Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethel Osiki.
Hi Bethel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I can’t believe I’ve actually been sewing for 10+ years. I grew up in Nigeria and from the time I was 12 I spent every holiday at a Tailor or a seamstress store learning how to sew.
When I was 16, I moved to Lagos which is basically like the New York of Nigeria. I went to a government-owned fashion school there and afterwards interned. Right after I moved to the United States and completed my AAS in fashion design at HCC. It’s been really rocky with my business ever since because I’ll stop and start and stop and start. But I hit a milestone this year which was registering my business as an LLC which has made me more committed to building my fashion empire.
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?
Funny how I spoke about the rockiness already in the previous question. It’s not at all a smooth road.
With this business, you become everything if you don’t want to outsource. And for starters with no funds outsourcing is not exactly an option.
My biggest challenge has been finding a client base.
My clients right now are mostly my friends and I’m super grateful for them but I would really love to reach a bigger audience and it’s been hard finding that audience.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a fashion designer and I create unique custom outfits. My designs are mostly African-inspired but I am not at all limited to that. I’m known for giving my clients the perfect fit.
I’m proud of myself for all my accomplishments in 2022. To think I started the year not wanting to make dresses anymore to having made over 30 dresses by December.
I’m proud that I let myself learn and evolve. I am constantly learning new ways to improve my art.
Every artist is different and I think what sets me aside from others is my uniqueness. I attended a wedding a couple of weeks ago. I designed about 15 outfits for guests that attended the wedding and not to toot my own horn but my designs stood out. I’m not saying they were better but they were different. Like you could look at my work and say. “Yea a designer made that.”
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Just keep learning.. every encounter and every experience is an opportunity to learn.
One thing I wish I knew when I started was that I should have packaged myself.
What I mean by that is to know your worth and stand by it. There are people who will want to get your stuff for cheaper just because you are starting out.
But if you know your worth from the start, you won’t have to suffer in the long run when nobody wants to pay the actual worth
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/iamkizaj?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Youtube: YouTube.com/KIZAJ
Image Credits
Photo credit to black and white runway picture Elizabeth Depew & Tyler Bingham
The African ball picture: QM events
