We recently connected with Adilah Muhammad and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Adilah, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents are business owners. They’ve owned different businesses over time and own one currently. At one point they owned a neighborhood storefront that had a baby crib in there for me. But with that they’ve taught me a great lesson. If there is something you want to do, then try it. The worse thing you can do is just not try. They also taught me that there is no better time than the present. There will never be a perfect time, but when you start something, the help you are looking for will eventually come you way.
I decided to start my own brand. It’s certainly not easy, but I’m glad they are great motivators to get me going. I started at a time that wasn’t ideal at all but I can say that because I did start I’ve achieved a lot of cool things in my journey. Given myself the chance and grace to start a thing is better than just sitting around for something to happen for me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
From a young age, I enjoyed fashion. It’s honestly part of my family’s signature. We love our family, we love education, and we love fashion. So at an early age, my mother taught me how to sew. I made my first pair of shorts when I was seven. My first dress at 9. And as I got older, I decided to attend North Carolina A&T State University where I graduated with a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising and Design. I started my business in 2017 when I joined a fashion collective group called the Chicago Fashion Incubator. Prior to that I was struggling trying to find post grad work, but to no avail I was jobless. I decided to start designing clothes for people and decided to make a small capsule collection. This lead me participate in fashions and to design a custom concert look for rapper Noname. This grabbed the attend of the Chicago Fashion Incubator where they took me under their wings to help me launch my brand in January 2018.
I currently design a small-batch apparel brand that is made and produced in Chicago. I design for women who appreciate tailored silhouettes whose clothing is always making the first statement. Thus far, my work has lead me to be featured in magazines, museums and create a name for myself in my hometown. What I am most proud of myself with my brand is the community I’ve built around it. I never got a chance to move to a place like New York or Los Angeles where you get to immerse yourself in a fashion community. But instead, I’ve found my people in Chicago and has allowed me to flourish and build a strong base here.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I funded my business a few ways. When I started my business, I worked as a tutor, part-time, two days a week for 15 hr. Initially it was three days a week before the school cut our hours. So I didn’t have a lot of money. So I crowd funded for my first collection. People where so excited to just be a part of that journey that they helped me at least get half of what I was looking to achieve to finance the first collection. I put up the other half of the money. Then with the help of the Chicago Fashion Incubator, I was able to participate in selling events that helped me get a little more capital. I did all secure a business credit card to make some financial purchases. However, I am still self-funded. My job as a educator still helps me secure funding for my business.
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
All of my products are made in Chicago. Initially, I produced all of my clothing but as I grew I knew that wouldn’t be feasible. I started making connections with other designers in Chicago and found a network of manufacturers here. It took a couple of tries before I found the right one to suit my needs. I’ve never had a bad experience (luckily) with any of my manufacturers; however, finding one who understands your business model is important part in manufacturing. One thing I’ve learned is to always keep a good relationship with your manufacturers. I make sure I am always communicating with them and always making sure they are paid on time. I also make sure I remember important things about them and reaching out. For example if I know it a new lunar year, I reach out to my manufacturer and wish them a Happy Lunar Year. If they’ve had a child, I send a special note congratulating them on their delivery. I think those things help strengthen our relationship.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.adilahm.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/adilahmstudio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/adilahmstudio
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/adilah-m
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/adilahmstudio
Image Credits
Gian Frias- Phographer Dannie Lynn- Model Lauren Ashley- Model Dairyn Estrada-Model Makeup Artist -Tiffany Toni