AW Fashion: GG Luxury
Fashion designer Garthia Gowan got her fashion epiphany at an early age. “I was seven, and knew I wanted to be a designer,” she revealed to All Woman Fashion (AWF) .
But having no formal education in the field she sought a mentor for guidance, as well as utilised online resources, such as graphic design tools and courses. “I knew creating fashion pieces was something I wanted to pursue after spending time with a talented fashion designer,” Gowan explained. In January 2018, she coined the label GG Luxury — from her initials.
GG Luxury is an online fashion portal offering women a bold way to make a statement using acessories — earrings. Gowan credits her love for fashion to the versatility it offers. In order to survive as a designer, one must offer the market something uncommon, and Gowan has answered this demand by carving a niche through button jewellery. “You must offer the consumers not just another product, but a product they didn’t even know they wanted,” she shared.
Things did not however automatically fall into place! The major challenge the young designer faced was locating graphic designers and photographers at affordable rates. This challenge highlighted the importance of building and maintaining relationships.”Having a diverse professional network makes the process smoother as your resources are now pooled and assistance can be received from anyone within your network,” she explained.
“In such a rapidly growing industry,” she told AWF, “the competitiveness of the market has increased and constantly finding new and creative ways to market one’s product is imperative.”
The industrious designer frequents textile stores, and seeks out not only popular fabrics to incorporate in her designs, but alluring ones. “How well I appeal to consumers will make or break the business,” she shared with AWF. “My customers are integral to the growth of my business and have provided me with suggestions to improve customer satisfaction.”
Having mounted two Afrocentric collections — which coincided with the release of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther — Gowan’s confidence grew as her pieces were well-received. She is currently expanding to offer statement necklaces, as well. For those who wish to venture into fashion designing, Gowan shared this sound advice: “Be unique. Be known for creating material that is different and done well because it gives you a competitive advantage. “
