Hello Hive
Ever since I got acquainted with my neighbor here who is also a fashion designer we have been sharing knowledge on different subject both in fashion and outside of it.
She has also shared with me some of the challenges she is facing in her fashion business since she is already in business already and not like myself who is still in the planning stage
Having said that I took my time to teach her some of the things she needs to learn in order to boost her fashion business forward. Been unschooled and having leart how to sew from a local apprentice these are the some of the aspect of fashion elite individuals make use of in order to thrive financially in the business of fashion.
The business of fashion is one subject in the fashion industry so many people have failed to learn , talking about the concept of pricing and selling of her ready made fashion outfits.
How to purchase fabrics
How to make people pay based on time and type of sewing projects...
How best to sell your ready to wear.
Once in awhile our conversation moves in different direction and we are learning a lot from each other.
While working on this simple Boubou dress with her this Afternoon I have noticed another pressing challenge she is facing even when she hadn't told me.
Her sewing machine is broken and this is not a good impression for a fashion designer in business. Having quality machines to work with gives one a very good impression and quality product.
Most of the machines sold to us in our country these days are very inferior and for a sewing machine of barely a year old, I wasn't expecting this much damage.
Due to the mindset of people here who often prefer to purchase inferior products at cheap price,
the companies selling machines here purposely place order for inferior machines from marketers importing into the country
If quality machines are brought here and sold at high price of their worth, you will hardly see my people go for those ones, they prefer to spend less amount of money on inferior products and that has been some of the challenges causing a spike in the trade of inferior items across the country. You barely find a standard quality machine unless want to place an order for it to be shipped in for you.
They say that first impression matters alot and I want anyone coming into her shop here to meet quality working tool and be convince that they are guaranteed quality outfits with the machinery available. Sewing on this machine is a game of luck,very stressful and annoying as it is bend in . While I had cut a simple thin fabric for the Boubou and was working on the machine, I realized how difficult working with it can be. She has been managing it like this for a while with all the frustration. How can you be creative when your working tools are giving you a headache continually. I asked her this question but she had no means to help the situation and has barely gathered a good sum from the business to either purchase a new machine or otherwise.
Looking at how my rays of machines give me Joy while using them to work at home, The good spirit in me wouldn't let me be at peace until I find a solution to this. So I will be heading out to see how I can get this fixed for her or a savings plan to get a new machine .
I have learnt that empowering a women can go along way to save a family from poverty and if this is one way I can be of help here I will gladly find out the solution..
Eventually the Boubou dress was ready and I left her to sew a pant to go along with the dress since I was already frustrated using the broken machine.
I hope that we can get this fixed as soon as possible.
What do you think of the outfit?.