Saheed Roheemat Abimbola, learned fashion design while in senior secondary school. But her exploits took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with bag making .
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Saheed Roheemat Abimbola, a graduate of Public Administration, learned fashion design while in senior secondary school, and became good at it. But that journey as a fashion designer took an unexpected turn when she fell in love with bag making during her university days.
Without funds to pay for the apprenticeship to learn the trade, Roheemat struck a deal with a bag maker to exchange her skills for hers. That trade-by-barter initiative helped Roheemat to discover her unrelenting passion for creating unique, stylish, and quality bags that have facilitated her phenomenal growth and success as the CEO of Beyounique Fashion World.
The start-up
Roheemat’s passion for bag-making stems from deep desire to create functional art – items that people can use daily while appreciating their beauty and craftsmanship. “This field also satisfies my itch for creativity, allowing me to design and bring unique ideas to life”, she enthused.
This experience ignited her love for the craft, and she has since dedicated herself to mastering the skills and building her brand. “The acquisition of this skill gave me the opportunity to develop my talent, utilize my creative potential, and truly blossom in the field.”
With her passion for bag making, Roheemat started operating from home with a simple setup focused on honing her techniques and understanding customer preferences. To enhance her craftsmanship, she invested in courses and participated in an empowerment program during her university days. This program required presenting her brand, submitting a proposal, and demonstrating her skills. Emerging as a dedicated entrepreneur, she won a sewing machine, which fueled her passion even more and motivated her to pursue vocational skills. As her brand gained traction, positive customer feedback and growing recognition solidified its foundation.
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Learning fashion design and bag making
Roheemat told TheNiche that, ”I learned fashion design from 2013 to 2015, during my senior secondary school years. Later, during my 100-level days in 2018, I learnt bag design, a skill I became passionate about, within two weeks of training. Driven by my creativity and strong motivation to learn, I quickly mastered the fundamentals and could make bags independently from scratch within two weeks. However, managing my bag-making training alongside my studies was far from easy.”
Balancing academics and training
To balance school with training, Roheemat would pack her things every Friday to stay with her sister, who lived close to her training center, as she had a packed schedule with lectures from Monday to Thursday.
“During my undergraduate years, my schedule was packed with lectures from Monday to Thursday, and I had Fridays off, which I dedicated to my bag-making training. Since my training center was at Gaeri Alimi in Ilorin, and my hostel was at Tanke in Ilorin, both in Kwara State, I would pack my belongings on Thursday and head straight to my sister’s place near my training centre. I stayed with her on weekends so I could fully focus on learning and practicing my craft.”
She added: “The workload during my training was intense. My trainer frequently received large projects, sometimes requiring us to produce 200 to 300 bags within a week or two. I was involved in every stage of production, including cutting, sewing, and assembling. There were times when I worked late into the night to meet these orders, often sacrificing sleep and rest to keep up with the demand. I even had to manage these tight schedules during the university’s hectic period of surprise tests and assignments. To keep up academically, most times, I studied while sewing with my book facing me while in action. I also studied during late-night sessions and prioritized attending all my classes despite my busy weekends.”
She continued, “My sister was often worried about my well-being and felt the arrangement was unfair. She saw the situation as one where my trainer might be taking advantage of my skills, as I was contributing a lot to the production process without any monetary compensation. She worried about the toll on my health, seeing me miss sleep, work overnight, and go to class the next day exhausted. Although her concerns were valid, I knew the value I was gaining by working on these large-scale orders, as the experience was helping me perfect my skills and understand the real-life demands of my craft. So, even though my sister disapproved, I continued because I saw it as an invaluable learning opportunity. I willingly took on the extra work, sacrificing my time and energy because I was genuinely passionate about mastering my craft. I even brought projects back to my hostel when deadlines were tight, as I had brought my sewing machine with me to university. This setup allowed me complete orders and meet my academic obligations, which ultimately helped me achieve a high GPA of 4.8 at the end of 100 level session.”
Challenge of capital
Roheemat said sourcing capital was initially challenging, “I started small, reinvesting my earnings back into the business while still working on expansion due to limited capital. By managing costs effectively and focusing on quality, I have been able to maintain steady growth, though I am continually seeking ways to further develop the business.
Market penetration
Roheemat said breaking into the market took time as she worked to establish a customer base and earn trust. She achieved breakthrough by focusing on quality and creating unique designs that stood out, “Persistence and attention to customer feedback helped me find my place in the industry and build a loyal client base.”
Unforgettable experience
She said one unforgettable experience was meeting her first bulk order, even though at a personal financial loss.
She explained: “I had quoted a price based on current material costs, but by the time I was ready to source the materials, market prices had fluctuated significantly. This impacted my profit margin and taught me valuable lessons about anticipating price shifts and planning accordingly. Despite this setback, I fulfilled the order and was encouraged by the client’s appreciation and recommendations, which motivated me to keep pushing forward.”
Breakthrough moment
Roheemat recorded breakthrough when she received a large order from a client on recommendation, “My breakthrough came when I received a large order from a client who had seen my work through a recommendation. This moment affirmed my belief in my craft and encouraged me to continue building the brand.”
Running business in Nigeria
As a business owner, Roheemat faces fluctuating material costs and pressure to stay on-trend. She notes that adapting to these challenges and staying resilient is crucial for survival and success.’
Japa
Unlike many young Nigerians seeking opportunities abroad, Roheemat chose to stay and build a life in Nigeria. “Building something meaningful here,” she explains, “allows me to create opportunities not just for myself, but for others passionate about the craft. Despite the challenges, I believe Nigeria’s economy and creative industry hold immense potential.”
Roheemat, the CEO, Beyounique Fashion World
Born in Adeniji, Lagos, Saheed Roheemat Abimbola holds a Second Class Upper degree in Public Administration from the University of Ilorin (2017-2022). In addition to her passion for fashion, she is also an HR Enthusiast where she is actively building her professional career in human resources.
Roheemat said the blend of vocational and professional interests allows her approach her bag-making business with both a creative and strategic mindset, balancing her entrepreneurial goals with her career aspirations in HR.
Roheemat chose both paths due to Nigeria’s challenging economic landscape. “Relying on a single income can be difficult,” she said.
The CEO of Beyounique Fashion World is also trainer.
She has also not left her fashion design skill, “I have not left my fashion design skill and won’t as my customers are still sending their fabrics from island to mainland after I relocated from there. I just find bag making more appealing as it gives me higher chance to be creative and it’s not time-consuming.”