We recently connected with Sania Mohamed and have shared our conversation below.

Sania, appreciate you joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Genie Babie is my business where I curate a collection of vintage and Y2K feminine clothing. I created the name when I started my business back in 2021 when I was 19 years old. Growing up, I adored Bratz dolls and the movies. At the time, that was some of the only representation people of color like me had when it came to seeing fashion idols. There was a specific movie that came out when I was a kid called “ Bratz: Genie Magic” and to 6-year-old me, that movie was my small ounce of representation out of all the media I saw. The Bratz girls are these cool and fashionable icons who owned their unique style, and for a young South Asian Muslim girl like me, they were a phenomenon of what I and lots of others wanted to be. For once the girls with the tanner skin and darker hair weren’t the side character; they were the main show.

I wanted to have my business name be a creative mix of feminine and playful, while still having a deep connection to what I experienced as a child. That is when Genie Babie was born and I knew it would be the perfect fit. Local artist, Hyde Ebright, created my logo in the iconic funky Bratz text, perfectly encapsulating the themes. This is exactly what I wanted: my name and logo to convey my brand focusing on the fun and feminine parts of fashion as well as self-expression!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I began shopping second-hand when I was about 15 years old which is also when I first started learning how unethical and unsustainable the world of fast fashion is. As I got older and was going to the thrift store more frequently, I would have friends who would then want to come with me or have me find pieces for them because they loved what I would get, and I then became a mini “personal stylist” to some of my friends. I have always loved how thrifting allowed me to be more experimental and creative with my clothing, and I saw that apply to my friends when I shop for them too. When the pandemic hit, dressing rooms and the thrift store were closed so sometimes I would buy things that unfortunately would not fit the way I wanted them to and that’s when I first began reselling the pieces I found online.

I discovered the world of vintage markets at the beginning of 2021 and absolutely fell in love with the community. My friend, Jordan, had started up his vintage pop-up shop that same year and he offered me the opportunity to work with him before starting my shop. Then in October 2021, I knew I was ready to commit to my own business and that’s when I created my shop, Genie Babie! With Genie Babie, my goal was to offer a selection of vintage and unique apparel and accessories curated to a feminine audience at a reasonable price- think lots of floral and animal print, and fun textures and silhouettes.
I believe building a personal style is so important for many reasons, but one of the most important I would say is that it allows you the opportunity to connect more with yourself trying to see what you feel most confident in, and at the end of the day I think everyone should feel confident and comfortable inside and out with the clothes they are wearing. And I often hear people say is that they don’t know how to achieve finding their own personal style in a more sustainable way- which is why I love doing what I do because I get to assist and show them that it is possible! Even if someone is not able to find a piece from me, I love chatting with them and suggesting another business or ways to find what exactly they are looking for! I think at the end of the day for me, to convey the message to try to shop as conscious and sustainable as possible is such a big part of what I do and why I do what I do.

Since I began, I have done over 50 events and it’s been so great to see the vintage-loving community grow greatly from when I first started! In addition to my shop, at the start of this year, I had the opportunity to assist local event organizer, Taylor Grindle from Sohud Collective, in organizing local pop-ups which have been incredible! With my passion for connecting with the vintage and market community, I would love to continue organizing more, especially hosting an event highlighting POC vendors as we have so many great POC-owned small businesses here in Ohio!

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Instagram is my main source for keeping in touch with clients as I always post information on events I am at. I interact with clients online as well! When I first started my business, I wanted to find a way to keep a consistent customer base. So, I offered an incentive where if customers tag me on Instagram while wearing their pieces from me, they get 10% off on every future purchase. I still do this and hold my word to every customer and it has been a great way to foster brand loyalty. Additionally, this incentive helps promote my shop, while my customers get something in return!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

As cliche as it might sound, I believe the strongest factor that has helped build my reputation for my vintage shop, Genie Babie, is being friendly with customers and making genuine connections with them! Having an outgoing personality often leads me to chat and create personal bonds with other consumers and vendors. At first, I did not realize how much of an impact that makes to others shopping with me as they feel connected with me too! I have been able to develop deep and meaningful friendships because of these events, and I now call many of them my best friends. As much I adore my friendships, I also realize how much of a positive imprint they make on the community as they bring their other friends to shop with me and spread the word, etc. Overall, the love and support I have received have surely helped my business flourish.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @shopgeniebabie