 Welcome back to Entrepreneurship Tuesday the only space where you get informed matters pertaining business. My name is Michelle and you can find me across all my social media platform and you can reach out to our social media handles at Y254 channel and head on to our Facebook page. We have a question for you at Y254 channel and we are asking how often do you buy new clothes? Where do you get them? How often do you buy new clothes and how and where do you get them? We need to access things at very affordable prices and most importantly if it's quality and it's still affordable. We want that, right? So head on to our Facebook page that is at Y254 channel and tell me why do you find your clothes quality and still affordable. So remember you can keep this composition going as simple as at Y254 channel. I'm Michelle Ashira. So my guest today, our first guest is a founder. She's the founder of Kenya, sorry founder of Kerry Design Africa. She's a professional model and a self-made fashion designer and before she founded Kerry Design Africa she worked with Kenya Airways and prior worked as a school principal. Look if you want to shift from any career that you're into, she's the right person to talk to because she's going to take us through all this transition, Jani. And was it actually easy? She's going to tell us more about that so ladies, gentlemen, for lovers of fashion, I introduce to you Sarah Kerubo. Thank you very much for creating time. Thank you so much for hosting me here. All right, so Sarah you have done a couple of wow changes in your career from being a school principal to working with Kenya Airways to now owning the Kerry Design Africa fashion house. So how did you manage to transition from one career to another? I can say that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life because you see those are two different areas. Those are two different fields and every field has its own scope, code of conduct, dress code. Everything is just different. So let me say like transitioning from a principal to Kenya Airways, Kenya Airways happened in between the principal league. So I quit, let me say I took a break from being the school principal, I went to Kenya Airways, I studied, I got employed there, I worked there and then life happened, I came back to the school. All right. That was a couple of transitions before we even go ahead, your principal for approximately over a decade, that's nine years, almost a decade. Then from being a principal to now going to work at the KQ. So then back to now starting your own fashion house. So what was holding you back all this time around, why didn't you jump off from like what you love? Let me say from high school, let me say that's when much happened. From high school, I just got direct into the school principal, I can say we didn't have much money, I couldn't do anything at that point because my parents could not, like they had so many bills, like everyone was in school, they were paying so many school fees. So I was just doing that because that's what I had to do. I considered myself like I didn't have a life, like I didn't have anything else to do. So that's what I was doing until later I discovered really I need to do this because this is what drives me, like when I dress, when I look good, I feel good. So I decided to just venture into fashion design. So the passion was there from way back. Yeah. All right. So I like to find that for someone who is watching, they'll like to find that a couple of things that you learned along the way when it comes to shifting from one career to another. What are some of, probably tips you could give out for someone who's looking forward to transition? First of all, follow your heart. If your heart is in it, then go for it. Secondly, don't just jump, like have something in mind, like have a process. Okay. Transitioning is a process which needs so much time to adjust and fit in. So like for me, from being a principal to a fashion designer, I started doing fashion design. I started designing clothes while I was a principal. So by the time I was quitting the job, I already had something to do. Yeah. I didn't just quit and start. So when did Keri design Africa start? And what was the initial capital without my sharing? Okay. It's okay. We can keep it on silent. Okay. Sorry about that. So the initial capital, for me, I didn't have much because I was selling hair clips, I was selling bow ties, you know, a bow tie is only 100 Bob or 200 Bob. So you can imagine saving those little coins. Hair clip is 160 Bob actually. So I was saving, saving, saving. But then by the time I was now starting, I had less than 10,000. I had less than 10,000. I went and rented a bed sitter. I paid rent and deposit and then I remained with zero Bob. But then I prayed. I didn't even have curtains. I prayed. I told God, you know what? I'm going to start from here and I don't know where I'm going to get money, but I know you will provide that same day. A client walked in and she ordered several things and that's how I can say I started off. Okay. Impressive. So looking back, how long have you been into business? Into business. This is my third year officially. Okay. Yeah. Okay. All right. My initial point of starting off from the bed sitter to now being in a position where you have clients internationally, I'd like to find out how was it for you when you were breaking into the market? When you're just putting your foot into the market, just locally, how was the response? I can say for me, before I quit, I was posting things on social media and I could design clothes for myself and I post. So I used to see people responding well, even though you get one client and another and another. But you see, I think taking risks makes you think outside the box. Okay. Yeah. So I was paying my rent around 8,000 and then I could get clients around that amount. But then when I moved higher, I've been climbing like my brand has been growing. So the higher the bills, the more I think outside the box, the more I get more clients. Yeah. I can say that's what has been going on with my brand. All right. Yeah. So for someone who is watching this and they love fashion, they like, they love looking good, they love to just venture into this industry, I'd like to find out, did you go for any fashion design training institution? How did you learn to just create your own pieces when it comes to design? First of all, I didn't go to any fashion and design institution. I didn't learn anywhere. When I started, I was just tracing my own clothes. I trace, I do it, I make it and then it becomes small. I start wondering, where did I go wrong? But I didn't know anything about allowances, I didn't know anything about finishing, I didn't know anything. So, but then with every era, I managed to get a solution until someday I bumped into a Facebook page, it's a group of Nigerian designers where they post tutorials and then I also learned about YouTube later. So I perfected my art from YouTube and Facebook. Okay, so products of YouTube. Yes, YouTube contributed like 80%. Okay, do you why? Do it yourself. So, we have so many fashion designers in the country and I'd like to find out, what makes Sarah Kerubo quite different, what makes Kerry designer different from any other fashion house? I can say it's unique in its own way. Personally, I started my brand out of disappointments and every day I try as much as I can not to disappoint any client. So what I do is I keep my word, I keep my word that is like, if I tell you on Tuesday, you come on Tuesday, find your outfit. If it's not ready, then I will tell you in advance that your outfit is not ready, but I'll give you a date like flexible with you. I wouldn't, I wouldn't. And so your most diverse experience, the disappointment from the clients, they tell you tomorrow, we'll come tomorrow. I know how it feels, because you know, when you've been in those shoes, then you will not want to do the same thing to somebody else. Also, I want just to build a good brand that everyone can trust. Yeah, also the kind of clothes I designed, I designed to fit like, you come, you fit and go. I don't, I don't design clothes that are not really fitting to your measurements. So, you know, there are those clothes, tailors make or designers make, and then you have to do so many adjustments. Mine, they're like, you come, fit and go. All right. I like the fact that you have mentioned something which is important, because I was thinking right now during this time of the global pandemic, COVID-19, and this limitation of just people gathering. So if I would like to probably want you to create a certain piece for me, I would like to slave in during this time. So how do people go about it? Do I send measurements to you? How does that work? Okay. You can send your measurements to me, but I prefer taking the measurements myself just to be sure. Yeah. So I'm taking orders like I'm flexible, I'm moving around, taking clients orders and I deliver. So while we are sitting here, Kerry, Kerry fashion design, Sarah here, yeah. So here, Sarah looking all humble and everything. You have clients from all over like US, for instance, that's what we were actually talking about prior to this conversation. And I was asking, how did you, how are you able to tap into the international market? Most of my clients overseas are Kenyans and I don't know how they find me, but I always get those calls, hey, someone is traveling to US and she needs this and that and that and I need this and that and that. So I usually do and I give them the deliver, like they go with them here. So I guess they tell a friend, tell a friend. Yeah. So before we check out a couple of your work, your master phase, I'd like to find out, have you been able to showcase any of your design, probably in a fashion show, just displaying your work? Yes. I've displayed my work in Kenya fashion awards and then I was organizing my own fashion show that was supposed to happen on March 23rd, but corona happened. So the fashion show is on hold, but then I'm thinking to do it online. Alright, so speaking about the delaying on your fashion show because of the pandemic, I'd like to find out, what are some of the other challenges that you're facing and if you have employees, how are they coping during these times of economical items during this time of pandemic? I can say most like the fashion industry has been hit by this COVID-19 pandemic. At first, let me say for myself, when the first case was announced that was in March, mid-March, everything came at a standstill. No client came, no client ordered anything, the clothes I had made for clients, no one came to pick them. They have been lying there from March, April, May, I was like, wow, this is funny, you know, no weddings, no functions, people are not going to work, so definitely they will not buy clothes. Yes. Like it's not an essential, people are like, there's a lockdown coming, so they're preparing for the basic, keeping food, more food, air, air, so such like, so really it affected my brand and at some point I sat down and I said, you know, my shop was in town at Sky Plaza, but then I sat down with my landlord and they told her, I'm going to go, but when things normalizes, if my shop will be vacant, I'll come back. So it's still vacant, she still wants me back, but I'm out for a while, I'm working from Kasarani right now and then when COVID will be over, when the situation will normalize, I'll come back to town. All right, I've seen a very huge difference in growth compared to when, I'm about to say when we started, I feel part of this, when you started, that's three years ago, from just a bare seater in Kasarani too, right now owning even your own space here in town, how does that make you feel when you look at the growth and where you started? I feel that God has blessed me enough, like God loves me so much, you know, it's not easy for someone to start something and it peaks and actually you continue growing up. You know, some brands may not peak, others may collapse along the way, others may heat up later too, but me, thank God, it's God's favor. Especially for you, because you move from employment where you actually assured of income every single month to venturing into something which you are not sure of the outcome, but actually turned out very well, so let's check out some of Carey Design Africa, that's on Instagram, right? Yeah. Let's check out a sample of her amazing masterpieces, so okay, so one thing that I've noticed, just by a sprung look of this display, that there's a lot of African themed when it comes to your pieces, do you feel like Kenyan and African when it comes to fashion, we should put ourselves way more out there? I think, okay, there's something about African, most people love African pieces and you know, African prints, there's so many prints out there and you can have the same design, but when you see another print, you feel, no, no, I should have that too, you know, yeah, so personally I give clients what they want, so most of my clients love African prints, so that's what I do most. Okay, so that is a masterpiece, the blue gown there, so probably you can take us through the blue gown and tell us about the fabric and how long did it take you to just come up with that particular gown? Okay, you see these gowns, I just buy fabrics without any design in mind. And then when I sit down, I just start imagining like what will look good on something, personally I use myself, I use myself when I'm designing clothes, so most of the clothes I design, they are my size because I need to fit, I need to make all the changes, if it will look good on me then I know that design will look good on somebody else, yeah, sometimes a complicated design can take me even two days, three days, sometimes I can lose the sight along the way and I put it aside and I come back one week later to finish it, yeah, but just when they're mine, but for clients I finish it and move on to the next. Okay, so for, so it's a different time frame when a gown is made compared to the design that is? Yeah, yeah, every design will take different time. Okay, maybe you can check out some of your, some of your attires, so let's look at the ladies up here, okay, tell me about that look, this is the gentleman and the lady, that is like for couples, couple gowns, okay, there you go, yeah, you know, most couples want much, much outfits and I've done outfits of different fabrics, not African ones, but most people don't take them so serious compared to when you do an African piece, yeah. All right, that's amazing, so okay, we moved quite fast, so I love that look, I feel like the lady in the blazer with couple of prints on, it feels, it gives the vibe of you can wear it in an office and also an outdoor, probably you can tell us, like, events, location. This is actually a shirt. Oh, it looks like a blazer, I was almost sure it was a blazer, it looks like a blazer. Wow, yeah, you can wear with a plain, either plain jeans, a plain khaki trousers, a plain skirt, okay, yeah, you can also wear inside a plain suit if you want. Okay, take us through, take us through the your pieces, yeah, you can scroll downwards. Okay, maybe you can tell us more about, all right, okay, let's look at the lady. This particular lady wanted this outfit for her wedding, she was a guest and she wanted an African touch, so I made the skirt for her, she blended with a top and blazer, this one, this was her send-off party, yeah, she was getting married to Tanzania and they take things very seriously, so I made that for her. Okay, this was a church outfit, this one I was actually going for a wedding, those are kids over there and then, this was for a ratio, the plus one had an outfit of that. This was a wedding, the groom's men I made for them, this was the same wedding, the kids had this color on, yeah. One thing that I've noticed is that it's all bridal, first of all, is it like a niche for Kerry Dizanafika or? I can say I do a lot of bridal, okay, yeah like I do a lot of bridal. Okay, we are back, now you can show whatever you want to show us, okay. Well, like the wedding, the blue wedding, the blue dress, the blue jeans, the gentleman, the two, okay, yeah like that wedding I dressed everyone except the bride, this one, yeah. I did the groom's men, the groom himself, the kids, the martrons, the ashes, everyone except the bride, so sometimes I think it's just what I do that markets me. The quality of my outfits and my service. So, how do you ensure like when it comes to your clients, what is one thing that, as Kay designed Africa that she shared that this is our way to ensure that we retain our clients, but most of the cases it's beyond our, beyond us just, you know, holding on to them, it's at the end of the day, it's their decision, but what's a couple of things that back at your fashion or that you ensure that you retain your clients? I can say that don't really do much, but I think just the service I offer, by the time the client is leaving, like by the time the client is walking out of the door with a smile on his or her face, it's just an assurance that just when a client is satisfied, you're sure the client will come back for more, but if the client goes away disappointed, feeling frustrated, then you know you've lost the client and it's going to be hard work getting the client back. That is most of the cases, especially when you're disappointed, you tend to like looking for someone else, but I would like to find out where do you see the future of fashion that is in Kenya and most definitely where Kerry designed Africa, where do you see the future? I can say, I can say the future for fashion in Kenya, it really depends entirely on yourself. Like this season, it's let's say survival for the fee test. Yeah, if you're going to pull through this season, then you can survive any other pandemic or any other calamity ahead of us. Personally, I have learned and years down the line, I'm really thinking of how I'm going to get a piece of land somewhere and build the biggest fashion house ever. All right, and we'll be right here looking at those particular achievements and actually just celebrating. I'm hoping God will help me. Absolutely, we hope so. So I would like to ask you a question, just our question on Facebook, you were asking how often do you buy new clothes? How often do you buy new clothes or do you make your own clothes? Okay, for me, I can say it's really different, you know, I design clothes, I love it. Then I'm like, no, no, I can't wear this. I need to sell it. I feel that it's too pretty, too cute. I need to sell it, get more money, get a better one. I mean, sometimes I end up getting myself maybe a piece or two in a month. Yeah, I think I don't love myself so much. I love clients too much. People in that way, clients are always right. Yeah, I think when I design new clothes, I'm like, no, no, I would love someone else to look so pretty in this then. And then I'll make myself something else. And then when I make that something else, I'm like, no, no, no. But in the process, you're actually pushing yourself to actually create, to create, to look for more creativity, creative ideas to put on to your masterpieces. Yeah. So Sarah, we had an amazing time looking at your designs and masterpieces. And people back at home should definitely keep tabs on you. So probably this is the time we could give us your website or your social media handles and how they can reach out to you. Okay. I have a website. I have a page on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, all at Kerry Designs Africa. My phone number is 0712357420. Okay. So guys, make sure you follow up on Sarah's amazing design on all across the social media platform. Do you have like a physical location? Yes. Location. Yes, yes, yes. Currently I'm located at Kasarani after COVID. I will open a branch, a branch. Looking forward to that. Thank you very much for creating time to be with us. So guys, that's all we had for you on this particular matter on authentic fashion. So make sure you stay tuned on another interview becoming your way. Remember, you can follow us across all our social media handles. That is at Y2 Fair for Channel Art. Michelle, I should as well you can reach out to me. Serena, we're taking a short musical break. We'll be right back.