In an effort to sustain Nigeria’s cultural heritage, AdirebyHM is rebranding its products to improve quality and enhance customer satisfaction.
This in line with the organisation’s vision to evolve into a household brand in the country and meet up with exclusive demands of celebrities, middle and upper class Nigerians.
Speaking with The Point, the Creative Director of AdirebyHM, Ms. Hikmat Malick, said a Nigerian artist and popular singer, Adekunle Gold, inspired her to start the business.
“I’m a big fan of Adekunle Gold; I often stalk his page on Instagram because he’s always putting on tie and dye shirts. So, I found myself falling in love with the Art, and wanted to know more about it. I began to develop the desire to dress like him, and all thanks to the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development Programme; that was where I learnt the craft,” she said.
Explaining her major challenges and achievements, Malick said one of the major challenges confronting her business was finance.
“I have been working with limited finance, which slows my vision of expanding the business, and one of my unexpected and very early challenges was to deal with the rather pungent smell of the chemical and the harsh effect on my hands, but with the use of face masks and hand gloves, this is no longer a problem,” she added.
She also considered customers’ reluctance to pay fair prices for good products as a major challenge, saying, “They think it must be cheap because it is indigenous, thereby narrowing profit potential.”
Explaining her passion for the art, she said, “Doing this kind of job gives me a sense of fulfillment and being able to make some income even though modest from the business is promising. And one of the things I have been able to exploit to the advantage of my business is networking.
“I have been able to leverage on social media to connect with friends and family who are my frontline customers and I have enjoyed a great deal of referrals from them, which has helped to sustain my sales and I would say business is booming. Additionally, the business has really awakened my entrepreneurial spirit and I look forward to the future with big hope and aspiration.”
Speaking on the uniqueness of Tie and Dye, Malick explained, “It does not have to be a replacement to Ankara or lace but quite a good alternative because they all project our cultural style elegantly and more pocket friendly than the other options. Adire is a style that combines simplicity and creativity and it can equally be adapted for formal and casual outings.”
Advising younger ones on starting the business, the creative director said, “To start a business like this, you must have the passion and an interest in Art designs. From there, a will to kick-start can be birthed, which is an ongoing thing to seek and create market. Then capital is essential and the individual must also have prerequisite skills.
“Quite importantly, I would advise that only people with passion for the Art should start the business because this will be the driving force mostly because the financial rewards may not come early. Then, the need to pay attention to details is also crucial.
“I would also strongly advise the use of quality materials all the way, from the choice of fabrics to the chemicals, so that we all continue to uplift the art and style, then patience and hardwork are important both in production and
marketing.”
However, according to a lover of Tie and Dye clothing, Mr. Chukwunonso Okobi, “Adire is very fashionable but gets its roots from the African culture and you can’t talk about Adire and leave out the Yorubas because it’s mostly worn by them. But what AdirebyHM is doing is quite different. It’s the blend of both urban fashion and the Yoruba cultural heritage. That is why I’m interested in her products.”
