Today we’d like to introduce you to Keiana Rogers.
Keiana, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started out making simple T-shirts for myself and my family. We like exclusive and different clothing which is hard to find in store, so I figured why not make it. My family members began to post their shirts on social media and before I knew it, I was making shirts for others. So I decided to take this small operation and make it a business. At first, I was going to name my business “Kloth Kouture” but I wasn’t sold on it. My best Friend Ashely came up with the name “Honey Kouture” which i fell in love with! The honey represents my late Grandfather, Arthur Henry. The “K” in Kouture is derived from my late grandmother Katherine Graham. Lastly, The word Kouture came from my late great-grandmother Rosetta Malvo who introduced me to fashion and couture items. As you can tell family is everything to me lol.
Over time, I went from making shirts to custom sandals and more. I started to notice most of my customers enjoyed purchasing items for their children and I focused on that. I started researching children’s clothing and accessories to expand my business. I prayed and asked God to enlarge my territory because I was tired of only making shirts and I wanted to explore my creativity. During the 2020 Winter storm, I posted on Facebook that I needed models to try certain outfits and from there my brand took off. I started sewing custom outfits and more for children. Something I had been afraid to do because I only knew how to hand sew small items, but after some training from YouTube University I was confident in my sewing. In the beginning, I took orders from my Facebook and Instagram DMs. That became overwhelming so I decided to move my business to ETSY. There I gained customers from all over, and I even shipped to Alaska. I recently decided to move my store to Shopify for a more personal feel.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Owning a small business has its challenges. My biggest challenges to date have been pricing and knowing how to set boundaries ies.
When starting off a business , no one really explains pricing. I wanted it to be reasonable and affordable. However, after the numbers weren’t adding up, I had to reevaluate my finances. I found a way to pay myself and continue to offer affordable items to my clients.
After some time of being in business, I found myself always saying “Yes” to orders. I quickly experienced burn out and my customer service tanked. I had to close my online store and take some time to regroup, refocus and reset. I established rules and business hours and challenged myself to only respond during those hours. The road is still rocky sometimes but I’ve learned how to manage it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Honey Kouture Customs is a creative studio that specializes in children’s clothing and accessories. What sets us apart from others is everything is made with love and creativity and it shows with each outfit. I am most proud of how we consistently evolve and tailor each order to the child’s personality or favorite character. What I want people to know about our brand is that we strive for quality with each sale but most importantly we strive to put a smile on your child’s face.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I never thought of myself as “crafty”. But now that I Reflect on my upbringing, I’ve always had an eye for fashion. Rather it be street fashion or church fashion my family was sure to debut the latest style. I enjoyed dressing up. I was always taught “if you look good, you feel good”.
My personality has always been as big as my heart. I was always one of the kids with the report “Very smart, but talks a lot”. Lol. Everything I venture into, I take pride in, and my personality shines through as well.
Contact Info:
- Website:Honeykouturecustoms.com
- Instagram: Honeykouturecustoms
- Facebook: Facebook.com/Honeykouturecustoms
