Cecy Ctyles, interview.

Email:magazine.allure@googlemail.com
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I had a chance to catch up with friend and fellow businesswoman Cecilia Mwenda of Cecy Ctyles fashion label, here is what she had to say:


Hello Cecilia, for the readers out there who don’t know you please tells us a little about yourself.
My name is Cecilia Nyamizi Mwenda; I am the Fashion Designer for Cecy Ctyles. Born in Tanzania, I started my first business at the age of 10, making and selling custom-made beaded jewellery to young girls at my primary school. I moved to the UK with my mum when I was 12 years old, to start a new life. I have always loved designing and making clothe since I was a little girl, so after learning how to sew in secondary school, I decided to start up Cecy Ctyles when I was 16 during my first year of college. And now, as well as running my own business, I am also at university studying Journalism & Public Relations.

So what is Cecy Ctyles all about?
Cecy Ctyles is a new fashion label that specialises in tailor-made ladies wear for special occasions, from wedding receptions and dinner parties to clubbing nights out.
It has an annual catalogue of designs that can all be customized. This includes our contemporary and sexy African wear, Club wear, Cexy corsets, Salsa wear and Belts. Clients can chose to lengthen designs or change the fabric used, all the together.
For those who can't find the designs they are looking for on the catalogue, we have a Tailoring service which allows them to send us their own designs or ask one of our designers to sketch an original design for them. They can either send us their own fabrics or chose from our selection of fabrics and accessories to create their ultimate outfits.
We also offer free face-to-face fashion consultations where clients meet with our designers to put together outfit ideas. Our designers will then guide them through the whole design process from the sketching to the fitting to make sure the designs are just right.
All designs are made-to-measure for a perfect fit and are delivered within five working days within the UK and within 10 working days deliveries in the EU and US. All orders come with three months of free minor adjustments.

Who else is part of the Cecy Ctyles team?
Cecy Ctyles has a growing team. Pauline Lowey (my mother) and I are the directors. We have seven contracted models in the UK and managers in Tanzania who supervise a team of tailors that deal with Cecy Ctyles' bulk orders. They also help in buying and shipping most of the fabrics that we use on our designs.

How many events have you taken part in so far?
So far, we have taken part in nine fashion shows, from when I first started CC in college. And this year we have shows on nearly every month from June till October as part of our Summer Catwalk season. The next one will be Miss Tanzania Europe on 27th June which CC will be sponsoring, followed by the official CC Red Carpet Launch party on 18th July 09.

For those who need inspiration to start their own fashion line, what advice would you give to them?
First of all you should be patient and never give up. The fashion industry is one of the most difficult industries to make it in. It takes an average of 10 years to establish a solid trusted designer name but in the end, it will all be worth it. The thing to remember is your passion should take priority over business. If you start your own label just to make money, you will soon lose patience for it. For the first few years, you spend thousands to make hundreds but that phase will pass quite quickly depending on how much people love your designs. There are a lot of helpful people in the fashion industry, especially event organisers who will help you a lot when it comes to exhibiting your designs. Try to show designs on as many fashion shows as you can as the feedback you get from shows will help you to improve your fashion line.
To be honest, running your own fashion line is so much fun. And depending on how much passion you have for it, you will be able to overcome any obstacles that come with it.

Do you have any regrets about Cecy Ctyles?
No, none at all. I love working on it and have been since I was 16. It is my life and I wouldn't change it for the world!

Where do you see yourself and Cecy Ctyles in 10 years time?
In 10 years time I see myself running CC fulltime as a famous fashion designer, as at the moment I'm running it part-time because of university. And hopefully, I will have started my own family by then too.

What do you think makes a good business woman?>
I think a good business woman knows how to successfully juggle certain aspects of their life whilst managing to run a successful business. In this case, as a Fashion Designer and CEO, you have to separate the two roles and adapt the way you think to fit them. So, although on one side you have to focus on improving the products that you are selling, on the CEO side you have to be willing to spot investment opportunities and take financial risks that will hopefully improve your business. A good business woman has an entrepreneurial mind and is always looking for ways to expand her business in order to make a profit.


Thank you for interviewing me. If you would like any more information, please let me know.
PLEASE VISIT THE CECY CTYLES WEBSITE www.cecyctyles.com