I'm super excited about my very 1st You Better Slay That! feature!! In honor of this BOSS, I have made the text pink lol. Her name is Nadia, she is the owner of J A I N by Gabrie', and she hails from my hometown of Cleveland, OH! I was placed in her path by a friend of mine (thanks Randy) because I was looking for young African American business owners (from Cleveland) to interview. When I tell you I got what I was looking for and then some...chile!! This girl right here is on the right track! I enjoyed putting this interview together, and I hope y'all enjoy reading it!
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| Nadia, J A I N by Gabrie' owner/founder |
First thing's first: the name JAIN by Gabrie! Where did it come from and is there a targeted age range?
J A I N By Gabrié(Ga BREE YE) came from my style of dress. I've always been a plain JAIN in everything I do. I've always looked to dress comfortable and to most I was considered a plain JAIN so I figured why not capitalize off of it and really make it my own. Gabrié came from my middle name Gabrielle. My real name is Nadia, I was named after the gymnast Nadia Comaneci. My target age is from girls as young as 14 to age 40.
How long ago did you start the brand?
I started working on JBG, in 2014, but I released my first collection in the summer of 2015.
How long did it take to make it come to life?
I knew I wanted to own my own business in 2013, but I didn't have any clue as to WHAT I wanted to own. Right after I graduated in 2014, I started putting my ideas together towards the end of that year and early in 2015 I was physically creating my t shirts and jewelry until the release date.
Did anything specific happen to make you jump-start the brand?
Did something happen? A miracle happened! Ha ha I had absolutely NO guidance in how to bring my vision to life until I met my co worker Kalisha. She was very experienced in designing websites and making jewelry. Her creativity was out of this world. I told her my plans and she offered to help me without asking me for a dime. She believed in my vision that much and has helped me the entire way.
Can the kiddos get in on the Jain fashion as well?
Absolutely, I have a couple ideas for the girls and maybe even the boys. I'm all about Girl Power so I will definitely be tending to the ladies more so than the guys. You might even see a little something before the end of the year.
Do you plan on doing pop up shops or something special to bring it to life?
Here's the thing about the Pop Up Show and JAIN By Gabrié. Originally, my business is based off of self empowerment and motivation amongst women. The t-shirts were a way for me to get my foot in the door. They are actually supposed to just compliment the workshops and conferences I plan on doing in the future. What a lot of people don't know is that I started backwards and I am now in the process of transitioning. So I MIGHT not do a pop show because I don't want JAIN to come off too much as a clothing line. Even in my Instagram you can see the transition. However the possibility is in the works as well.
The blog...I LOVE IT! It adds a personal touch. What made you place it on the site?
I decided to place the blog on the site because I don't show my face often on my business sites. I wanted people to get to know my brand first. But at the same time I wanted people to get to know me personally and posting both my personal and business life on my Instagram would be looked at as a conflict of interest. So In order to keep them separate and tasteful I went on ahead and created the blog.
I haven't seen any businesses like yours sell foot chains! That's dope! Where did the inspiration behind your pieces come from?
The foot chains came about because I saw something similar on someone's foot and pointed it out to Kalisha. The next day she came back to work with a replica of her own version of the foot chain and that's how it started. Lol she literally
Made every foot chain that I have now and I have plenty. We weren't even supposed to have them but the reaction we got from wearing them made people go crazy and everyone wanted one. So we ran with it.
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| Foot Chain |
The advise I would give to upcoming business owners and boutique owners is to find some type of way to stay motivated and take things day by day. Budget wisely. Find your own way, and the bigger problem you can solve the greater the impact and result.
Thank you so much for the opportunity this is a true blessing for me. And I enjoyed answering these questions!!
Make sure to head over to J A I N by Gabrie' s website and support her movement!! I'm positive you'll find something you'll LOVE, I know I did!! Pass the word along to ya momma-n-nem! Thanks for stopping by and remember:
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