Inspired by her tailor-mother, Victoria James aka Veekee James decided to launch her brand three years ago, offering unisex services to clients at home and abroad. In this interview with Oluwatomisin Amokeoja, she shares the high and low moments of the business, and what the government must do to keep Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) afloat. Excerpts:
I am from a family of three children, I am an only daughter with two brothers.
We were all born and raised in Ajegunle, Lagos, mostly by mom as my dad passed when we were still so little, there were great times and a lot of really tough times but that all shaped me into the resilient young businesswoman that I have become.
I went to primary and secondary school in Lagos, then embarked on a tertiary journey for a Degree in Biochemistry at the University of Uyo, which did not go as my family would’ve liked it at the time.
I was one of the brightest kids from high school but at college, my fashion business side kept fighting the academics and it won, a flawless victory might I add.
I dropped from college to pursue the life I now live and love in fashion.
I believe firmly in education and so on, I will bag my first degree.
What informed your interest in fashion?
My mother was a tailor, she was great at it.
In fact, that was how she was able to raise us, she had many different young girls trained under her, so that space was a natural resource for me.
I hung around there so long the skill just found its way to me, so much so that I actually started sewing without any cautious intent to learn because it came so naturally.
I kept doing it and I made so many dresses for friends from high school for free because it felt good, it did not feel like work at all, it does now, but I love it dearly.
Tell us about Veekee James as a brand.
Veekee James is a luxury fashion brand and I do not say that to imply that we are expensive as that is subjective, but because the very foundation of our service is to ensure that when any client puts on an item from us, they feel really good.
To wear Veekee James is to look and feel good and that is what luxury means to me.
How long have you been in business?
Almost too long, I might say, I have done so much from childhood, I made and sold knitted accessories from like 8 years old, started making dresses, went into hairdressing and make-overs, then finally settled with fashion designing.
None of these ventures failed, I made good strides with every handwork I tried, I would transition into a new creative area and would keep getting countless consistent calls from clients and referrals from my previous vocational adventure.
One would argue that Veekee James is at least 7 years old because I had decided to stick to fashion design around that time, but I would say the brand is just about 3 years old.
The level of business awareness and discipline I have developed to build a fashion business like Veekee James can only be allotted to the past three years, in fact, the level of growth the brand has seen from only 2 years ago is alarming and almost feels a lot like dream.
So I would say that Veekee James as a brand has been in business for 3 years.
What makes your brand outstanding?
Authenticity, the absolute intent to be originally creative in design.
Where do you draw your inspiration?
From few designers online, the creative international fashion space and God who has blessed me with such a gifted mind and talent.
Tell us about some of your brand accomplishments.
There’s been a few awards, then there’s the immense growth of my social media.
When people interact like that, you know you offer great value.
What would you consider as your most notable accomplishment as a brand?
Definitely the expansion of the business in this year, half of it is not gone and we have surpassed the financial target, the showroom has been revamped to perfection, a new separate workspace is ready for the staff and business just keeps rolling in.
Building a brand with exceptional growth like this is definitely my biggest accomplishment.
What’s your work mantra and brand specialization?
Mantra? Well it is to always seek perfection on every idea, that way you can get as close as possible to perfection even if you do not attain it, as for specialization, the brand is very versatile, there are no bonds.
As a young lady in this line of business, how do you keep up with meeting clients deadline?
Well, I would be very wrong to imply that I have the absolute perfect plan for this, but honestly one has to really love what they do so that when you have to work into the late hours of the night, which is almost all the time, you are not losing sleep and doing what you do not love at the same time.
Be willing to invest in adequate human resources and good equipment, it should not all be done by oneself and do not take on more than you can, be hungry not greedy.
Also, who are your role models?
My very fabulous self.
Where do you see your brand in the next 10 years?
Bigger, a lot bigger with several spaces beyond Nigeria.
Is the country’s economy favorable to MSMEs like yourself?
The true answer to this is in my view: NO!
That is my opinion and it might be subjective.
What role do you think the government can play in supporting growth of MSMEs?
The government needs to be intentional about SME growth, policies need to be developed to encourage the creation and sustainability of small businesses, more easily accessible SME funding initiatives, relaxed and growth facilitating tax regulations and rates, swift and affordable SME legalization procedures and a lot less custom/excise duties and shipping regulations, which is a major problem.
I would like to believe that government knows what to do.
How do you unwind?
I do not get to do that as often as I should, but I get outdoors with family and friends, depends on the mood, might go see a movie, go clubbing, eat somewhere, the normal stuff.
I must begin to travel more, I have not had the time for it.
Any other information you would love to put out?
I must send love to my online community for all the love and support, they really go hard for me and my client base in Nigeria and abroad, especially because more than 80% of my clientele are based abroad but they support me so much and keep coming with all the referrals, I just want to say that I am so grateful for all of you, thank you so much!!!
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