Meet John Nwankwo | Founder & Fashion. Director at NKASIOBI, Inc

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Nwankwo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I was in graduate school, studying to receive my Master’s in Fine Art (MFA) in Fashion Merchandising & Marketing. As part of my requirement to receive my degree, I had to create a business idea or concept that was within the guidelines of my graduate program at the Academy of Art University. I already had an idea of staring my own clothing business. but I wanted to fine-tune my original idea and utilize the expertise of my program advisors, industry experts, and resources that my graduate program was offering. My thesis project consisted of create a business plan which include marketing research, a branding strategy, a marketing plan, budgeting, making a case how your business will be profitable in todays market. It was a long arduous process but it was so insightful and gave me the confidence to start my business after graduating. However, a lot of the plans and strategies I had in my thesis were based on a significant amount I funds I would use to start and scale my business. In reality, I didn’t have the funds needed to really put those strategies in place but I was able to prioritize certain of my business that were needed to launch my company slowly.

After proper planning, I launched NKASIOBI, selling a small capsule collection of dresses, blazers, tops and trouser that I designed and manufactured with my production partner while also stocking a Los Angeles-based brand, Beulah. I created NKASIOBI to be a multi-brand online boutique that curates an assortment of apparel for women from emerging designer brands while also producing our own branded private collection. Fast forward to the present day, I now partner with and carry six emerging designers, with plans to add more brands to our assortment, and we will be launching a silk printed scarves collection.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I launched NKASIOBI because I wanted to support emerging designer brands in the fashion industry while showcasing a form of beauty that’s not always represented in fashion. At the time, I felt the topic of representation and inclusion wasn’t the main conversation or talked about enough in the industry. Additionally, top-level executives in fashion mostly focused their attention on mainstream brands that are funded by huge conglomerates or had opportunities in the industry that are not always given to other smaller brands. However, when Covid-19 hit the world, I started seeing that shift where now smaller brands are given a fair opportunity to be seen, especially brands owned by people of color.

I want NKASIOBI to be that shop that finds unique pieces and collections from talented designers/brands and share their story with the world. Fashion is all about storytelling and creating an experience that resonates with the consumer, so my hope for NKASIOBI is to create a tailored experience and build a community around the brand through storytelling. It’s been a huge learning process, but I am happy with how we’ve grown and taken the time to listen to our existing customers and provide a sense of community within our brand.

We’ve been in business for almost two years, and we’ve had to pivot, redefine, and fine-tune our messaging many times. The industry is constantly changing, so adjusting to new consumer demands when sharing our story as well as the stories of our brand partners hasn’t been easy. Especially being a small business owner myself, the everyday roadblocks of running a business – whether financially or just the uncertainty of entrepreneurship – can be discouraging. However, as I continued to push through, I felt more confident in what I was building and it allowed me to fully walk on faith and not let fear detour me on my journey. Fear is normal for any entrepreneur, but pushing through that fear is what I feel helped me overcome some of those uncertain thoughts or roadblocks.

I want the world to know that NKASIOBI is a multi-brand online store that strives to create a positive experience for our shoppers and feels excitement when we launch new designers or products. In our efforts to create positivity in fashion, we hope to be more inclusive as a brand. Inclusion, to us, means many different things – inclusion in the brands we carry, the type of models we use, or the size range we have available in our assortment. I want all my customers to feel represented and enjoy shopping for items they love. Since redefining our brand messaging, I am most proud of the community of women we cultivated and hope to continue to cultivate more women who love fashion and have a style of their own.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I normally like to have a day of self-care. Sometimes I just need to decompress and re-center myself so I like to. go to a spa in Buckhead. The NOW Massage spa is really good for messages and the ambiance is really nice. I sometimes will go to the Waldorf Astoria Spa and get a massage there, if I want to splurge a bit.

For drinks, I enjoy The Parlor. They have great drinks and the ambiance is pretty chill! For lunch or dinner, I personally The Juicy Crab or STK in Buckhead. I am all about experiences so having spending a bit of money on fine dinning or at chill lounges is definitely a highlight for me.

I also like to go on adventures so little roadtrips to neighboring cities like Savannah or somewhere in the country side is pretty fun too. Other than that I am usually at home just chilling and relaxing with a glass of wine.

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?
I have a great support system of friends and family that have supported me on this journey and have given me the confidence to pursue my entrepreneurial endeavors. My dad has been instrumental in advising me on working well with people and to always “put my best foot forward”. He’s taught me a lot about lif, so I owe a lot of my wisdom and confidence to him. My siblings have always supported me. My sister invested money in supporting my dreams and has been a shoulder for me to cry on when things were tough. She’s a great listen and very even-keeled, so I know I can get the real from her at all times. My brother has just always been there to support me no matter what. Whether it was allowing me to use our apartment to do a photo shoot or just down to help out with whatever, I always count on my big brother.

I also may extended family has supported my journey as well, either investing financially in dreams, providing advice, or just encouraging me to continue in this journey, it has been amazing to see them rally around me. Lastly, I have amazing friends who have supported me in meaningful ways – liking a post on Instagram, purchasing an item, or just shouting my brand to their network – I can’t explain how much that means to me in my journey.

Website: https://nkasiobi.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopnkasiobi/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shopnkasiobi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopnkasiobi