Today we’d like to introduce you to C. Nichole.
Hi Nichole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Of The Root, the online Ankara boutique was started because after I would return from Africa, women would ask how they could get what I was wearing. Once they realized where it came from, they would ask if I could bring them dresses back from my trips. After the fourth time I went to Africa, I decided to put my plan into motion by reaching out to someone I trusted, making them the middle man between the dressmakers in Eastern Africa and Of The Root. In order to supply my boutique, many early mornings (2 am-5 am) are spent via WhatsApp video calls with my suppliers and on-the-ground help.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
I started Of The Root in 2021, and covid was still running rampant. I planned to launch the online Ankara boutique in the summer of 2021 but ended up launching it in Fall 2021 because of lockdowns. The United States was no longer locked down, but the countries where I got my dresses were. No one was allowed to move on the streets, meaning all the shops were closed. I had to wait on another government to start my business. This is just business when you’re dealing with other countries; globalism sometimes has its limits. But with apparel being a hot industry, marketing is the biggest struggle. Trying to stand out among others is a constant uphill battle.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The story of Of The Root, the online Ankara boutique, is implanted in Pan-Africanism, that people of African descent worldwide have common interests and should be unified. We transfer that to the brand by the styles, designs, patterns, and items from Africa and the African Diaspora. Of The Root is cultivated by people of African descent, uniting our subcultures as one. We are all Of The Root. We are all from The Motherland: Africa. What sets Of The Root apart from others is we’re about making Ankara everyday wear. Whether out with friends or working in the office, you don’t just wear Ankara for a special occasion. We’re adding more color closets.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
There’s no such thing as luck for me. Business is what you make it, keep working.
Pricing:
- $54.99 – $59.99 for knee-length dresses.
- $64.99 – $69.99 for midi dresses.
- $75.00 – $79.99 for maxi dressse.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://OfTheRoot.com
- Instagram: http://Instagram.com/ShopOfTheRoot
- Facebook: http://Facebook.com/ShopOfTheRoot
- Twitter: http://Twitter.com/ShopOfTheRoot
- Other: http://Etsy.com/shop/oftheroot
