Today we’d like to introduce you to Kwame Baffour-Akowuah.
Hi Kwame, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I guess this passion for fashion began at an adolescent age. I never thought about dealing in fabrics and servicing the world. However, I was a church boy and a product of Ghanaian heritage. I was trained to be presentable at every given point and time by my family. In fact, every Sunday morning, I ironed everyone’s clothes in my home before church. A chore that I dreaded led me into a small business I love dearly. Well, after starting my business is where I remembered my great uncle, grandmother, and mother used to sew and do alterations for their clothing. It all started to make sense. I recall folding my mother’s dresses and helping her try on clothes, and critiquing the best style to wear was a part of my journey. I have been blessed to start my journey in styling and creating pieces for clients in their day-to-day needs or celebrities’ red carpet events. All it took was prayers, my life savings, and Instagram to begin.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Entering the fashion business as a stylist/designer has never been easy for me. After three years of learning on the job, I knew my business needs to be handle with delicacy. The business is very cutthroat. In general, starting a company where the clientele is the assets and your services are the liability, there’s a fine line between making money and achieving happiness. I have failed miserably through losing “paying” celebrity clients and missing out on event deadlines (i.e., red carpets). One of my biggest failures that caused a shift in the company’s approach was “discounting” my services. I will never forget having the client negotiate their terms for the groomsmen in a wedding. After trying my best to meet the terms, I agreed too; I realized at the end the quality of work I produced was sub-par and by far my worst project. Both of us were unhappy, and I have suffered a significant loss. At that point, I will never discuss discounting my services at the beginning of any styling/designing project. But for the most, I am learning every day how to scale, and through then, I have worked with some fantastic people.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Kwame Baffour-Akowuah runs and owns Tailored Express by Anayah-Sakai. Tailored Express by Anayah-Sakai is named after my first daughter, Anayah-Sakai. I realized this needs to be a business about legacy. So when she reaches a specific age, the business portion such as business credit and its filing tax sheet will be a part of her name. This assures me she is fine to start her journey in any business when she is ready. For the public: Tailored Express is a one-stop-shop for your styling and designing needs when it comes to traditional west-African Kaftans for men and women or business or custom suits for men and women. We try to match everyone’s creative side when it comes to fashion. We try our hardest to make prices reasonable. We have a tailoring business that does all types of alterations, from wedding dresses to business suits. We are currently running on IG. We do not own a brick-and-mortar. Our website is being worked on. As a manager, depending on the client’s dire need to be created, we will meet you in person to have a fitting and a have a consultation. This is how we patronize the client’s business, make connections, and become more personal and less of a brand. Our motto: “Business is personal – How you conduct your life is how you will conduct your business.”
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I have been brainstorming about the business since 2017 in my head. But I have been working hands-on since 2018. I do not think luck has played a role in any negative or positive way. Literally, any success or mistakes comes from my planning and execution. Every celebrity that I have designed for was through sending numerous emails, IG direct messaging, and studying certain events to go to. To an extent, it’s all a risk, but it is all worth it.
Pricing:
- Custom pants suit for W: $300-$800
- Custom suit for M: $495-$955
- Custom suit for boys: $250-$450
- West African Kaftan for M/W: $255-$600
Contact Info:
- Email: bakakowuah@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tailored_express/
Image Credits:
Young Paris – rap artist Brandon T. Jackson – Actor Ifeanyi Festus Ezeli-Ndulue – Basketball player Arlen Griffin – Comedian Radio host
