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BN Article 3: 5 Myths About Starting a Fashion Business

BN Article 3: 5 Myths About Starting a Fashion Business

by | Jul 27, 2015 | @martwayne, Become a Fashion Designer, Bella Naija, BN Article, Design and Illustration Course, Fashion, Fashion Course, Martwayne Training Center, Power Through Fashion, Tope Williams Adewunmi

Screenshot from http://www.bellanaija.com/2015/07/24/tope-williams-adewunmi-5-myths-about-starting-a-fashion-business/
Good morning good people!!!!!  I am sure you had a GREAT weekend!  I did…even attended a wedding yesterday despite being a bit under the weather.  Y’all know how we Lagos people like to par-ty!!! Will share some pictures at the end of the post 😀
 
Anywayz, I am starting this week on a good note!  Realised I had not posted my last BN Article up here so I decided to do this first thing this morning before my day gets all hectic on me!  

A few years ago, I wrote about certain myths people had about starting a fashion business.  That was more targeted towards people who felt running a fashion business was more about the glitz and glamour.  Here is the link to that post:
 
 
But lately, I had started hearing about certain mindsets people had based on their fears which was preventing them from starting off and I felt the need to address those.  Please note that these myths I have written below by no means suggests that starting a fashion business is a joke.  The knowledge is still key if you want to succeed.  That is what I always preach – you need a thorough knowledge to guide your production team!  
 
I have, however, stated these so you understand that you should not be limited by these fears and should make a move no matter how little and then get the knowledge or partner with people in the areas where you are lacking.
 
Here is the Bella Naija article:
 
__________
5 Myths About Starting a Fashion Business
 
Or perhaps I should call them “myths” or misconceptions.  I have heard all sorts of reasons from people on why they are a bit hesitant about starting their fashion business.  Some even feel they will crash even before their businesses take off, based on assumptions they have made or discussions they have had with people.  The following are just a few examples of real concerns people have expressed to me in the past and here I am debunking some of these myths and allaying these fears.
1.  You Must Be Able to Sew to be a Successful Fashion Designer
 
This is always top of the list. The general idea around here is that to be taken seriously as a fashion designer you must be able to sew, you must run a production unit, you must sew for people, you must sew the clothes yourself, you must feature in fashion show… and the list goes on and on! NO YOU DO NOT!
 
Fashion Designers develop the concept and put a team together to bring their creative ideas to reality! They do not have to physically sew or even have a production unit! I remember Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber disclosing at a seminar a while back that she cannot sew. But does she have a successful label?! Yes she sure does!
 
So please don’t listen to anyone who tells you this. It is just the mindset around here. Being able to sew does not guarantee that you will run a successful fashion business. Same way being able to sketch fabulous designs does not guarantee that as well. There are soooo many other things involved in running a fashion business and sewing is just an aspect of it. If you choose to learn, that’s great! The knowledge is useful to understand the process and guide your production team.
 
2.  You Must Be a “Fashionista” To Be A Good Designer
 
I heard this recently from a lady who had concerns about starting off. She did not think she would be a good designer since she did not consider herself to be a “fashionista” …whatever that means. Apparently a good designer must be dressed to the hilt all the time in the latest trends and fashions OR must dress a certain way with some crazy hair and the most outrageous clothes. If anyone told you that, that’s bull!
Designing great clothes doesn’t mean you have to wear them. Ever noticed what fashion designers wear when taking a bow on the runway?! Many are dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of jeans…obviously because many of them are too busy even to think! Yes, you have to dress well to gain the confidence of your customer but you don’t have to be in the latest clothes or dress all crazy to prove a point. Your product will speak for you.
That said, if you choose to be a fashionista, that’s great! But if you are a simple person by nature, that should not deter you from becoming a fashion designer. After all, Alexander Mcqueen looked like a simple person and dressed in a simple manner but we all know how amazing he was as a designer.
 
3.  You Must Be “Creative” to Run a Fashion Business
 
HA! Someone who was about to take the plunge a while back spoke to me about this particular fear. She was worried she might not do well because she did not consider herself a creative person… neither could she draw very well… and her designs were very simple. I told her not to even give it a second thought.
 
To me, creativity is relative and everyone has their own design philosophy.  As far as I am concerned everyone has some form of creative ability. As long as you can put pencil to paper or explain what you want to your tailor and she churns it out, then you have what it takes.  I know people only tend to consider those who design “never before seen, over-the-top” high fashion clothing as fashion designers. But guess what?  Everyone has at least one pair of jeans in their wardrobe and a t-shirt and those were created by designers! And they are making a lot of money from it as well!
 
Besides, if you feel you are not creative, you can either learn how to be creative or hire someone to be creative for you. There are illustrators out there who can work with you to build on your seemingly “simple” ideas.  That is why fashion companies have design teams. The burden should not only be on the owner to churn out the designs, market the designs, search for customers, buy the fabric, deliver to the customer…and all the other tasks we take up over here. There is a whole lot more to a successful fashion business that being creative and being able to draw. You are now an entrepreneur so you need to step into those shoes. Don’t consume yourself with only the creative sides of running a fashion business.
 
4.  You Must Mingle with the “Right” People
 
I know for many people, the typical definitions of the “right” people are the celebrities and socialites. I have heard that a lot! Well… if that is your target market, then by all means, please go for it! But it is not mandatory you mix with them if you do not plan to design for them. If your target market is the average Joe, then please those are the “right” people for you. Concern yourself with trying to find these people.
 
PLUS! I notice many also focus on just making the money and often neglect to watch their costs. The “right people” must include the fabric suppliers, those who supply and fix our machines, those who provide our zips, etc. These are the people who can make or break our businesses. Why pay N10,000 for a yard of fabric when you can pay N4,500 for the exact same fabric? And no matter how good you are as a designer, if the zips you use keep breaking, then your reputation can go down the drain at the snap of your fingers. So please, concern yourself with not only increasing sales but also reducing your costs!
 
5.  You Need a Lot of Money to Start Your Fashion Business!
 
NOT TRUE! It all depends on the type of fashion business you want to run.  Besides, when you ask those dishing out advice why they feel you need a lot of money, they often focus on stuff like PR, getting a fab website, coming up with fancy logos and business cards….and all what not. If you do not have a lot of money to start off, then start small!  
 
A fashion business is, in fact, one of the easiest to start off with zero naira!   All you have to do is be the middleman between your customer and your tailor. Sketch your designs, take a deposit from the customer (which should be way more than your costs of production), get a tailor to churn out the clothes, deliver it to the customer and get your balance. It is as simple as that!
 
Well to be honest, we know it’s not thaaaat simple… but it’s not that difficult when you have a process in place.  I bet many are already doing this.  All you need to do is continue and save up till you have the funds to start your own production unit.  So really, lack of funds should not be a deterrent.  I can safely tell you that as long as there are weddings…and there always will be weddings…, or birthdays and even funerals, you will be in business!
 
Great!  These are just some of the ones I have heard. What else have they told you that is giving you cold feet about starting off?! Share these myths with us and let’s discuss them.  Or better still… tell us which advice or myth you ignored and how ignoring it was the best decision you ever made!
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That’s it!  Hope this helped!  Have a great week everyone!
 
And remember to appreciate your fashion designer today! That’s my theme for this week!  I think we are not appreciated enough for the work we do and I thought to make it my first Instagram post for the day.  Handle is @martwayne.
Cheers!
My Feature Article on enterprise54.com :-D

My Feature Article on enterprise54.com :-D

by | Feb 19, 2015 | @martwayne, beginners course, enterprise54.com, Fashion, Fashion Beyond Stitches, Fashion Entrepreneur, media mention, short fashion course, weekday course, weekend course

Screenshot from www.enterprise54.com
Yaye!!!!!!!  😀 😀 😀

And it all happened because I responded to a post on a Facebook group I belong to.  Really happy I responded to Aunty Bisi who called me out on the BR Group to tell my story… which I did!  


Thank you so very much Lara Sanni for this wonderful piece!  You just gave me an early birthday present!  And thanking the whole of enterprise54.com for this amazing feature!

MWAH! MWAH!! MWAH!!!

Need I say more?!  Just check out the link to the article below:

I just cannot stop grinning!

Meanwhile…
The Short Fashion Course for Beginners starts on the 28th of February, 2015.

The details are at the link below:

Don’t forget to tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend!

Thank you so much!
Lessons from the House of Deola Sagoe & Clan at the Business Side of Fashion Annual Symposium 2014 – The Legacy Edition

Lessons from the House of Deola Sagoe & Clan at the Business Side of Fashion Annual Symposium 2014 – The Legacy Edition

by | Jan 19, 2015 | @martwayne, Bamitale Kevin-Agono, Business Side of Fashion, Clan, David Wej, Deola Sagoe, Fashion, Funmi Ayanbadejo, Ibikari Allwell-Brown, Kola Kuddus, MUDI, Patrick Ayanski, Teni Sagoe, Tewa Onasanya

 
 
Hello everyone!!!  It is the 3rd week in January already (can you believe it?!)  Looks like this year plans to fly by so quickly it will be overwhelming.
 
I’ll get started on a long overdue post that I am certain you will learn a lot from!  
 

Now some of you may have heard of the Business Side of Fashion (BSOF) Annual Symposium.  It takes place every year and is organised by the Fashion Management Agency run by Mrs. Bamitale Kevin-Agono.  
 
I had attended about one or two of them previously but the Legacy Edition to me was THE BEST of the lot and a great way to wrap up the Symposium!
 
The BSOF Symposium was Tale’s initiative and her way of bringing industry experts to help budding fashion designers with their businesses.  For her, “it was a zealous adventure with a motive to see if I could make a difference in the fashion industry“.  And she sure did!  
 
I recall the previous ones I attended had Mrs Nike Ogunlesi of Ruff N Tumble, Ituen Basi, Folake Folarin-Coker of Tiffany Amber, Lisa Folawiyo of Jewel By Lisa, Mai Atafo…. and even the Bank of Industry in attendance, sharing from their experiences and teaching the delegates about how to run a fashion business in Nigeria.  
 
And the Legacy Edition of the BSOF Symposium was no different.  First I was the host 😀 😀 😀 (haha…. yes I have to celebrate myself now n’est ce pas?!).  Granted I had no clue what the host was required to do but I learnt quickly “on the job”.
 
And then we had the Keynote Speakers Mr. Clement Mudiaga Enajemo of MUDI Africa and Ms. Deola Sagoe of the House of Deola Sagoe.  You guys have no clue how long I have wanted to meet these 2 people in person!
 
Images from: http://millarefashion.blogspot.com/2013/04/mudi-tale-of-artistic-expressions.html 
http://theeagleonline.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Deola-Sagoe.jpg
THEN there was the David Wej Competition where David Eweje of David Wej (another fashion guru who I totally respect in so many ways) handed out prizes to the winners of the Competition.  
 
Followed by a Panel Talk by 3 industry leaders – Mrs. Funmi Ayanbadejo of Patrick Ayanski, Mr. Ibikari Alwell-Brown of Fetoru.com and Mrs. Tewa Onasanya of Exquisite Magazine (now called EM).  Oh I learnt a lot from them, particularly in the area of e-commerce from Ibikari who used to Head the Fashion Units at Jumia and Konga.
 
And then the Grand Finale was (drumroll please…..) the lecture by the 2nd Keynote Speaker, Deola Sagoe.  And I must say I was in total awe of her!  Very soft-spoken, no airs whatsoever!  Honestly, I just kept staring at her and remembering the first fashion show I attended where I saw her work!  I love her and her work to bits!
 
Lucky for us, she also brought her daughter, Temi Sagoe of Clan and honestly, you guys have no clue how much she had to offer.  Thankfully, I passed up on Tale’s offer to interview them and settled down to listen and learn… which was the best decision I ever made.
 
Funny…. as I listened to them, they both spoke a lot about what I have often spoken about in the past about the design process, pretty much what I teach my students and anyone who cares to listen.
For me, what was very enlightening was that despite the success of the House of Deola Sagoe and Clan, they still admitted they were making steps to expand and create a more profitable business.  No stories of how they had hit it big, no “bobo” stories, nothing!  No making the audience feel like they had “been there, done that”.  Just plain hard facts!  
 
Teni actually came prepared with a list of the different steps in the process with clear explanations on how you move from the design stage to the runway!  It really was Fashion 101, taking each stage at a time with detailed explanations!  It really was a “no holds barred” session. 
 
Lucky for me – and you guys, I took some video clips but to be honest I edited a whole lot out of the clips!  You can watch them on the “Martwayne” You Tube Channel at the following links and PS… don’t forget to Subscribe to the Channel [of course, I had to chip that in there :-D] – more videos coming up!  
 
Now there are 5 different clips and it took ages for me to edit them but hopefully you can learn even if just a bit from them and hopefully use that knowledge to restructure your fashion businesses.  I gave the different clips titles.  You can click on the links to watch them.  PS.  Forgive some shaky parts in the video, I shot the clips with my phone and it was so not easy to keep my hands steady. 
 
Part 1: Fashion is Serious Business!  
 
 
Part 2: How the House of Deola Sagoe Started:  
 
 
Part 3: How Clan Was Born:  
 
Part 4: The Process at the House of Deola Sagoe: 
Part 5: About Bespoke Clothing…: 
Honestly, if you were not there, you missed a whole lot and I plan to rub your faces in it!  Did I add that we got freebies from Patrick Ayanski and EM?! 😀
 
BUT!  There is hope!  Well… not regarding the freebies though… BUT  
 
You can and SHOULD get the full DVD!  These clips are nothing compared to the full DVD of an event which started at 8am and ended at 3pm.   You can get the DVD by contacting the Fashion Management Agency @: 
 
 
Honestly this will be like the best gift you can ever give yourself this year!  I, for one, learnt a whole lot from Deola Sagoe & Clan and from Ibikari about e-commerce, which is a new area I have started to explore for myself.  I am so glad I was a part of the event I tell you and I will also get the DVD for myself!   
 
I can go on and on about this event but I will stop here.  Sadly the Legacy Edition was the last of the BSOF Symposiums and it will no longer hold but you can still learn a lot from the Fashion Management Agency by registering for their Course – Fashion the Business which launched at their Fashion Business School.
 
And yes! I am one of the facilitators and I handle the creative aspects of fashion! 😀  The Course really does have a lot to offer including how to define your business, how to present your collection, how to position your brand, publicity and marketing and of course the accounting aspect of fashion!  
 
For more details, do check out their site at www.fashionmanagementagency.com or call 0703 002 3333 or 0810 337 9553.
 
Now I’ll sign off here now and leave you to enjoy the pictures…
L – R: Mrs. Funmi Ayanbadejo, Mr. Ibikari Allwell-Brown, Mrs. Bamitale Kevin-Agono & Mrs. Tewa Onasanya 

 

 

 

Ms. Deola Sagoe & Teni Sagoe receiving their award

 

Ibikari & Deola Sagoe

 

 

The Participants

 

 
Left: Strategic Partner Mrs Ayanbadejo of Patrick Ayanski & Right: Kola Kuddus, one of the esteemed guests

 

AND it’s a wrap! 😀

 

Yes it really was a good day!

Hope you enjoy the videos, don’t forget to get your DVDs.

Have a great day!

Conquering That Thing Called Fear…

Conquering That Thing Called Fear…

by | Oct 29, 2014 | @martwayne, Build Confidence, Conquering Fear, Fashion, Fashion Beyond Stitches, Fear, Starting a Fashion Business, Video, YouTube

http://africarm.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/scared-cartoon.jpeg
 
Oh wow… talk about feeling like a stranger in my own space…
 
Guess I am owing enough belated greetings – from Happy Independence Day Celebration (in arrears) to Barka de Sallah (in arrears).  Oh… my Sallah break was tres fab!  I enjoyed every minute of it!  😀
 
Then moving on to Happy Birthday (in arrears), Happy Married Life (in arrears), Happy Anniversary (in arrears)… errr…. what else have I missed??? Oh yes!!!  Congratulations on the birth of your baby(iees)… 😀    And I say these greetings with the utmost sincerity!  
 
Great!  So now that I have redeemed myself, I’ll start with my post for today!  Conquering Fear!

 
http://www.liberatemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/marketing-fear-social-media.jpg

 

Ok so this post is not about the usual stuff we read about in self-help books or listen to at seminars.  We’ve all read and heard enough right?  It’s time to take action! 😀
 
And I’m taking my first step.. even though it took about a month to get here… haha!   Pretty surprising, even to me since I am someone who is pretty fearless when it comes to making decisions and taking risks work wise.
 
And this post my my first step to conquering that fear! Yes I have been psyching myself up for the past month or so until I said to myself today “argh please…. just go ahead and move past this point!”
 

And what’s this fear I have nursed till now?  Posting YouTube Videos of myself!  

http://www.toonpool.com/user/3622/files/fear_is_our_life_partner_888385.jpg
 
Yah… seems pretty silly right?!  You might think so.  But for me, chatting into a camera and then putting myself out there is not so easy for me.  I am a pretty shy person – though you might not believe it – I had to work hard on that and I think I have done a pretty good job of masking it.  For me, words and pictures are much easier.
 
But anywayz, I had been nursing the idea of videos for a while now and did a few but just never summoned up the courage to post them.  Well… until I got a message from a Blackberry contact on how scared she was to start her fashion business despite learning the ropes in fashion school and knowing how to sew.  But for her, the major issue was her lack of confidence and the fear that customers would hate her work or she would mess up.
 
For me, from experience, the answer always seemed simple!  “Well you will actually never know if you will mess up or not until you try.  So just start and if you do bungle (which you definitely will since it happens to everyone), you will learn from it”.  
 
But alas!  I only realised it was not that simple when I started getting similar messages from other people.  I did advise them on how to start off but this inner voice kept saying to me: “here you are giving people advice when you are yet to face your fear”.
 
So I thought to myself, well rather than write about the topic, I’d shoot a video addressing it with my phone and post it.  That way I would have killed 2 birds with one stone! 😀
 
So here it is…. the very first You Tube Video of myself…..brrrrrrr….. (insert-chewing-on-my-nails-inwardly-extremely-nervous-covering-my-face-emoticon-in-here)……..
All shot and edited by me! 😀  Not bad right?!  I am so proud of myself.  Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it!

And yes!  Please encourage a sister by clicking subscribing to my Youtube Channel, clicking the “like button” under the video, commenting and sharing it with your friends.  It would really help since I plan to do this more often now.
 
Muchos gracias!  MWAH!  

Oh… PS:

You can get to the YouTube Channel through the video but just in case, My YouTube Channel is “Martwayne”.  It comes up when you search for it.
My Journey Down Fashion Avenue….:-D

My Journey Down Fashion Avenue….:-D

by | Jun 27, 2014 | Fashion, Fashion Avenue, Fashion Beyond Stitches, Fashion Designers, Fashion Walk of Fame, Garment District, New York, T.Williams


Times Square, New York…

So during my trip, I decided to do the “touristy” thing and check out the sites and sounds of New York.  Of course I had to check out the stores – especially the 4 stores on Fashion Star – Saks Fifth Avenue, Macys (which I eventually did like 90% of my shopping), H&M and Express.  Of course  I also made a mental note to check out the factories or at least see where a lot of the manufacturing took place around here.
But first…  I had to do some shopping!  So off we went down that loooong stretch of road down Times Square.  I was just still staring at the video displays and the runways on the huge buildings when AA told me “Check out that HUGE needle and button over there”!  

Little did I know that I was RIGHT SMACK in the middle of the garment district!  My friend Moji only told me that later.   

Don’t you just love this picture of me helping out my fellow “tailor”? 😀

And then my own history lesson began down the Fashion Walk of Fame!  😀


Ok… I don’t really remember the order in which I took the picture of these large err… coins so I just arranged them in alphabetical order.  Oh… I have to make the images really large so you can read what’s on them…

 

 
 

 

SUCH an inspiration!  I’m sure there were many more but these were the ones I think I could take without really stopping the flow of traffic.  But I enjoyed every minute of it… and hopefully, I can post more pictures of my trip! 😀

Have a great day! 

Are You a Designer Swamped with Work?! Then You Should Consider Outsourcing…

by | Jun 26, 2014 | Entrepreneur, Fashion, Fashion Beyond Stitches, Fashion Designer, Outsourcing

Hello Everyone!!!  Been quite A WHILE!!!!!  BUT here I am!  :-D… as always… ready to talk about one issue or the other.  And today’s topic is about something that has been heavy on my mind for about 2 weeks now…. an issue which designers always face but refuse to do anything about – huge workloads!  
So yes business is great!  The orders are pouring in!  Your work is fab!  You are getting the referrals and the media attention – BUT suddenly you find that you are unable to cope with the workload.  
 
It happens to everyone!  Even I faced it.  Anything that can go wrong, usually does go wrong when making an outfit!  
 
Soon enough your referrals are accompanied by “she is very good o but…. hmmnnn…. she does not deliver on time”  OR  “her work is FAB but just don’t give her anything you need anytime soon”!  
 
And before you know it, you have a not so great reputation!
 
Just last week, a student of mine was ranting and raving at her tailor for not delivering on her job (actually she had not even started it).  So she decided to make another outfit for  party she had that evening herself.  
 
Good enough the work started out fine – as it always does… and then things just started going wrong for some strange reason.  And before she knew it, that 2-in-1 number that was meant to have been completed by 3pm for that hawt party of hers, finally got completed at 7pm – with help from someone else!  [Needless to say that she now has a new-found respect for her tailor].
 
So yes it does happen to everyone.  If that had been a customer, she would not have delivered.  But what I respected was the fact that she realised that she needed help and screamed for help!
 
Which is what I am talking about today… getting help from someone else!  Simply put in other words… outsourcing!  Yup!  Collaborating with other designers…
 
Now I am not talking about full-blown outsourcing like you would see in major business textbooks etc – because of course there are pros and cons to outsourcing.  But I am talking about a situation where you have a lot of work but refuse to pass the job on to another designer to help relieve your workload.  
 
Of course I had always known designers around here preferred to suffer in silence than work with each other.   But I really became aware of how bad this mindset was when a participant at one of my FECs asked me what to do in a month where she did not have a lot of work and her tailors worked on a commission basis.
 
It was a tough one but the easiest solution to me was simply to outsource her services to other designers who needed the help.  In my mind, since I was aware that many designers were constantly “under the table” with work, I thought it would be an easy solution to the problem.  After all, a designer’s top priority should be to get the job delivered to her customer by all means necessary.
 
So what did I do?  I simply put up a message on Blackberry asking people who were swamped with work to let me know so I could refer them to her.  
 
Did I get the pings?  Well yes I did!  Quite a few of them!  
 
Were they interested in outsourcing their work?  Errr…. that was a totally different story… What they wanted was a tailor or machinist to work with them in their production centres!  I could not understand it!  You have too much work to handle yet you are unwilling to pass on work to the next person.  
 
Of course I had to ask my students the next day why designers were unwilling to work with other designers around here and this was their take on it:
 
1.  They probably do not want to share their profits or customers.  Why give someone else my business?
 
Huh?!  Seriously?  How about losing that business altogether if you consistently fail to deliver to your customers.  
 
2.  Their charges may be higher, resulting in charging the customer higher.
 
Well… possibly.  But chances are you have already agreed on a price with your customer.   The only reason you need the help is to help deliver on your promise.  For me I would simply state my offer and if she is willing, fine, if not, we shake hands and move on.
 
But then again, if I was in this situation, knowing me, if I was the designer with the work, I would probably cut my losses to save my face; and if I was the person with a slow month, I would charge just enough to cover my costs and not expect to make the profit just to keep my tailors engaged so I don’t lose them.  Everyone here knows how hard it is to find good machinists.
 
But of course when we both have a good relationship, we can revisit the figures and find a mid-way that is comfortable enough for both of us.   
 
3.  They are probably not sure of how competent the designer is so would not want to risk it.
 
Ah… this I can totally understand.  That can simply be rectified by testing them first before entrusting them with your work.  After all, even under your very nose, your tailor can still mess up your work.
 
4.  They might abandon your work when their own customers come knocking.
 
Very valid point.  That is where agreements come in and where they default, there will be penalties.
 
5.  The designer might steal their design.
 
Ha!  Is this a joke?  Everyone steals everyone else’s designs.  NO that does not make it right but chances are you will never find out anyway.  It even happens to the biggest global companies who produce in Asia.  
 
Besides, before you jump to that conclusion, note that most designers are influenced by the same things.  Chances are she may already have that design.  If I were the other designer, I would show her that design (if I have it in my portfolio) before I accept the job.
6.  They might lose their customer to that designer if their work is better than theirs.
 
Oh puh-lease like seriously?!  If this is your mindset, then it is just shocking!  First, how would the person even know who the customer is?  Then 2nd, get over yourself.
 
There were other reasons but these were the only ones I could remember.
 
I personally think the Nigerian Fashion Industry would be a much better place if people chose to work together rather than step on each other.  I just read an article today which I though was pretty amazing about a new company, Tinker Tailor, who customise designer dresses.  You can read about it at the following link:
 
http://www.businessoffashion.com/daily-digest/start-lets-customize-designer-dresses?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=6529c52a9e-&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2191372b3-6529c52a9e-417015481  
 
I know our Industry is not mature enough to handle this type of collaboration, especially since many of us are just starting out and want to protect ourselves and also because of integrity issues, but the global industry has really gone far in terms of collaboration.  
 
During my internship, even though the company I worked with had a huge factory, they still outsourced some of their work to other smaller factories.  Similarly, when I visited China, I found out that despite the stiff competition, factories still outsourced their work to other factories just to meet up with their orders.  Which is the way it should be really?  Establishing a relationship with people who can help move your business forward.  
 
I personally believe that outsourcing will not only make life much easier for you but if you do your maths, you might even find out that it might reduce your costs.  But the biggest advantage to me of outsourcing done right is the ability to deliver on your jobs and have a good night’s sleep as well.
 
SO 
 
If you are a designer swamped with work, do let me know so I can hook you up with others that can help relieve your stress!
 
Cheers everyone!