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By Sunday Ani
The CEO of TemmyGrace Apparel, a fashion designing outfit, Mrs Temitope Grace Ayeni has revealed that several disappointments from her designers as an undergraduate student, was what inspired her into fashion designing after she graduated from the Obafemi Awolowo University.
In this interview, Mrs Ayeni, who studied Demography and Social Statistics, speaks on her success tips, challenges and what the government should do to assist the sector among other issues.
Why did you abandon your course of study for fashion designing?
I was inspired to go into fashion designing due to disappointments from my designers, while I was still an undergraduate student at the Obafemi Awolowo University ile-ife. In my leisure time, what I do is sketch out beautiful designs because I love sketching out designs. So, oftentimes, when a design idea pops in my head, I’ll just sketch it out. So, whenever I want to make a new outfit, I will just pick one of my sketched designs and give it to my designers to make for me. But oftentimes, they get it so wrong, and whenever I wear the outfits without making proper adjustment, I will feel so uncomfortable, and this will make me less confident at whatever gathering I find myself putting on those outfits. So, oftentimes I lose them out and personally make adjustments with just needle and thread and it will come out perfectly well. I didn’t even have a sewing machine, but after all the disappointing experiences with my designers, I decided that I also need to not just sketch out designs, but also be able to perfectly make them.
I was also inspired by my friend then, who happens to be my husband presently. We were just close friends when we were in school. Although he was not in the same school with me, I met him through a friend and that was how it started, so when he discovered I love designing, he then encouraged me to attend a fashion school so as to be able to put my skills into effective use. I gave it some thoughts and felt that if I don’t listen to him, I will still continue having the same experience with my designers. I also felt I will be able to help those who are having the same experience as me, by helping them to feel confident in their style choices.
So when I decided to get trained, my husband and I started looking out for where I could be trained. After a successful search, I didn’t have enough to pay for my tuition fee. I then discussed with my husband, he assisted me with the tuition fee, and also got me all necessary materials required for the training. So, that’s how it all started
You have grown to a point that you now have a brand, how did you achieve that? Tell us about your brand.
Over time, my passion increased and became stronger day by day, so I decided to start up my own brand, which has been in existence for about years now. I named it after my initials, so from Temitope Grace, I got ‘TemmyGrace’ and because I love sketching out all kinds of clothing designs, I decided to name my brand TemmyGrace Apparel. I design and make stylish and trendy African and English designs for both men and women to build their confidence in whatever style of their choice, and also create a fashionable lifestyle for our clients
How has it been since you started?
It has been a wonderful, challenging, and demanding experience, but above all, it’s been a beautiful and worthy lifestyle for me.
Who are your target customers?
My target customers include women and men, across all ages. Men and Women today are increasingly interested in fashion. For that reason, we focus our target on those who are fashion conscious. TemmyGrace Apparel’s target market also includes local and international. My brand also engages in the online market space, with some marketing activities engaging men and women in the online space. And it has been working for my brand as most of my clients are from the social media space
How do you see your brand evolving in the future?
I see the TemmyGrace Apparel brand evolving globally with amazing and creative designs, influencing the world of fashion positively, implementing measures to broaden the world of fashion, and creating a fashionable lifestyle for our present and future clients.
What important lesson have you learnt in the fashion industry?
Being in the fashion industry has been a journey with so many experiences, but most importantly, I have learnt to embrace the difficulties that will occur, and to always be calm and stay flexible, work at a 100 percent, give everything you’ve got and don’t be afraid of making mistakes, because everything is for the sake of the experience. Without confidence, passion and determination, it will be hard to make it in the fashion industry.
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What type of fabric do you enjoy working with the most?
I enjoy working with African prints because they have a wide range of varieties of colours and prints. The prints are vivid, eye-catching, and very flexible. They’re lively and aesthetically enticing and they always look stunning.
What are your hopes and ambitions for the brand in the near future?
I hope to achieve a global recognition, to create more amazing designs, exploring some innovative textiles, technology, and also to network and collaborate with both local and international designers
How do you stay up to date with the latest fashion trends and incorporate them into your designs?
Fashion is an ever-changing landscape, with trends evolving rapidly and often. So, I updated by engaging with fashion media, including reading fashion magazines, following fashion blogs, and browsing fashion websites.These platforms often provide insights into the latest trends, snd emerging designers. I also attend fashion events happening around the world. So, having engaged in all of the above, I then come up with some ideas to incorporate into my designs
Where do you source your materials from and how is the acceptability of your products?
In the process of training, I was actually tutored on how to get quality materials and the right location to get them from. I also build cordial relationships with some of my supplier clients. I know how to sell quality materials, and at any point in time, I can call them to waybill some materials whenever I need them for my clients. And the satisfaction I have been getting from my clients is an assurance that I get my materials from the right sources.
What do you think the government should do to support female entrepreneurs in the country?
The government can support female entrepreneurs by making policies that will help access funding in such a way that they provide targeted grants, loans, and tax incentives to help women overcome financial barriers. There should also be mentorship and training programmes to connect female entrepreneurs with experienced mentors, skill-building workshops, and networking opportunities. The government should invest in technical education. It can also imbibe the culture of celebrating successes by highlighting and celebrating the achievements of female entrepreneurs to inspire and motivate others. By implementing some strategies, the governments can create a more inclusive environment that empowers female entrepreneurs to succeed and contribute to the economy. Creating online and offline spaces for women to connect, share experiences, and collaborate.
What does it take to start this business and what advice will you give to anyone who wants to go into the business?
To start a fashion brand doesn’t require much. Infact, basically, you start small to become great. I started mine at a corner in my home. After I rounded off from the fashion school, I just decided to talk to people and friends to create awareness on what I do as at that time because I didn’t have much to get a space at a preferred location. When I started my designs, people saw my pieces and they loved it, I got lots of encouragement in doing much better. My advice to all aspiring fashion designers is to fully express their passion for the profession. The fact is that it is very easy when you put your heart and mind to it. You’ll enjoy every bit of it when you fully get acquainted. Be confident, and passionate, and invest your time meaningfully. You need to make designing a lifestyle and you need to love what you do. Impress every customer’s mind with your beautiful and amazing designs.
What are some of the challenges you experience in the industry?
One of the challenges faced is logistics. The rate of shipment in and outside Nigeria is on a very high side, and when you charge the clients more to cover up for the shipment expenses, the clients feel you are charging too much and you’ll end up losing them. So, in order to avoid losing them, you’ll have to reduce your own charges for the awesome work you have done, leaving you with little or nothing, while we understand that we need to make money as a brand for sustainability.
Another challenge we face is that this is the era of Gen Z. A lot of these younger apprentices and stylists do not want to work, not to talk of dedicating their time. Oftentimes, when we have a heavy workload, you hardly find anyone to assist to meet up with a timeline for a particular project. Most times, there’s always little or no assistance to achieve a work project.
Another big challenge we are facing presently is inflation and economic downturn. This has really caused a big rise in the cost of textile, energy costs, labour cost, and logistics among others, which leads to higher prices for consumers and lower profits for us in the fashion industry. Also, this rise in the cost of most things we use has affected our consumers’ purchasing power, forcing them to opt for cheaper alternatives or delay purchasing altogether.
