Every day, we see so much fabric go to waste. From the ones that are at landfills, to gutters, lakes, and oceans around us. 

It usually starts with a few extra clothes in our wardrobe that we only wore once or twice from our owambe and other events… to the ones we love so much that are now faded or worn, or even those “what was I thinking” clothes that you never seem to find the right occasion to wear them to.

All this wasted fabric goes a long way to harm the environment that we love and need so much.

 

Not on Chechi’s watch!

 

You see, Chechi is a fashion designer and entrepreneur in the sustainable fashion business who is passionate about designing functional women’s wear… and protecting the environment while at it.

 

 

In this interview, we sat with Chechi Arinze, fashion designer and creative director of a sustainable, feminine, and multifunctional women’s wear brand based in Lagos. Chechi is committed to playing its part in protecting the environment and this is why all its materials (from cloth materials to packaging materials) are biodegradable. 

 

Chechi takes us into her world of fashion design and entrepreneurship, showing us some of the most prominent challenges in her business and what life is like as a fashion designer in Lagos.

  

A Glimpse into the life of a Lagos entrepreneur 

Please can you introduce yourself?

My name is Chechi Arinze, I’m a fashion designer and creative director of Chechi. Chechi is a sustainable women’s wear brand that is based in Lagos.

 

So what’s your role at Chechi’s?

The role of creative director. This means I oversee the creative expression of the brand and decide the aesthetics, the type of clothing we produce, our target market, etc.

 

But as a regular Nigerian entrepreneur, I handle a bit of everything from marketing to logistics & customer service.

 

Can you tell us about Chechi the Business?

We design clothing for value-driven women who are socially conscious. We design feminine. Easy-to-wear, multifunctional clothes.

 

We are a sustainable brand and we work to make sure our practices leave as little environmental impact as possible. We make sure to use biodegradable fabrics for our clothing.

 

Why did you choose to become a designer?

As a student with a science background, I have always been creative and had a flair for these things. But then, I remember participating in a competition for young Nigerian designers. I remember submitting my application on the last day and I ended up coming in 1st runner-up.

 

After the competition, quite a number of people approached me asking about my store & product– despite the fact I had no store and only enrolled in the competition to flex my creative muscles. From there on… I decided to become a fashion designer.

 

Can you tell us more about your 1st year in business?

I started making jewelry for my mom’s friends and clients, I also did the same for a couple of people in my university then. However, schoolwork was quite tasking and there was not enough time to focus on the business. At the time, it was more of a way to make extra money and be creative than an official business.

 

 You mentioned your mom is a designer too. Did this impact your decision to go into the business?

On the contrary, one of the reasons I did not go for fashion was because of my mom’s experience. It was a time when people did not understand the difference between fashion designers and tailors.

 

It was super stressful. One memorable experience that still sticks with me was seeing my mom make a wedding dress for someone and she could not pay. However, she promised to pay after getting monetary gifts and getting sprayed at the wedding function during the couple’s dance.

 

This meant my mom had to send her head tailor to the wedding ceremony to pack money while the couple was dancing.

 

But on the positive side, I picked up a lot from her like understanding how to manage staff, how to communicate my designs to tailors, understanding fabrics, etc.

 

 Tell us how the Chechi business started, from the registration down to what it is now.

After participating in the young Nigerian designers’ competition, I proceeded to embark on my Masters program in Architecture. I worked with a fashion magazine for a while and it was a bit like an internship for me.

 

I also worked with a top fashion designer for 2 years and at this point… I knew I was ready for the real deal. At the time I started, my brand name was Eznira (a name I hated and couldn’t wait to change), a name I changed to Chechi Arinze 6 months later.

 

I used to make asoebi clothes and ready-to-wear on the sides, which was draining. In fact, in a certain year, my business partner and I realized that we worked for 9 months every day of the week… no breaks or holidays.

 

In 2019, I got into a creative accelerator and it helped me structure my business better, carve out a niche for myself, understand target markets, and how to target clients.

 

I won a mini fashion grant that helped me structure my business better. But after Covid-19 hit, there was a standstill in business and this got me thinking of a new direction for my business, the impact my brand makes, and what makes my brand stand out.

 

This led to sustainability and helped me make the decision to pivot to sustainable and ethical production. I’ve been able to do international showcases and all in this period too.

 

Did you have any challenges with registering your business? What are the benefits too?

I called a lawyer who helped with the registration process in the space of a week or two. Registering my business helped me provide more structure to my business, as I now had an official account and could keep tabs on my money. Proper registration also helps you pitch to prospective investors, and also, prospects are more confident transacting business with you when you have a registered business.

 

How easy was it to purchase your equipment and set up your workspace? Was the cash already available?

I had a 9-5 and saved up to get my 1st machine. The next 2 machines were gotten for me by my mom. I was able to procure 2 more machines with funds from that mini-grant I told you about earlier.

 

But if you want to do your production in-house… it’s great to just start with 1 of each machine you need. If you’re a designer… you don’t need to produce in-house for starters. There are great quality factories that can produce your designs for you.

 

Any particular challenges with running your own store?

 1st major challenge is the staff/tailors. Artisans can be difficult to deal with and you need to be skilled at translating the ideas of your designs to them.

 

A lot just want to cut freehand. This attitude to work can make it difficult to lead and manage them.

 

Initially. You’ll start by yelling and screaming–like me– but I learned with time that there are better ways to manage and motivate them. The key to this is understanding them and what motivates them, then key into that motivation to lead them.

 

The bills are also another challenge. They always keep coming… no matter if you’re making sales quick or not. 

 

These were the 2 main areas. Also, finding someone to fund you as a creative enterprise can be a challenge.

 

What other challenges did you face?

Logistics. I have worked to fix this though. I’m getting a lot of international orders and shipping from Nigeria to other parts of the world is expensive. Especially for people who are used to the convenience of returning an item they do not like. This is something that deters some buyers but I’m kinda working my way around it.

 

Can you tell us how you’re working around it?

I have cultivated a partnership with an organization with lower shipping rates, and I’ve also made peace with the fact I have to absorb certain costs to make things work.

 

Also, access to proper funding rounds will go a long way in helping our business. Another issue is local clients and the need to consult with me on WhatsApp before making a sale. Don’t get me wrong… I enjoy talking with my prospects and customers, but when I already have a website that automates this process, it can be redundant and time-wasting when they still want to talk with me about a purchase they can make easily on the website.

 

This complicates the sales process and makes simple digital processes unnecessarily difficult.

 

Would you say you have challenges getting customers?

Yes and No. Yes, my prices increased last year, and the number of clients I had reduced but the quality of clients increased.

 

Perhaps… if I commit more effort to marketing, I will get more clients. What I’m doing to fix this little client snag is collaborating with organizations and marketplaces that have bigger market shares and target audiences. Brands like the Pocket–which is for sustainable and ethical brands. There is also minimal fashion based in the UK which I partner with.

 

 Any challenges with payment?

None. I currently use Paystack and I also let local clients carry out transfers.

 

How about money management… any challenges?

Money management is a bit challenging for me, but lately, I’ve had help from someone coming in to work with me on this part of my business.

 

How easy is it to find talent?

It is so hard. I remember a number of interesting scenarios all because I was on the lookout for talent. One that still gets me today was when I wanted to hire an Ops manager.

 

We spoke on the phone and she seemed superb… only for her to show up to the interview hall with her fiancee.

 

There are others that just don’t show up… no explanations, no calls, nothing.

 

Sometimes as a small business, you need to accept you can’t attract the best talents. This means you need to be more willing to train and invest in the talents you find.

 

For me… I look out for attitude rather than skills.

 

Are there any tools you’re using to make your business better?

I use apps for my accounting and money-related stuff. Having my store on Shopify simplified things. It helps with tracking and analytics as well.

 

I also use Canva, wave apps (for receipts), and Adobe Illustrator.

 

What’s next for Chechi?

Right now, we are focused on getting investments. We are also focusing on our export strategy and optimizing it.

 

 

 

 

After such a fun and insightful interview, we showed Chechi Workstedi and how she can create invoices, receive payments, set up a digital account, and get reviews and feedback from customers.

 

Needless to say, Chechi is onboard with the Workstedi experience. 

 

 

You can find her by visiting www.workstedi.com, signing up, and searching @shopchechi where you will find her Workstedi profile and all her other details. 

 

If you would like to see more interesting content like this follow us on social media @Workstedi on Instagram, @workstedi_ on X and @workstedi on YouTube.