We help kids feel like they belong with fashion shows —  Uzoma Johnson, Founder Kokamz Couture

Uzoma Johnson, a female entrepreneur who founded a Nigerian-based fashion brand, Kokamz Couture, one of Africa’s potential leading brands. At Kokamz Couture, they design, sketch, and stitch fabrics together into beautiful outfits, an idea that transforms from a conceptual stage into reality. In this interview with Aliyu Abdulkareem, she speaks about her experiences, multiple income streams, and the prevalence of nudity in clothing designs, among other issues.

Tell us about your brand and yourself?

The brand kokamz Couture kids is a brand I conceptualize from scratch and it’s growing into a big brand. I am a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Port Harcourt in Choba, Rivers State. I have experience in turning small-scale businesses into national brands.

What’s the motivation behind your passion for fashion?

I explored various areas, but within a few years, I realized that I couldn’t ignore my passion for creativity and design, which has been with me since a young age. If I gaze at a painted or plain wall, I can easily identify a design and sketch it on paper. I’ve been sketching and giving these ideas to tailors for free. It wasn’t until I saw one of my sketches on a celebrity at an event that I realized I needed to do more. Combined with my grandmother’s love for colors and her meticulous critiques of my outfits, I started sewing for my kids. When someone heard about it and placed orders for her kids, it became clear that I possessed a unique talent.

What were some of the challenges you faced when you started designing kokamz Couture kids outfits

Challenges included poor electricity, insufficient finances to expand the brand due to the increasing cost of sewing materials and scarcity of raw materials, and the absence of payment platforms such as PayPal, among others.

How do you deal with criticism and other designers copying your designs?

I wouldn’t know for certain at this point, but I believe in taking criticism as an opportunity to identify my weaknesses and explore new ideas. Responding to criticism negatively would mean fighting against the world, so I’d rather focus on constructive feedback. While it’s difficult to hear about flaws, I refuse to let them bring me down or define me. As for others copying my work, as long as I’m confident in my skills and respected, it doesn’t bother me. The difference will always be evident. I stay focused, maintain a positive attitude, and lead by example.

How have kokamz couture kids been coping with competition?

Competition is healthy for business because it motivates me to innovate and stay ahead. It’s impossible to eliminate competition, no matter how hard you wish for it. Since I can control my attitude, I focus on engaging, guiding, and strategizing with new ideas. I highlight what sets my brand apart, clarify my message, and avoid comparing myself to others.

What is the secret to your success?

Punctuality, politeness, adaptability, investment in modern styling, creativity, innovation, planning, determination, social skills, work ethic, luck, and other factors play a vital role in my success. For example, I have already sourced materials for December to increase opportunities and sales.

What distinguishes kokamz Couture kids from other designers?

Efficiency, confidence, a niche, personality, loyalty, and shameless promotion. My ability to create unique and innovative designs that stand out, along with my attention to detail when working with clients, sets me apart from other designers.

Who are kokamz target customers?

My target customers are mothers and children, but currently, I’m focusing on kids, both female and male, aged 0-17, from around the globe. By targeting kids, I’ve created a sense of belonging and a community by offering loyalty programs and social media groups, such as kids’ fashion runways and fashion show weeks. This makes them feel like they belong and engage in activities they are interested in. Since we started, my clients have reported that their children’s self-esteem has improved, which is highly motivating for me.

Do you think nudity has become a trend in the fashion industry?

I cannot definitively say yes or no because fashion transcends words. It represents fundamental human tensions between form and function, nature and culture, rebellion and conformity, and invention and tradition, among others. Fashion offers A to Z, and individuals can choose from either end based on their mindset and what they aim to achieve. Nudity or revealing clothing is a matter of personal and social perception. People often imitate celebrities, not always knowing the context in which a particular outfit was worn. Nudity can’t dominate the fashion industry because those associated with such trends have alternatives. Many forget that different cultures have traditional practices, and it’s essential to respect diversity.

What value do kokamz Couture kids wish to bring to the fashion world?

As fashion designers shape the clothes people wear every day, kokamz want to contribute to the fashion world by creating and labelling preliminary sketches of fashion pieces with color and material ideas, converting rough sketches into computerized drawings and diagrams for production, developing new designs and fashion lines for each season, conducting model fittings to adjust designs for fashion shows, and visiting textile providers and manufacturers and trade shows to source unique supplies, among other activities.

Is it easy to be a female entrepreneur?

Being a female entrepreneur has its challenges due to factors such as familial responsibilities, household management, lack of support, difficulty in finding financing, and pregnancy discrimination, among others. However, determination is the key to the success of any female entrepreneur. Women entrepreneurs are often considered to possess qualities that make them successful, including being more supportive, inclusive in decision-making, ambitious, and willing to ask for assistance. They are efficient and have a long-term view of business. Therefore, being a female entrepreneur is relatively easy if these factors are managed effectively.

What can you say about tailors disappointing customers?

Tailors disappointing customers can be attributed to individual objectives, work complexity, inadequate support, greed, the inability to say no, bad planning, and more. To avoid this, tailors should manage their workload appropriately, establish priorities, be diligent, punctual, and attentive to customer needs.

What next project are you working on, especially towards the upcoming December festive period?

I’m working on several projects in preparation for the festive season. Since summer is a slow time for retail, I use this period to source materials that I will work on during December. I have already begun crafting ready-to-wear clothes for kids, party wear, and ball gowns. I’m also planning to take my clients to a special site-seeing event where they can showcase my brand during this festive period.

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