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Newsexpress Day Feature Questions

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26 views3 pages

Newsexpress Day Feature Questions

Uploaded by

iqmobiletutor
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How Esther Alo is showcasing her creative fashion talent on a global stage.

Tell me about yourself.


 My name is Esther Olubusayo Alo, often called Busayo by most acquaintances, I am the
creative director and managing partner of ESTHER ALO, and I have been a fashion designer
for about ten years. I attended a prestigious fashion school around me at the time, I was
taught how to hone my creative thinking skills and to understand customer’s needs and the
business of fashion itself, I have however not stopped learning because there is always
something new to learn every day.

What inspired you to establish Esther Alo brands?


 I come from a family of fashion professionals, from my mom to extended aunts and friends,
I’ve always been around creatives, and to further harness my skills I invested in training and
courses locally and abroad which has inspired my creativity. My mom always had us in the
latest fashion as children, which made my siblings and I well-known amongst our peers. I
want my clients to know exactly who is styling and creating designs for them and that’s me
ESTHER ALO, When they wear their outfits, they should be able to put a name to the
designer. Nonetheless, the first name given to the brand was ‘Verstyle by Busayo’, but then
my name changed after marriage and teaming up with my husband who garnered+ over 7
years of experience in digital marketing and branding, The brand went through a rebirth and
strategic customer-centred positioning that grew our clientele into different continents.

What was your initial start-up capital? How were you able to raise it and when precisely
was your business established?

 Over the years, the brand has gone through some processes and growth, when I established
the business, I had some money saved, and my mom owned several sewing machines which
was given to me. I approached some women whom I knew liked fashion and I showed them
my graduating collection, they were very happy to make their outfits from me and I began
designing dresses almost immediately after graduating from fashion school. This was in 2012.

How would you say your business has grown since starting?

 We have gotten great feedback, especially on our latest collection termed “Afro-western”
and we have seen that there’s a strong demand for our services internationally, we now have
a diverse clientele base, which makes potential business partners and collaborators get in
contact with us. We also have had loyal clients over the years who recommend the brand to
others, which has been unique and truly remarkable.

The fashion industry is highly saturated. What are you doing differently to stay in business?

 We focus on the quality of our designs; every luxurious piece from us is truly in fact luxury.
We also love getting to know our clients, engaging with them, and ensuring they get the
highest standard of customer service. Additionally, the fast-paced nature of the fashion
industry, with new trends and styles constantly emerging also contributes to the drive so we
stay ahead and keep up the pace to satisfy our clients.
How many numbers of employees do you currently have?

 We are a team of designers ranging from pattern drafters to fashion illustrators and tailors
working closely together and on the business side we have consultants and managing
partners for business development, marketing strategists and general brand positioning.

What strategy have you adopted to survive the impact of accelerating inflation?

 We have developed the art and science of price change and reevaluated our business
practices thus spending in the right areas such as branding and marketing. The current
inflation surge has had a negative impact on most fashion brands, but we are making
ourselves more accessible to our clients in terms of our online and offline presence, We
make the process of getting custom-made designs seamless for them, which has been our
unique selling point. Also, we prioritize and segment our clients accordingly without
compromising on standards. Some are willing to pay slightly higher for quick remote and
seamless services while others plan long enough to work with our scheduled time at an
economically friendly price.

How would you evaluate Nigeria’s fashion industry and where would you say opportunities
in the industry lie?

 Nigeria’s fashion industry is flourishing, it is currently enjoying an unprecedented level of


exposure that translates into a unique opportunity for designers, Nigerian designers are
becoming regular features on some of the world’s runways, and gaining footholds with
celebrities, this is a great time to carve a niche in the fashion sector and promote our brands
to a mass market. It’s just like our music, we say There can't be Afrobeats without
Afrowears. The very fact that Afrobeats exportation is on the rise has made every aspect of
our culture that hinges on it a good sell and fashion is a major.

What are some of your expansion plans?

 We live in a digital world, so creating and designing clothing must happen online, People are
interested in what can make their overall styling experience memorable and without fuss,
We are here for it, and we are making sure to use the latest technology to reach our clients.
We have an online presence that makes us globally reachable, currently supply some
boutiques in the United Kingdom and have clients that constantly patronize us across every
continent.

What are the major challenges you have faced since starting your business?

 One major challenge is building our brand outside of Nigeria, Most people are not well-
informed about making custom-made outfits, and some have never had their measurements
taken, this goes further in not recognising their need for bespoke designs. Forming major
partnerships with global brands and the process of establishing the brand outside of Africa
requires patience and strategy.
How have you been able to deal with these challenges?

 We have worked hard to create an understanding of the type of service we offer through our
designs, social media and referrals and we have gotten tremendous feedback from our target
audience, we have loads of requests for bespoke wear and it's exciting to see the interest
from our diverse global reach. I have come to realize that the most important skill for a
successful fashion designer is creative thinking. Creativity in the fashion space typically
entails a holistic understanding of customers' needs which can be sometimes interestingly
daunting and meeting them in a way that creates mutual satisfaction. Effective
communication skills can never be overemphasized, every idea and concept must be
explained in the simplest details to avoid any iota of ambiguity. These skills also help to
establish and maintain healthy relationships with colleagues and customers. Another
essential skill in this industry is honesty. One important lesson I've learned in my decade-long
experience in the fashion sector is that customers appreciate designers who tell them the
truth rather than giving them false promises.

What is your advice to other entrepreneurs?

 Be persistent and focus on the task at hand, do what it takes to find and give value to what
you love. Also, always make realistic plans.

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