Olajumoke Opeyemi Ayinla-Ehiabhi, is the creative brain behind Jay Stitches – one of the fastest growing fashion houses in Jos, Plateau State. Jumoke holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy. She worked with MTN as a call center representative for two (2) years after which she left to pursue her passion in fashion designing.
Tell us about your journey into the world of fashion
My journey into the fashion world was borne out of a passion for creativity. This started since I was a little girl of about 8 yrs. I loved drawing and painting girls in beautiful dresses. And then I had this neighbour that was a tailor who taught me how to use thread and needle to make baby doll dresses. So, I would say I had my first training with her (although free). Once I knew how to use the needle and thread well, I started sewing/mending everything sew-able and mend-able.
My dad saw my passion and encouraged me; he would give me his buttons to tack and newspapers to cut and sew but he also encouraged me to have a good formal education which I did.
In February 2010, I went back to pursue my passion. I had 6 months training with a local tailor where I learnt the rudiments of tailoring. Afterwards I proceeded to get an advanced training for 1 year in a fashion school and then online training. I finally launched into the fashion world in 2013, making dresses from the comfort of my home with just one manual machine while still taking online trainings. Today I have a fashion house with many industrial machines and workers.
How did you come up with the brand name Jay Stitches?
The brand name jaystitches came from my nickname and the desire to personalize my work. People call me Jay, Jmk, Jummy etc…. so I decided to add stitches to the name and of all, ‘Jay’ sounded more appropriate. so Jumoke stitches became Jaystitches.
Why did you prefer running a business to a salary job?
I have never liked the idea of being on a salary job even as a child. My parents had a paid job and it was just crazy how they would have to work so hard and do some extra things just to make ends meet. My dad was a banker who was hardly at home and mum a teacher who still had to run extramural lessons to augment what she was paid as a teacher . We had a family friend who owned her own business and to me then (as a child) she didn’t do much yet her family enjoyed every form of luxury you can think of. I envied her a lot and just wanted to be like her.
What are your challenges in business?
Like every other business, the fashion business has its own challenges too and I have had my own fair share of it. One major challenge is the fluid nature of fashion trend. It’s risky to produce ready-to-wear cloths in bulk because cloth designs have limited shelf life. What is in vogue today might not be tomorrow. Another challenge is increasing cost of raw materials; yet one needs to be careful in bulk buying because clients can switch from using some fabrics in a twinkle of an eye. Take for example chiffon, taffeta and raw silk fabrics used to be in vogue, all of a sudden people dumped them for satin and sample lace fabrics. Now what’s in vogue is tulle net, net lace etc. So in bulk purchase, one needs be careful otherwise you will get no return on investing in fabrics. And then, electricity issue is also a big challenge. Most times I have to work with alternative source of power supply.
What can you say about fashion trend in Plateau State?
The growing trend in the fashion industry generally is a shift away from making ordinary garment to a more sophisticated design and Plateau state is not left out on this moving trend. There is a shift from just wearing a boring garment to wearing something that is eye popping. Everyone wants to stand out in every occasion and so, are ready to pay the price to look good.
What is Jay Stitches’ competitive advantage in Plateau State?
In plateau state where many outfits depend on high labour inputs, Jaystitches utilizes industrial machines with highly skilled labor in design and production. We also adopt smart approach to marketing with increasing social media presence. We make use of quality fabrics in producing our ready to wear line. We pay attention to every tiny detail in garment production with a view to having a perfect finish while meeting delivery deadlines. We also produce bespoke wears for both women and children. Above all we love to get feedbacks from our clients to guarantee maximum satisfaction.
What is the greatest lesson you have learnt in business?
There is always a lesson or two to learn as far as business is concerned. Generally in business I have learnt to differentiate between the business and the business owner. I maintain separate accounts for both. I have also learnt the true meaning of the saying that “customer is a king”. Doing business in Plateau State has taught me how to read clients’ mind. Some of them can’t articulate their design concept clearly, so I need to be able to see things from their perspective, step into their world and interpret things in a way that makes fashion sense. I have also learnt to set sentiments apart in business transactions.
If you were not a fashion designer, what other passion would you have ventured into?
I probably would have been a fine artist or a caterer…..I just love creativity and working with colours.
What is your view on the current state of the economy and what impact does it have on your business?
The present state of the economy for me, is one that has taught many Nigerians to sit up and make use of their brains to make ends meet. Now the flip side of this is that many have become so desperate to make ends meet so much so that they would do anything and give everything for it. The funny thing is we have never had a ‘good’ economy as it were, we only say we had it better when compared to the present state. With respect to its effect on my business, I should say the economy is so tough that people cannot afford to pay well for my service as and when due. But sincerely I have had to shift my view and reprioritize in a way that mitigates the effect of the economy on my business. I have learnt to maximize limited resources, limit my cost of production and get maximum profit. I would say some government policies such as the campaign for patronizing made in Nigerian goods is also a plus to the business as many of my clients now use more of African fabrics for exquisite styles and accessories.
How did you raise capital to start and run your business?
Like I said earlier, I started the business from the comfort of my home with just one manual machine which I bought from my personal savings. So start-up capital wasn’t a huge thing for me. Once I started, I built up on what I had. So I would say my start-up capital was from my personal savings.
Did you have any form of training in tailoring and in running business?
Yes, I did mention before that in becoming a fashion designer I had to train first with a local tailor (Bashbel fashions) for 6 months then a fashion school (Shimsi fashion house, Jos) for a year and then completed several online tutorials (sewing guru, shabby fabrics, Bilikis tutorials). And in running a business as SME, I had a 3 months training on ‘How to Start, Maintain and Grow a Small-Scale Business’ with National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Jos.
What was your biggest fear when going out and starting your fashion business?
My greatest fear when I was to launch out was having to ruin people’s fabrics, so for months I sewed just for myself. People would see my work and be like wow “I love your outfit. Did you make it?” And then I’ll go quiet! I was scared to say yes so they won’t ask me to make one for them. And then once I crossed that bridge, there was also the fear of having enough patronage to be able to pay my bills from sewing.
How do you want women and children to feel when wearing your clothes?
Nothing gives me so much satisfaction as seeing my customers wearing my signature outfits without buyer’s remorse and total satisfaction.
There are so many people venturing into fashion designing and tailoring today. What would be your advice to them?
Well! first I would say the industry is getting vast as more people venture into it. My advice to new entrants is to carve a niche for themselves. Know what you are good at and stick to it. Don’t try to venture into a branch of the fashion industry because others do. There are various aspects of the industry such as garment production, fabrics production, beddings (bed sheets and the rest), inner wears production, shoes and bags etc. Whichever you decide to venture into make sure you have a good training to be able to withstand the competition.
Who is your fashion design industry inspiration?
I get my inspiration from a number of people both locally and internationally. Some of them are Ceoluminee, Lanre DaSilva(LDS),Valdrin Sahiti
What is your work ethics like and how do you balance family and work?
On work ethics, I value working hard and smart. Prompt delivery of customer’s order is paramount to me. Every client is as important as the other, so orders are treated on first come first serve basis.
I also believe in valuing my work appropriately. Sometimes customers want you to undercut your value. This is not an option for me no matter the condition.
I do not bite more than I can chew. So I don’t take jobs I know I won’t be able to beat the deadline.
On work-life balance, I found a routine that works quite well for me. I am a mother and a wife. I try my best to balance that role alongside running my business.
I work out my daily schedule in such a way that my roles don’t clash. My day starts at 5 a.m to set breakfast, prepare the children for school, do chores and prepare lunch. I then resume to work at 9 a.m. I break between 2 p.m-3 p.m to pick up children from school. I close at 5 p.m to prepare dinner then resume back to work at 7 p.m and close at 11 p.m. So I can say I work 9 hours everyday.