She is pretty, young and very fashionable. She is not a pushover in the style department and you would always give her a second look.
A sight for sore eyes, Mrs. Gladys Owobu who runs the Pretty-you-couture store in Lekki, must have loved fabrics to have turned a fabric merchant in a highbrow area in Lagos, Nigeria.
A graduate of Economics from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, she recalls how she became a fabric merchant.
"I went into the business because I love fashion and I love the beauty of our culture," she enthuses.
Generous, committed to her business and the home front, she has successfully run her fabric business for eight years.
Of course, she is not the vain-seeking type who makes noise on social media without a viable business to show, Owobu, boasts a clientele which spells class and high taste for fabulous fabrics.
That must have been a plus for her because she would always consider her clients while sourcing for fabrics anywhere in the world.
Just back from her trip abroad with lovely fabrics, her new arrivals would make your heart melt. With many customers trooping in to buy from the new stocks, her shop assistants are finding it tough handling the surging crowd.
Need you blame them? Her store has sourced for ‘Aso Ebi’ for numerous parties, weddings and other soirees in Lagos, London and other parts of the world.
Owobu would tell you that seeing you wear her brand makes her excited.
“In fact, I got the name, Pretty-You for my business just by appreciating what women wear. Then, I would always pay compliments to the ladies who dress well. If you are wearing a lovely fabric, I would say, ‘pretty you’. That became like a trademark and everyone started calling me ‘Pretty You,” she recalls.
That also inspires her whenever she is sourcing for fabrics that she wants to sell. “ I think of my customers and how the fabrics would look on them. I love seeing people happy when they wear my brand, so I put in all my effort to make sure I go for the best,” Owobu, who is renowned for selling exclusive fabulous fabrics, gushes.
Is the business lucrative?
She reveals, “Yes, it is. I agree that we are so many in this business now, but your client that knows your brand will always stick with you.”
Advising young entrepreneurs on how to have a successful fabric business, Owobu who is married to a Yoruba man declares, “First, you must have a passion for fabrics. You don’t think of the money you are going to make at the initial stage, just be driven with a passion to sell fabrics and make people look good. Then, you locate your niche and work at it. Be honest too. Don’t buy inferior fabrics and start selling at expensive prices, you would be labeled wrongly and that will affect your business.
“If you are selling China, tell your customers that it is China. If its Korean made, let them know. If you are buying from Italy, Austria or Dubai, let them know. Honesty makes a lot of difference in the world of fabric merchandise. Telling just one lie can cost you thousands of customers.”
Her style? "I love timeless pieces. My style is classy and exquisite. To me, less is more.”
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