Ettitude ones from the retreat. I also am always keen to scoop up Agent Nateur products and they just released a new supplement called “calm (beauty)”.
Where you hanging out?
Vesper Ireland: My friends joke that I’m a townie that hangs out at Bernie’s in Greenpoint. I’ve never been a regular anywhere but I might be approaching that status at Bernie’s. My favourite thing to do is have a glass of wine and mozzarella sticks on the sidewalk and people watch.
Follow Vesper
IG: Vesper Ireland
IG: VESCORP