Believe In Yourself And Try To Be Better Than You Were Yesterday- Sabir Abdulrahman

Abdulrahman

Sabir Abdulrahman is a Bsc holder of Sociology from the prestigious ABU Zaria, and also an MSc in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.  The Kwara state indigene and CEO of Sabir Designs spoke with TMG.

TMG> How long did you nurse the dream of becoming a fashion designer before becoming a reality?

Sabir> I’ve always had interest in fashion from a very young age. I dreamt of dressing people and getting the pleasure of seeing people in my brand looking beautiful. It was just a dream at the time and looked impossible to achieve but a year later, I actually kickstarted. I started looking for patterns and ways to achieve it and I’m glad I took the first step.

TMG> What is your area of interest: designing or tailoring or both?

Sabir> I have great interest in both, although I find more pleasure and satisfaction in designing.

TMG> You are also into footwear now. Can you tell us about it and how far you gone? 

Sabir> The SD footwear was an extra initiative to fulfilling the SD (Sabir Designs) dream where I get to see people all dressed from top to bottom in SD. It has been really impressive and moving much more than anticipated.

TMG> Did you go to a professional school to acquire the skills and if so, what credentials did you earn through the program?

Sabir > I like to think of my skills as natural. I’ve been learning both practically and do a lot of E-learning because new trends are always coming up. I have to be up to date with trends and the best way to do that is through the net.

TMG> What type of clients do you cater for -men/women; old/young? Nigerians or Western?

Sabir> For the clothing line, I cater for male clients, both old and young, while the footwear covers male and female clients of all age ranges.

TMG> Which type of clothes do you find easier to market: ready to wear or bespoke/custom designed wears?

Sabir > I find bespoke designed wears really easy to market because it gives me the opportunity to truly satisfy the clients with designs they desire.

TMG> Tell us about the very first outfit you designed and sewed: was it for you? What were people’s comments about and how did it make you feel?

Sabir > I like to think of myself as my number 1 model so the first outfit I designed was mine and I loved the comments and recommendations I got from it. It really uplifted me. 

TMG>What inspires your designs?

Sabir> Long before I kickstarted the line, I’ve always had a good fashion sense and whenever I gave my clothes to the tailors, I’ve always been the one to create my style and I always got good compliments and people end up asking for a sample and I always feel a sense of satisfaction when I see friends dressed in my designs so, one day, I decided to put the creativity to good use and have a strong belief in myself.

 

TMG> How many employees report to you?

Sabir> It’s still a young business but I have 4 permanent employees and some temporary workers.

TMG> Give us an example of someone you have trained or mentored. Where did they start and where are they now? 

Sabir> I am yet to do that but I am working on something to make this happen and looking forward to it 

 

TMG> What do you do to stay educated about new trends?

Sabir> Research is key for me. I always love to be up to date about new trends and also create trends on my own to keep the fashion world moving.

TMG> What challenges do you encounter and how do you handle them?

Sabir> I’ve had challenges of debts and also the issue of traffic in production at some periods (especially festive seasons). No one is an island of knowledge so I ask for advice from people with more experience and I set policies that have helped me tackle that area.

TMG> Tell us about your management style and how you handle your Customers?

Sabir> My customers are of great value to me so I handle them with great care and respect. I try to keep good communication with them and also love to get feedbacks so as to help improve the business and get insight on better ways to satisfy them. Customer satisfaction is very important to me.

TMG> Tell us about an accomplishment that you are most proud of in your career.

Sabir> I love to see people happy so my greatest accomplishment is seeing people happy and confident in SD.

TMG> Tell us 3 things that you consider to be your strengths?

Sabir> Patience, Tenacity and curiosity. I like to think they are my 3 greatest strengths.

TMG> Tell us something you would like to learn or improve upon?

Sabir> I would love to improve on my target audience and make it widespread to cut across all types of designs.

TMG> What other back-of-the positions have you previously held before going into fashion?

Sabir> I was a stylist to my friends and family who needed unique designs but it was unofficial at the time.

TMG> Who are your role models and what inspires you about them?

Sabir> I’m a big sports fan, so my role models are Adidas and Nike because I love how widespread they are in production relating to sports. I would love to have that impact on fashion.

TMG> What do you say to other youths to encourage them?

Sabir> No one promised it would be a bed of roses but believe in yourself and try to be better than you were yesterday.

TMG> Do you have time to socialise and how?

Sabir> I try my best to create time for that. Family and friends' time is important. And also sports.