We were lucky to catch up with Carmen Nibbs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Carmen, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My most meaningful projects – ” Cultural Sustainability and Legacy Planning for Craft Artist Project” hosted by Orange County Regional History Center in Collaboration with the Smithsonian’s African American Craft Initiative 2024.

As a dolls fashion designer stylist/artist creative mind of Laylee M Doll Clothes I would certainly like to make a mark in history. This project definitely helped me to make a mark in history being one of eight craft artist from Central Florida to be chosen from hundreds of applicants. The eight artist chosen are skilled in cultural story quilting, unique chain stitch embroidery art, wood carving, creating vintage teddy bears , creating cultural musical folk instruments, and my skills of creating cultural and modern doll fashions for 12 inch size dolls like Barbie and similar dolls. The project was meaningful in many ways. It consisted of several components such as a full day workshop with representative from the Smithsonian’s African American Craft Institute, virtual meetings, public craft display, panel discussion, and a oral recorded interview. The Public display of my 3 dolls were:- A Doll Tribute created to resemble Nina Simone., A Doll with Afro in a African Dashiki reminiscing the 1970’s , and a doll in fancy modern African Dress with a matching Headtie.

This project preserves my life journey, my story, my craft in a meaningful way as documented history for Central Florida and as a Caribbean person. I was able to record my story in my own voice as a detailed interview recording. I paid tribute to my grandmother’s legacy of being a skilled seamstress in the British Virgin Islands, she taught me to sew. I paid tribute to my grand-daughter Laylee who re-ignited my love for dolls and sewing doll clothing. She quickly realized my sewing skills and requested various doll outfits for her dolls. She need clothing for a wedding, a minion pajama party, a mermaid party, a fashion show and bathing suits. I also recorded an oral discussions of my various museum exhibits, my Etsy shop, my Instagram, my world wide clients, front page newspaper articles, my most notable creations were all discussed and recorded and will be preserved for history.

Carmen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

BIO:

Hey it’s Carmen Nibbs the fingers & mind behind Laylee M Doll Clothes, an eCommerce business that creates and sells a unique, fashionable line of doll clothes. I am a mother of two sons and a grandmother. Laylee M Doll Clothes shop operates on the Etsy Marketplace and has a social media account on Instagram. We sold on eBay and Etsy when we first started, and later eliminated the eBay shop. Many customers are proud/happy to show photos on Instagram, TIK TOK and Facebook of their dolls wearing items created by the brand. Each piece is cut, sewn and created by me in my Orlando, FL homebased business. Some fashion designs are original idea, or imitations of celebrity outfits, or special request direct from customers. I sews clothes specifically for size 12 inch Dolls such as Barbie, Naturalista Dolls, Integrity Fashion Royalty Dolls, and Fresh Dolls. Laylee M Doll Clothes have been sold to doll enthusiasts across the world in places such as England, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland; with most customers in the USA. Clients send photos humans size fashions and I creates doll size replicas. I have made doll clothes as replicas of Elvis Presley, Prince, Megan Markle, Lady Gaga, Hamilton Broadway Characters, Bridgerton, Beyoncé and Black Panther Movie Characters One of the most popular and requested doll fashions was the replica of Michelle Obama Maroon Long Coat and Pants set worn at Inauguration Ceremony 2021. It was quite surprising how many people wanted that outfit.
Laylee M Doll Clothes was started in August 2016. The idea to sew doll clothes came a few years prior when my grand daughter Laylee showed a love for Barbie dolls and fashions. I pulled out my sewing machine and skills that I had not used in years. I started creating doll clothes for my granddaughter. My Sewing skills were taught to me by my grandmother, Mabel Nibbs a skilled seamstress of Tortola, British Virgin Islands. During summers on Tortola I would spend hours watching my grandmother sewing, cutting fabric and creating beautiful dresses. The sound of the sewing machine, or the sound of scissors cutting fabric was always intriguing. Grandma rules were never to touch her special scissors or the sewing machine. I could cut with other scissors she owned and I could only touch the machine when she was there guiding me. Also I had to sew with a needle and thread, first learning different hand stitching all before I could get on the sewing machine. When on the sewing machine you had to pay close attention to your hands at all times. As a child around 8 or 9 yrs old this was very exciting.
I attended school on Tortola, British Virgin Islands until 4th grade, then we moved to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. I graduated from Charlotte Amalie High School on St Thomas a few month after my 17th birthday. I was Student of the Year for my graduating class. I also attended Temple University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications & Advertising. My first paid job was in Radio Broadcasting on Tortola, British Virgin Islands. I later worked in Print Advertising and Marketing the USA and in the Virgin Islands. Knowledge in those areas are certainly necessary for the success of my doll clothing brand’s name recognition.
Laylee M Doll Clothes have been featured in serval different museum and history centers. A Client hosted an exhibit in 2021 “A Celebration of Soulful Dolls” at The African American Heritage Museum In Minneapolis, Minnesota. This exhibit had dolls wearing several outfit from African Inspired Laylee M Doll Clothes. This was the first time the brand was in a Museum setting. After that several exhibits across Central Florida followed. They were featured in:
Hannibal Square Heritage Center 2022 “Community Collage ”
Orlando Museum of Arts 2022 “A Night of Fashion”
Kissimmee City Hall 2022 “Still I Rise”
African American Cultural Center & Museum in Palm Coast 2023 “Summer of 1969”
Orlando Science Center – Steam Fusion Gallery – Art Speaks 2024
Orange County Regional History Center & Museum 2024- “African American Cultural Sustainability and Legacy Planning Project Exhibit
Winter Park Library – Black History Month 2024 “Heart and Soul Celebration of Black Culture”
City Arts Gallery -2024 “Longing- Stories of the Caribbean”

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

Daily I get email on my Etsy shop and messages on Instagram
To keep in touch and foster brand loyalty:

Prompt communication on the same day replies on Etsy and Instagram
I offer Free Shipping within USA
For international customers I offer discounts to offset high postage cost
I Repost my great Etsy reviews on my Instagram Account
I thank Etsy Customers for great 5 star reviews
I send little personal notes to the customer on my business cards
For great repeat customers I send them surprise gifts with their order
I feature the photos from my customers on my Instagram account
I use this cute sticker on the reposted customers photos – “Thank you for wearing Laylee M Doll Clothes”

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

To Build my Reputation in the Market :

As a virtual business persons and display Artist there are several factors I focus on to build brand recognition:
*I use Quality- fabrics and my goal is to sell quality doll clothes that are sewn well. I check each item carefully before I mail
it to my client. I get authentic fabric such as Madras fabric shipped to me from Canada or St Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
I also use authentic African fabric brought directly to me via friends and clients travelling from several African Countries.
* I iron my special Laylee M Doll Clothes tags inside my doll clothes.
* Pay careful Attention to details when creating-cutting fabric -sewing
The patterns on some fabric must fall in the proper location on dolls body
*There is Consistent use of brand name in my photos and text descriptions
* I use lots to bright backdrops, actual nature photo shoots like beach, travel, airports, parks, etc,
*I make sure photos are crisp, good lighting and focused
* I try to pose dolls in fun eye catching poses
* I use great music for videos that compliments the fashions shown- ie African music, Caribbean Music, Chinese Music
*I edit and enhance photos and videos
* I always show up on time for all exhibits and doll events that I am a part of
*I wear my special “Laylee M Doll Clothes ” T-shirt that has one my dolls in the photo on my shirt

Contact Info:

• Website: none
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylee.m.doll.clothes/
• Facebook: none
• Linkedin: none
• Twitter: none
• Youtube: none
• Yelp: none
• Soundcloud: none

Image Credits

All photos taken by Carmen A. Nibbs