Meet Alexandra Anumudu and Natalie Prosper | Owners of Eccentric Soul 1996

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexandra Anumudu and Natalie Prosper and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexandra and Natalie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
We were two college kids that had an idea and wanted a tangible outlet for our creativity. With us being full time students, both majoring in science, those ideas never had a chance to blossom into action. After completing our bachelor’s degrees, we finally decided to chase our dreams and live beyond a box. We decided to live our lives for ourselves instead of watching life pass us by and being too afraid to take a leap of faith on our ideas. As two black women, we wanted to build something from the ground up that we can call our own and can be passed on for generations to come. We took our interests in fashion and real estate and worked at it night and day trying to learn everything that we could possibly learn about both industries. The product of those long hours spent learning blossomed into our clothing brand Eccentric Soul 1996 and a fix and flip business in real estate.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Eccentric Soul 1996 is all about highlighting the differences that are unique to each individual through clothing. Our brand embodies a “Dare to be Different” vibe that encourages everyone to embrace what makes them unique. We do this by putting our ideas out there regardless of what the “trends” may be and being proud of the outcome regardless of who supports it. Our brand started out as an idea stemming from a love for fashion but having a hard time finding pieces that spoke to us. From that idea we took that leap of faith and kept putting one foot in front of the other. The road has not been easy but the motivation comes from wanting to be something different and sharing our ideas with the world. We knew that if we stopped we would always have that “what if” and every step we take forward is one step closer to the bigger picture. We’ve learned many lessons along the way with the biggest one being very cliche but very true, “Don’t stop”. It is a phrase that is easier said than done but putting your head down and pushing through yields results that surpass your highest expectations. No matter how long it takes or how long that road may seem never give up.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If we had friends visiting for the week the first thing that we would do would involve some type of food. One of our favorite spots in the city would be another woman owned, black owned business Slutty Vegan. After that, we would take them to one of our favorite spots with an amazing view of the city, Ponce City Market. We would definitely get some of our favorite activities in like axe throwing, picnic at Piedmont Park, paint and sip, the drive-in movie theater, an escape room, top golf, and Krog street for some cute pictures by the art in the city.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We want to dedicate this shoutout to our Mentor/Mom/Biggest Fan Donna Prosper.

Website: eccentric-soul-1996.myshopify.com

Instagram: @eccentricsoul1996

Twitter: @eccentricsoul96

Facebook: Eccentric Soul 1996

Image Credits
Natalie Prosper Photography Instagram: @nfp__photography