JABITA FASHION

WHY I DUMPED MARKETING FOR FASHION

Meet the latest brand master in the fashion industry, a young man with lots of interesting personality, we are so impressed with the talented Mr. Jabita kamolideen Olalekan’s spectacular stunning designs that we decided to interview him to find out more about his life, his background, his inspirations for the amazing ‘brand creation’ and his journey in the fashion industry. We learned that he studied marketing but had a re-birth into fashion designing. Enjoy reading our exclusive interview with him.

Who is Mr. Jabita, for the sake of those meeting you for the first time?

My name is Jabita Kamolideen Olalekan; I am the C.E.O and the creative director of JABITA APPARELS which was birth some years back while I was running my HND program in LASPOTECH where I studied marketing. I had my ND in marketing in the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro, I am from Oyo State and in my early 20’s, born and nurtured in isolo Lagos State.

How did your fashion journey begin?

It all started as a common desire, I had worked with different organizations after my ND program before I resumed for my HND program in marketing, all along I was not satisfied with working for people. I love to be my own boss and give my services to people, in the year 2010 I started my HND program and my fashion courses alongside. Mondays through Fridays i go to school while I run my fashion trainings on weekends.

Why did you decide to choose fashion designing as a career?

Why I dumped marketing for fashion, fashion was a part of me I was not paying attention to the traits have had since my tender age, when I tell people I will end up learning fashion designing they often doubted my ability to persevere as they all call me big boy. I had started sketching designs even before I started sewing. Candidly, I hate working for people who end up not paying me deserved salary, I just wanted to work for myself, and I decided to be my own boss.

What do we need to Know about your brand and who are your consumers?

We specialize in customized wears, we design, sew, and brands jerseys, natives, and sport  wears, polo’s, joggers, T-shirts just to name a few. Basically, we do natives for men but trendy ladies now rock men’s native styles, even the branded jerseys, and polo’s are rocked by ladies. Apparently, we cloth the general market, for every events like weddings, birthdays, rallies, sports, carnivals, and different organizations both locally and internationally.

What’s unique about your brand that stands you out?

Simplicity has been the highlight of my uniqueness; I belong to the class of simple with a lot of statement. Simplicity singles me out and has my strength, I don’t believe in complexity before you can make fashion statement. I love colors, I understand them and I combine them not ambiguously.

Are there challenges you face in production, how do you manage them?

Yes, a lot of them. Power supply has always been the lead of these challenges, we use industrial machines and not just any generator can run them, fueling the generator is another issue with this scarcity. We have cases of having deadlines to delivery and just have to find alternatives. Customers sometimes can pose challenges, we have a lot of them with different attitude, and some are just too difficult to satisfy. Again, sourcing for fabrics can be quiet frustration when we have to go all the way to Yaba from Igando before we get, and prices are on the high side now but customers are not keen on complying with the new market price. Challenges occur during delivery too, for instance, we have made different sizes of tops according to measurement but on delivery you hear complaints of not fitting well, this is common with the ladies. Another case is, getting a percentage upfront for contract jobs with the promise of getting your balance on delivery and you end up not getting it ever after delivery. So we have lots of challenges in the clothing business.

Tell us about your experience/achievement in the fashion industry?

It’s been worth the start, although it was like a big challenge that looked impossible but with my determination, hard work and prayer the journey has been interesting. The process of Learning required submission and perseverance and the major experience is the success story being achievable. I am my own boss, it’s a good experience and it gives me joy, I have apprentice, and workers. I believe there are more to come; we are not where we started from, it’s all a gradual process.

What are your greatest strength and weaknesses?

My never sitting-down attitude has been my strength, I don’t give up despite the challenges I stated earlier, my perseverance, hard work and pray keeps me on track. Weaknesses, I can’t think of any at the moment.

When are the best seasons for your products?

Well, December is known to be the best periods for lots of events but on our own case it’s not so, Weddings, birthdays, carnivals and the likes are not only fixed in December. Anytime can be our season, its all depends on your brands & packages, regardless the season once your job is well done everyday being your season will be an understatement. We try as much as possible to give good quality and we get referrals, that’s how it works, what you give determines what you get back.

Where do you see yourself in the next ten years?

As far as am concerned, the almighty God is the all-knowing one. I want to have achieved my fashion Academy goal where aspiring designers can get best training classes, I should be a designer on international level, the brand am building is not limited locally. There’s no limit to what I can achieve in the next ten years and I will leverage on every platform and opportunity available in achieving them. This interview is one of the platforms and I am grateful for giving me this opportunity.

What do you have to say to designers and readers?

To aspiring fashion designers, there are lots of designers out there; we have the good ones and the bad ones I must say but I believe the bad ones can get better and the good ones can be the best. The big names in the industry had a starting point before the break through; once you believe in yourself every other thing follows. I believe we can all be successful if we don’t give up, I wish everyone reading the very best.