We recently connected with Bukola Nora and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bukola thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

Growing up, my mother (God rest her soul), believed you could get rich by working for someone or a company but can become wealthy only if you ran your own business. Growing up as her child and learning at her feet instilled that knowledge in me and helped me grow a passion for business. Right from my University days, I have always sold one commodity or the other so as to have a source of extra money apart from whatever I got from my parents. I have always had a good business sense. I could call myself a die-hard business woman.

One of the reasons why I love being a business woman is because I get to provide solutions to people’s needs. As the CEO of Fabulous by Nora LLC, people walk into my African Inspired Clothing Store and say “Ms. Nora, I have an African event to attend, could you please style me up?” that right there is a need and it is always a delight for me to give them an outfit that befits the occasion. Seeing them walk out of my store with so much joy and satisfaction gives me a sense of fulfillment that I long for as the owner of Fabulous by Nora LLC.

Some customers walk into my store just because they are curious as per what exactly the African Fashion or outfits can look like on them and by the end of the day, they fall in love and cannot have enough of it, so they keep coming back for more.

One thing worthy of note about African Inspired wears is that they are all detailed and handmade with quality fabrics and accessories so they are not items you can readily see or access everywhere. I just love African fashion and can go on and on about it.

As at when I was still working my 9-5 job, my plan was to venture fully into my business in 2023 so as to save up more money that was gonna be enough for me to transition smoothly into a full time business woman. As fate ( or rather, God) would have it, I had a major health breakdown that required me to take things absolutely slow. My job back then was a highly demanding and hazardous job which according to my Doctor might have been one of the reasons why i suffered the breakdown in the first place, so I had no other choice than to stop my 9-5 job. Now, that is a lesson I think is worthy of being pointed out.
No matter how well-paying or comfortable the job you have going for you is, always strive to have a plan B.

Thankfully, I was running my business as a side hustle so I had something worthy to fall back on and fortunately for me, that was something I really loved doing.
Remember that I mentioned my initial plan was to venture fully into my business in 2023 but thankfully in June 2022, I was able to rent a mega space that was officially opened in August 2023. My store remains one of the best Afrocentric stores in the Houston area that merges fashion for Africans, African Americans and everyone, irrespective of their race.

It is a fashion store/boutique for anyone and everyone that wants to represent their African roots or just want to add a touch of Africa to their dressing, attire or overall look. We have been able to be of service to people from all races and backgrounds and we look forward to keep doing that.

Fabulous by Nora LLC was registered officially in the state of Texas in November 2020, as a source of extra income (or as a plan B) but looking at it now, I wish i had ventured fully into it earlier. I think there could not have been a better time to go fully into my business so I am thankful for the process that led me to where I am, even as I strive to become better at what I do.

Bukola, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Bukola Nora. My customers call me Nora. I am the Creative Director of Fabulous by Nora LLC. A company registered and domiciled in Houston, at Alief Clodine by Eldridge Axis. We deal in the manufacturing of African inspired ready to wear clothing for men, women and kids from any race. We are open to serving you as long as you are ready and willing to look beautiful in an Afrocentric way. We do fashion designing for groups or individuals, for bride and groom and also for special occasions.

I got into this industry because I realized there was a need for original African made clothing, sourced from Africa and truly made in Africa. As a woman born and raised in Africa, I understand what African Fashion entails and I wanted to be able to help dress people who want to have that beautiful and bold stylish African look. African fashion is one of the richest in the world and I am proud to be a solution provider in this field.
What sets us apart from others is that we are a walk-in store ( What you see is what you get), and we listen to you. We do our best to understand your brief, understand what your sense of style is, and give you items that best suit your personality and also your budget.

We are proud of our work and how far we have come since about 3 years since we started our company.
Fabulous by Nora clients have always stood out wherever they go and the feedbacks we get have always been very positive.

We want our potential clients/followers/fans to know that this is not just a business for us, it is something we are highly passionate about. The smiles we see on our client’s faces after we style them up gives us a sense of fulfillment.
If you come into our store and you do not find something you love (which is rare) we will make something special for you at an affordable price. We also want you to know that although our products are genuine and of very high quality, the prices are pocket friendly.

We deal in the sales and supply of African lace and Ankara fabrics, jewelry and other fashion accessories. We supply in bulk or in limited quantity.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

Yes all our products, especially our Luxury Ready to Wear outfits are manufactured by us… specially handmade by some of the best tailors in Africa.

I have always loved to have a touch of Africa in every of my dressing, so what inspired me to start manufacturing African Inspired clothing was how well it was accepted by my co-workers at my previous 9-5 job. I was the only African woman who worked there at a point but despite this, I loved dressing in my African bold African print patterns, most especially on Fridays. I saw how most of my co-workers complimented me and loved how I dressed. Some of them told me how difficult it was for them to access beautiful Afrocentric outfits. That was one of the things that inspired me to start the manufacturing process. Being from Africa (Nigeria precisely), I had some very good tailors I could work with, so i reached out to them and started working with them. I created my designs, sent to them and trusted them to interpret what I had in mind into beautiful ready to wear attires. Oh my, it was a very stressful process at the beginning.

The first problem we faced was getting the right fabric patterns that aligned with what I had already visualized. To overcome that hurdle, at a point I had to get African print vendors that are also in Nigeria to work with. So, I picked the colors and patterns of fabrics I loved from the vendors and got them delivered to the tailors.

The second issue was getting the sizes right. since we were producing ready to wear outfits for women, men and also kids, we had to get sizes right. Although, we had to make some errors before we finally got our sizes right, at the end of the day, it was worth it… thankfully.

Another issue we had to face was having to deal with some vendors/tailors who did not care about giving us high quality and neatly finished products. As a result, we had to let go of those who were not as passionate about the business as needed. Now, we can safely say we work with the best tailors around.

One major lesson I learnt along the way is that; you have to master the skills of your business. Any skill necessary in pushing your business forward you have to master it if you want to be successful or remain relevant in your industry. As a result of this, I had to perfect my idea of sewing by enrolling in a fashion school. Thankfully, now I sew very well and make items from the scratch. I also do alterations for customers who buy our ready to wear but need it altered to be more fitted, shorter, loose or whatever they desire. Right now, we do bespoke and custom-made outfits and we give our customers the satisfaction they desire at all times… we never disappoint.

Manufacturing your own product is not an easy feat to achieve, but if you are resilient and are ready to follow the due and right process, it is something you will end up enjoying. It gives us a certain sense of fulfillment.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What I believe helped build my reputation within my market is good customer service and original high quality products. The moment you step into our store, our welcoming and relaxing ambience makes you feel you are in the right place. Also, we give you our full attention and work with your budget. We focus on your style and on what the occasion you plan to attend. We also put into consideration, what the event you desire to be styled up for, is all about.

For instance, if it is an African wedding, we enlighten you about what kind of look you are expected to go in and how glamorous African wedding guests are expected to look like. Our customers trust us enough to ask us to style them up from head to toe and we always gladly do that.
Like I said, our products are of a very high quality and they are not mass products. They are originally made in Africa and when you wear any of our outfits, you carry a part of Africa with you. We do not just sell ready to wear outfits, we sell luxury!

Contact Info:

• Website: fabulousbynora.com
• Instagram: fabulousbynoraapparel
• Facebook: fab by nora
• Other: You can reach us on our direct line +18324945256 or visit us at Fabulous by Nora – 13629 Alief Clodine Road, Suite C, Houston Texas 77082 (Behind Now and Forever Gas Station)