We recently connected with Alana Craig and have shared our conversation below.

Alana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I started my business with my first job at Chipotle. I spent my first paycheck, which wasn’t much but still a lot to me at the time, on fabric. I was broke for the next two weeks, but I felt happy knowing that I had invested in something I was passionate about. When my shipment arrived at my front porch, I still remember twirling around the house at 1 in the morning like a crazy lady. The first garments I made were durags with silk lining and pockets inside for putting pre-rolls and lighters. I was the first person to make durags like that. After that, I kept going and even did a two-week paid scholarship at the University of U Arts, which gave me a foundation for my plan.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

GC Label is a slow fashion brand that aims to cater to different body types and individuals from various walks of life. The brand’s mission is to inspire and empower everyone, including African American and Native Women, to pursue their dreams and be recognized. Despite the challenges and obstacles that may arise, the brand encourages perseverance and resilience in turning one’s passion into a successful career. GC Label is committed to maintaining its natural flow and ensuring that the process of creating clothes remains enjoyable. By offering made-to-order pieces, the brand also actively combats fabric waste, making each item intentional and unique. The ultimate goal is to create a community where people can bond, create, and learn while sharing personal stories and promoting the values of slow fashion.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

To keep in touch with my clients, I find that email and giveaways work best. I like to reward my supporters with gift prizes that I make once I hit a certain brand goal, such as reaching a specific number of followers or sales or celebrating an anniversary. By doing this, I can give back to my supporters who may not be able to afford my products but have helped me build my social media presence.

Another way to reach out to new supporters is by utilizing various social media platforms and online community chats. It’s essential to have engaging content such as behind-the-scenes photos, mood boards, and other related content that can attract followers and improve your SEO search engine ranking. By branching out and using multiple platforms, you never know who might find and stick with your brand’s journey.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I have tried several third-party platforms for selling my products, and I found that “Depop” is the best when I don’t feel like creating a website or when I want to use multiple platforms to generate sales. It has no crazy fees and makes shipping labels easier than “Shippo”. Depop is a great resell app, and it doesn’t charge a high seller fee like “Etsy”.

Another platform that many people underestimate is “Facebook Marketplace”. If you use their ad sense, why not sell on the Marketplace? A lot of people use these third-party apps to find unique items, so why not fill it with your amazing art?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gclabel.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gclabel/
• Twitter: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://twitter.com/GCLABEL1&ved=2ahUKEwj66MieoYqFAxVxvokEHc6MBxgQFnoECA8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw06ydrf3sGYF7s3kLL6Ww4q
• Youtube: UCcYtnaubV7_WSLJjksoDokw

Image Credits
Alexandria Craig