Modern Fashion: Joy and Amber Orah On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today
An Interview With Candice Georgiadice
Surround yourself with people that share your vision and passion. I believe I am very lucky in this regards, since my partner is my sister, and I couldn’t imagine any better person to share this journey with. This point is especially important to me, because the road is not always easy, even for the most positive of us, and that’s ok, sometimes you just need help in focusing on the goal.
Many in the fashion industry have been making huge pivots in their business models. Many have turned away from the fast fashion trend. Many have been focusing on fashion that also makes a social impact. Many have turned to sustainable and ethical sourcing. Many have turned to hi tech manufacturing. Many have turned to subscription models. What are the other trends that we will see in the fashion industry? What does it take to lead a successful fashion brand today?
In our series called, “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand Today” we are talking to successful leaders of fashion brands who can talk about the Future of Fashion and the 5 things it takes to lead a successful fashion brand in our “new normal.”
As a part of this series I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Joy and Amber Orah.
Amber Orah is the Creative Director of Dubai Based Fashion Brand ÚCHÈ By Amber, founded in 2019 with older sister Joy Orah.Born and raised in Nigeria to (IGBO ) parents, the brand name ÚCHÈ stands for “Idea”, a befitting name for a brand whose sole purpose is to challenge its audiences’ minds…daring them to be different, authentic, and fearless with their imagination while staying ethical.
Joy Orah oversees the business aspect of the brand, having over ten years of business management experience and a keen interest in the fashion world/the back-end of it. She joined forces with Amber Orah to create the Fashion Powerhouse ÚCHÈ By Amber, to cater to the tall community, among other niche audiences (seeing as both sisters are 1’8m and above).
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?
Amber: I was born in Lagos to Eastern Nigerian parents and grew up mostly with my father (who himself is an artist). A lot of my fashion curiosity came from observing his style and seeing the pieces he purchased and how he put them together. I was not a very social kid compared to my peers in my earliest adolescent life. I relied a lot on my imagination, often times than most living in it and choosing it as my preferred reality. My mother was very fashion-oriented as well, so I had access to all these old catalogs and magazines that she had bought, and boy would I have a blast picking out my favorite pieces from the collections or combining looks and sometimes going as far as recasting models that I thought suited a look more…..it was so much fun!
Joy: I was born in 1988, on the beautiful day of March 29th, in Lagos, Nigeria. We are from a big family of 6 children. Amber is my immediate younger sister. We have always had a very strong relationship and shared similar interests, especially creativity. I was, however, away from home a lot for school. You see, I was in boarding school from my junior high years (11 years), so building relations with strangers came to me more easily than most since it was more of a survival skill. This skill has helped me a lot in my life and my career.
Can you tell us the story about what led you to this particular career path?
Amber: I remember when I was about nine years old, I’d sneak in to look through my fathers’ (apparently) hidden briefcase filled with these amazing photographs of all these exciting events and parties he had attended! I remember being taken by all the different styles and personalities the numerous guests in each photo had. I think that was when I realized that that was interesting for me, the ability to see peoples’ thoughts, ideas, and fears just by merely what they were wearing and how they wore it.
Joy:I moved to Dubai ten years ago to build a career. At this time, I was fresh out of nursing school. I knew I didn’t enjoy nursing, and I didn’t like blood, I was desperate to try something new. My first job in Dubai was as a sales executive, and I enjoyed that way more. I started to learn and grow my experience. By year 3 in Dubai, I set up my first company, managing the business, making it profitable. From then on, it has been pure bliss in business management. With my skills and knowledge acquired over the years, Ambers’ talent in Fashion Design, it only made sense that we joined forces and excel co-dependently on what we are great at individually, which is Amber Creating, and I managing the business side of things.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Amber: So I got invited to an event at The Dubai Mall in 2019; the event was to launch a new concept store and a celebrity collaboration they had just released. Fast forward to the event day (I am dressed in ÚCHÈ ofcourse), and who do I meet there because it’s his collection release? The Legend himself STEVE AOKI! Anyway, I introduce myself, and mid convo, he interrupts (graciously) to ask where my outfit (particularly my ÚCHÈ JACKET) is from because he thinks it’s really dope…. I’m low-key dumbfounded, smiling and basking in this moment of Steve appreciating and acknowledging a piece we literally just released a few days prior. I tell him it’s my brand, to which he asks where he could purchase it….unfortunately, at the time, we had not set up any virtual or physical store (we were still at the Family and Friends stage) *sigh. Anyway, I say my ‘thank yous’, capture the memories of our interaction and eventually miss what could have been a great placement opportunity if I had just handed the jacket off my back to him (like rockstars do)….. so yeah, I still feel bad about that.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Amber: For me, I would say,
“ STAYING TRUE TO ORIGINALITY”_ we had instances where we felt that our design, style, and pieces were not understood in the majority of places we showcased our pieces. This might have been due to the fact that we are based in the Middle East, but after a bunch of trial and error, we reverted back and stuck to “US”, and that’s working out big time.
“TAKING CRITICISM AS A POSITIVE” _ my sister and I open our arms to criticism. I personally find it liberating that people have opinions and concerns about our designs…I see it as proof that it stands out and, as a plus, provokes the mind to think of ways to understand it.
“UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE’S NOTHING LIKE ‘TOO MUCH’ WHEN IT COMES TO CREATIVE EXPRESSION”_ I’ve had to have mini pep talks with myself encouraging me not to tone down my creativity because of fear that it will be “too much.” I feel it is a fear you get when you create for the sole purpose of sales as opposed to as means of expression.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Joy: The ideas we put out make our brand special. We are always daring to be different. Within our first year, we got a request to style a well-known Artist to be hosted on the Jimmy Fallon show in Miami. It was so huge we thought it was a fake email until we requested they pay for the items before we ship, and they actually did!
Amber: I think our fearlessness makes us stand-out. We are boundless and aim to remain that way. We are not scared to venture into unchartered territory, opening our arms to trying new things. We thrive on the knowledge that there are so many possibilities out there, which you can see through our releases and collaborations so far, we do not have a particular style direction….we just explore and express.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share a story of how that was relevant to you in your life?
Amber: I don’t have a favorite one because I collect and keep a list of quotes that speak to me very deeply….the most recent on that list is “ FEAR OF DISAPPOINTMENT STOPS YOU FROM DOING A LOT.” This quote is relevant in every aspect of my life, not only the creative part. Creatively, however, I have taken on projects that scare me… the most recent is accepting an offer to design my first wedding dress! I mean, the fact that I even considered the proposal is due to the above quote.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Do you see any fascinating developments emerging over the next few years in the fashion industry that you are excited about? Can you tell us about that?
Amber: “Recycling and Upcycling” are becoming a full force trend, and that is very exciting to me. I am a huge fan of second-hand and vintage fashion. I feel like the pieces you find have lived a life that you now get to be a part of too. Finding new ways to add creativity to old/out-of-season pieces, instead of just throwing them out is definitely what I am looking forward to more of in the future. Not only because our imagination is sparked…it is also because it adds to maintaining the health of our planet.
Joy: I believe fashion is going in the direction of being more sustainable, especially with the big fast fashion brands looking to adopt more sustainable practices, I am very excited about that.
Can you share how your brand is helping to bring goodness to the world?
Joy: Since the inception of ÚCHÈ, we produce a limited amount of pieces to mainly avoid waste and create exclusivity for our customers. We love Upcycling and Recycling.
It is one of our core values, we are the creators of the Bumbag Top/ Belt bag Top, it is an original idea, never done before in the world. It is literally a Bum Bag/ Belt Bag worn as a top, which is both Chic and practical. We believe with pieces like this , creativity can be sparked in our audience.
Amber: Earlier in my life, I learned to use fashion as a means to say what I thought when I felt I didn’t have a voice, my way of standing my ground defying societal and family expectations, a way to protect my identity and stay true to myself the best way I knew how. It became a means of protection for me. I felt invisible and sometimes untouchable in some pieces I dawned. Fashion helps me feel powerful on a day I feel weak, gives me confidence when I am lacking some, makes me feel strong and ready to conquer the world when I need to feel that way. It’s my armor, and by starting a fashion brand, I hope it will provide the same protection to me and the consumer. I want people to feel fearless and empowered when they: see our pieces, how it’s styled and put it together to make it speak in their own way. We design to give the audience the opportunity to push past the fear of being uncomfortable and just go for it creatively. This is a liberating feeling, and if we can help anyone push past such a little (almost insignificant fear like that), I believe it will eventually lead to other tiny steps towards conquering much bigger fears.
Can you share with our readers about the ethical standards you use when you choose where to source materials?
Amber: When I source materials and fabric, I tend to lean towards the pieces that are the least desirable, that is materials that are unconventional among the pack (dead stock). These are the selections we then use to convey our ideas because, like most things in life, the beauty and potential of these fabrics have been overlooked. This way of sourcing also helps in reducing the amount of possible waste since unwanted fabric generally ends up as trash. We also buy locally made, produced and sourced material as frequently as we can in limited quantity to avoid waste. Every material we have ever purchased we make sure to use up and reuse in some cases, doing our part in contributing to waste reduction.
Fast fashion has an advantage, that it is affordable for most people, but it also has the drawback that it does not last very long and is therefore not very sustainable. What are your thoughts about this? How does your company address this question?
Joy: Yes, this is true that fast fashion is not sustainable, and I believe it is bad for the environment, especially with the wastage it causes, which is estimated at 92 million tonnes of waste per year! This is an alarming number. Uche By Amber aims to first and foremost not add to this number, which is why upcycling and recycling are integral in our brand’s approach. We want to be part of the solution to this problem, which is why Amber usually uses “deadstock” when she sources for fabrics.
Amber: I agree with this, and I think we still have a long way to go in making fast fashion less fast, more thoughtful, and still affordable because, unfortunately, sustainable and ethical fashion can currently be accessed by the middle and upper class only. This disparity gap shows how far we still have to go in this industry. As a fashion brand, this is not a positioning we find ideal, we want our pieces to be accessible to anyone who relates with the designs….As a brand, we do our best to provide quality with every release we endeavor in, and promote the up-cycling culture as well as encourage consumers to embrace the imperfections that come with pieces; old and new (a rip or loose button doesn’t mean the whole garment is bad, it just adds character to that piece) so wear it or pass it on at least.
Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand”. Please share a story or example for each.
Joy:
1. Surround yourself with people that share your vision and passion.
I believe I am very lucky in this regards, since my partner is my sister, and I couldn’t imagine any better person to share this journey with. This point is especially important to me, because the road is not always easy, even for the most positive of us, and that’s ok, sometimes you just need help in focusing on the goal.
2. Prepare for the worst, with an attitude of expecting the best.
One of our favorite quotes is from Elon Musk, when you try something new, failure must be an option, that speaks so deeply, because if you are afraid to fail, it will be extremely difficult to try new things. This is why we must try to push our fashion boundaries as much as possible and see what happens, always with a smile. I will take it a step further, and say celebrate the failures, why not, it means you tried something new!
3. Money must not be your only motivation.
I believe money must be secondary to your ideology, sometimes it takes some time to be profitable, which is absolutely ok. Use that time as an opportunity to find your tribe, and they are out there. If you start a creative journey just for the money, you will loose the creativity and eventually your motivation, and this is regardless of if you are monetarily successful or not. Mr Tony Robbins says it best, “Success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.”
4. Sustainability is the future, embrace it as soon as possible.
The waste contributed from the Fashion Industry is huge, it makes sense that the consumers are moving away from brands with unhealthy production practices. Everybody is responsible for keeping the planet safe, gone are the days when people had no idea how much damage was done to the planet, and the information will only get more transparent, so it is important we all start doing our part now.
5. Create more personal experiences for your customers.
We like to write personal handwritten notes to our customers, and I’ve had customers write me back to thank me directly, and even pledged their loyalty to the brand, and yes, they have been loyal. I think it’s nice for the customer to know it is truly humans behind the brand.
Every industry constantly evolves and seeks improvement. How do you think the fashion industry can improve itself? Can you give an example?
Joy: I believe the fashion industry can improve itself by collaborating more, making it more of an exciting challenge, i.e., work with entirely different brands from your scope and see how unsold/unused pieces can be upcycled to create something new, I promise it will be insanely cool nevertheless.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Joy: My movement will be getting the big fashion brands to collaborate with upcoming fashion brands. There is so much talent, so many ideas, that can and should be utilized properly. Fusing the new and old is Power, the world is definitely ready for that aaaaaand waste will be curbed, so yes, win, win , win!
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Amber : website :www.uchebyamber.com
instagram: @uchebyamber_official
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Modern Fashion: Joy and Amber Orah On The 5 Things You Need To Lead a Successful Fashion Brand… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.