Self-taught designer stitches an online fashion house

Caroline Wanjiru has always been fascinated by trendy wear. Since childhood, she always wanted to make outfits that made her stand out among her peers.

She determined from an early age that she would ride on the fashion bug and make a name for herself and nothing or anyone would stop her from pursuing her dream.

Such was her conviction and self drive that at the age of seven years she recalls being caned by her mother for ‘damaging’ a new dress. She had essentially taken a plain design dress and modified it into her desired design.

The sting on her back, she says, did not deter her, but rather she looked at the outcome of her creations as evidence that she was marked for a life in art and craft where retouching is the hallmark of independent thinking.

“Growing up, there was a sewing machine in our house and I used to sneak and learn how to operate it and by the time I was 10, I had learnt all the basics on my own,” says the 25- year- old entrepreneur.

She had the internal motivation and skill to boot and was only waiting for the right opportunity to strut her stuff.

But after completing her secondary school education in 2010, her parents scoffed at her choice of a fashion and design course.

As with most parents who want to safeguard the future of their children, whom they think are on less secure paths, her father enrolled her in a procurement course at the Kenya Institute of Management.

“I had mentioned to my father that I was interested in pursuing fashion and design, but he was not for the idea,” said Ms Wanjiru.

The forced career path did not, however, break her spirit. During her studies, she kept up with the latest trends in the fashion world.

In college, she naturally engaged more in matters fashion than procurement where she even designed outfits for her fellow students who took part in beauty pageants.

She purposed then that she would go into business even as she pursued her studies and after saving Sh10,000, bought fabrics from which she made the first batch of outfits in her new venture.

“Since we had a sewing machine at home, I didn’t buy a new one ,” says Ms Wanjiru.

In 2012 she started an online fashion house, Tshee Fashion House, where she started showcasing her designs.

At first, she says, it wasn’t easy. “My first clients were my friends, mostly on Facebook where I have more than 1,000 followers, but it took me more than a year to get just 200 likes for a single design,” she recalls.

Currently, she does trendy designs for both adults and children, which she says are inspired by her role model, celebrity stylist model Shun Melson.

In December 2016, she organised a kids modelling contest dubbed ‘kids on the runway’ where children aged between three to 17 years took part.

She says to ensure that a design stays in fashion for a longer period, it is important to ensure that it is comfortable and all-weather and can be worn throughout the year.

She adds that to ensure that she retains her clients, she always ensures that she keeps up with the current trends.

“Once I know what’s trending, I usually make some designs for my friends’ children who I use to market the clothes.

I have my models too, who basically I use to showcase a first time design,” she says.

She also makes outfits for hotels, church ushers, weddings, schools and corporate events. This has seen her make sales of up to Sh70,000 per month. With an average profit margin of 40 per cent, Wanjiru says her take home is about Sh28,000 monthly or about Sh336,000 per year.

Busy months

She works with four tailors who help her during the busy months.

“In some months I have to design clothes for five to six weddings so I have to do the design work. The stitching is usually done by the four tailors,” she said.

She prides herself for designing outfits for some of the major events like the Miss Tourism Nakuru County where a number of her designs have stood out. She has also been a panellist in the Miss Red-cross beauty pageantry.