I'm living my dream as a fashion designer

Agnes Ngatia always had her eyes on tailoring and design and she was determined to one day become a skilled and sought-after clothes designer.

Between 2003 and 2006, she trained at a tailoring shop in Nyahururu. The shop owner then hired her in 2006, having faith in her skills.

Agnes worked at the shop for eight years until 2013, sharpening her skills and learning even more intricate designs. But her salary was not enough and she struggled to make ends meet. She also wanted to start her own business.

Fired-up by the need to make a name for herself and earn more money, she opened her own shop, Maalin Designers, in 2013 and worked hard.

When the Nation visited her shop in Nyahururu Town in November 2018, Agnes was busy cutting out patterns for an outfit she was planning to sew.

Bales of beautiful kitenge materials filled the shop and some were already cut out into various patterns.

“Armed with only three pieces of fabric, I decided to start my own business,” Agnes says as she expertly cuts out patterns.

Her goal was to make unique and trendy clothes that would satisfy her customers and make them come back for more; and also attract more customers.

Agnes began small and got a few orders that kept her going.

Shortly after opening her shop, she got an order to mend curtains in bulk. She worked on them herself as she did not have money to hire help. But when she finished, she was paid handsomely and was now able to expand her business.

“From my first profit I stocked my shop and employed two people,” she says.

PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

Currently, she has five employees. 

“I can comfortably handle 10 orders in a day and I think this is what makes Maalin Designers different from others,” she adds.

Agnes, 39, is happy that she opened her own business. She says it has made her financially independent and she is now able to comfortably meet her expenses.

She dreams of setting up a fashion and designing school in the future, and also wants to expand her business by opening branches in other towns. 

"People really love our work and particularly the use of vitenge fabrics in embracing our African root in dressing," says the soft-spoken designer.

Agnes sources her materials from Thika Town in Kiambu County. She buys them at wholesale at she says are fair prices.

Agnes sells a complete outfit at between Sh3,500 and Sh4,500 if the client purchases the material from her shop. “We sell at an average price of Sh2,500 if the client brings his or her own material,” she adds.

She markets her products by displaying them prominently outside her shop, and through online platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp groups.

Most of her clients order clothes to be worn on special occasions, especially dowry ceremonies and weddings.

“I prefer a customer choosing his or her own design. But if the client does not know what design fits best, I come in and help them choose."

The biggest challenges she faces are to do with clients’ different needs and taste, which have made her more versatile and more knowledgeable on various designs.

Sometimes, she also encounters customers with different temperaments, but she has learnt to accommodate them.

Agnes did not go any fashion and design school and she says she is grateful for her former employer who trained her and gave her the opportunity to build her life.

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