So Alhamdulillah, I am proudly a self-taught tailor, and I urge all that have the desire of achieving something to work hard on it, and know that quitting is not an option.

MARIYA SANI BELLO

Hello, Assalama Alaikum, my name is Mariya Sani Bello famously know as Mariri… I am a mother, a fashion designer, a teacher and also a student.
I am the creative designer behind purple_stitches a contemporary handmade African print clothing and accessories brand with a significant focus on kids.

I learnt how to sew on my own, my mother had a sewing machine, and anytime I come home after school I jump on it to practice. The practice became my daily routine, while other kids play with toys and dolls, you will find me in a corner cutting piece of clothes I collected from tailor’s shops making little dresses for our dolls…

I started @purple_stitches with zero capital, back then in Udus I collect fabrics from family and friends and sew them during the holidays…

Below is the first dress I made.

In 2013, I got married and moved to Kaduna, I was tired of staying at home and doing nothing because I am a very active person. Luckily, I got a job as a teacher; however, deep down I knew I was not going to be in it for long, hence, I decided to pursue my dream and start working on a new project, and that project was creating a brand that will be able to make affordable yet qualitative kids clothing and accessories. So, I started saving money from my teaching job to make my dream come true.

I made an announcement via text message that I am into tailoring services but for kids only. So I started by collecting fabrics of my neighbours, family and friends which I make them with my neighbour’s sewing machine. Eventually I bought mine with a 3months untouched salary I saved from my teaching job, I couldn’t even get a new one, the money wasn’t enough, but I do not want to give up, so I bought a second-hand sewing machine, and the rest they say is history because now I have about 10 industrial sewing machines and whipping machine.

I have people that will equip me with everything I need; however, I find it difficult to ask, I am so obsessed of being independent, I always want to do things on my own, so it makes me sad asking others for money and things like that.

Alhamdulillah, is all I can say, the struggles, the trials and errors, the ups and downs, words couldn’t describe how hard I worked to build my brand, and I promise to tell my story one day with my shoulders up high, and I believe it will change lives and motivate minds…

In 2014, I lunched purple_stitches on Instagram selling fabrics and costumes, fast-forward to 2016, I decided to focus on kids wears only, and I made my first collection and sold everything. It was a massive motivation for me.

Additionally, alhamdulillah I have given a lot of young boys opportunity to work with me, we make both male and female wears, we make turbans, we make abayas and easy wears.

Just recently I opened a tailoring institute where I am currently training people, and it has been an enormous success, I believe I alone cannot cloth the whole Nigeria, we need more people to come in because together we can make a difference.

So Alhamdulillah, I am proudly a self-taught tailor, and I urge all that have the desire of achieving something to work hard on it, and know that quitting is not an option.

Thank you.