Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Haywood.
Hi Gabrielle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I already had a production company, Gabin Entertainment, Inc. when I moved to Pittsburgh from Atlanta several years ago. But upon arriving in Pittsburgh, I became extremely ill with unexplainable excruciating muscle pain and indescribable back pain. After so many attempts at relief, my doctor suggested aqua therapy. When I attended acqua therapy, I already didn’t feel good and just didn’t feel comfortable in my makeshift swimsuit. I would wear leggings, then my bathing suit over the leggings and topped it off with a t-shirt. I just looked frumpy. I wanted a swimsuit that covered more of my thighs but was colorful and bright. I just could not find what I was looking for. I found black leggings, of course and black swim capris but at that time, no colorful swimwear that came to the knee. After searching to no avail, I decided to create what I was looking for.
Hence, I became an accidental Fashion Designer, by creating the KneeKini swimwear line. The KneeKini is a capri-length swimsuit designed with bold bright color patterns for the woman, like me, who wants more coverage in the thigh area but doesn’t want to give up style to get that coverage. I call it “Fashionable Coverage with a Little More LEGverage”. I decided to name the company Virginia Dere after my mother. Although my mother made sure my brothers and I learned to swim at an early age – my mother never had that privilege growing up in the deep south during segregation. I never knew at the time that my mother did not know how to swim and I wasn’t aware of the reasoning behind it. So, I dedicate my brand, the KneeKini to a woman who sacrificed greatly to ensure my brothers and I learned a life skill that she wasn’t afforded growing up.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road for me. First and foremost, I never imagined creating a swimwear line, especially at this stage of my life – a woman over fifty. I was totally green in the apparel industry so I set out to educate myself in the world of fashion, so to speak. Although I was familiar with owning a business, I started taking classes to learn about the field I was about to embark upon. I remember all too well my first business start-up class. We were assigned Advisors/Mentors and my first meeting with my Advisor, I was basically told to stay in my lane. I understand she was basically giving me the pros and cons of starting a swimwear line but her delivery was less than favorable. I moved to Pittsburgh from Atlanta and was excited about doing stage plays and possibly films in the city, but to my surprise my health became a major factor as to why I started a swimsuit line in the first place. The Advisor was aware that I was a Playwright, so she suggested I stick with Theatre and not endeavor to create swimwear. I remember her words distinctly. “Can you compete with the big swimwear companies”, “Do you have the money to start a swimwear line”, “You need money and you don’t have any” and this one – “I know people in the theatre industry I can introduce you to”. She advised me not to pursue it. I kept moving forward and never spoke with her again. I appreciated her input but I also knew based on my research, there was a market for it.
The next speed bump came when I learned all the costs involved and what it would take to bring the line to life. I kept moving forward and God provided the funds every step of the way. I have been able to bootstrap the line, sometimes without the boots, I like to say. I can’t even say I was on a shoestring budget because I really didn’t have the resources to even put the shoestrings in the shoes. I was able to get into Business Incubators and that helped with grants and programming to learn the ins and outs of the business. Even in that, it still would take lots of money to bring it to pass. The biggest challenge was not financial, my biggest challenge was the chronic pain I deal with on a daily basis. The ability to press through on days I can barely walk. Days when the pain is so bad that I can’t mentally function. My biggest struggle has been to be able to function in a world that could care less how you feel and not wanting my physical pain to become a deterrent. Not letting the pain stop me from pressing forward.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Oftentimes, we really don’t know what our gifts and talents are or what we’re purposed to do in life. I am blessed to have been operating in my creative gifts since childhood. I have always known I would use my gifts in the creative arena. At a young age I wrote plays, scripts and mysteries. I loved who-dun-its and would write murder mysteries and soap operas at an early age. Fast forward – I went to Emerson College in Boston where I majored in Communications with a double minor in Theatre and Writing. I’ve written stage plays, the most noted being The Journey, an inspirational rendition of the Wizard of Oz. I am also noted for doing one-woman skits and the most infamous being, “The Woman at the Well”, a contemporary spin on the bible story. I am a serial Entrepreneur and have always been a risk taker and a pursuer of purpose. This latest endeavor, the KneeKini was birthed from a genuine need and I am proud to have brought it to life.
If I am transparent, I can humbly say I am most proud of the fact that God gives me an idea or vision and I am able to stay the course and see it to fruition in spite of all the obstacles, hurts and detours. I believe my tenacity and determination sets me apart. Not because others are not as tenacious but because once God places something specific in me to do, I do it with all I’ve got and I don’t give up easily. Entrepreneurship is hard and often extremely lonely so I am proud of my strength to press on when most would have given up by now. And trust me, I wanted to give up many times. It has taken nine years and many counted me out and thought it would never happen and here I stand. Are we there yet, nope – will I get there, with God’s help I believe I will. One final thought about what I am proud of – although I am on this journey to bring the KneeKini to market; along my personal journey, I encourage and help other aspiring entrepreneurs realize their dreams. I am always helping others pursue their dreams and one of my greatest joys is to help someone else realize theirs. My philosophy, “When I get there, or when You get there, WE ALL GET THERE”.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
As I’ve stated, I was a very creative kid. I was always creating something. I created paper dolls and made cities around our den for them to live in. My brother still talks about that today. I “played school” a lot and was always the teacher I wrote plays that could probably compete with Alfred Hitchcock or Agatha Christie, at least that’s what I thought and so did my mom. I was also a Radio Announcer in High School and actually got my Broadcasting License at seventeen years old. I once did a battle of the DJ’s, being the only girl and I won! I was also the kid in the neighborhood to gather everyone to do talent shows. My girlfriends and I would put on talent and fashion shows in the basement of our apartment buildings. I was involved in the Booster Club, Drill Team, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) hmmmm… even then, I was a little entrepreneur, I guess. I wanted everybody to go after their dreams, I wanted everybody to reach higher and we had fun figuring out what that might be. I was a storyteller and that later became what I wanted to do with my life.
I’ve always wanted to write a soap opera with an all black cast and did so for my final in college… I was the youngest and only girl in my family so I was somewhat of an old soul. I don’t remember a lot of instances but this one is still very clear. I was in third grade and was picked on a lot from boys. Once a boy did something to me and I finally fought back by pushing his head on the desk. I, of course, had to stay after school. The time was getting late and I got up to leave and the teacher asked where I thought I was going – my little self said, “I have to go home my stories are on”. The Guiding Light came on at around 2:30 or 3:00. That began my fascination with writing soap operas I believe. I loved stories being told and was fascinated with continuous storytelling. Every aspect of my childhood as I look back was centered around creating. Anything in the Arts or Communication I seemed to be naturally drawn to. I attended a Career Fair where I met An Anchor Woman named Pamela Cross who attended Emerson College. I went home that day and told my Mother that I was going to Emerson College and I did.
“We will be doing a soft launch soon, so stayed tuned so you’ll be updated on when you can purchase YOUR KneeKini “
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kneekini.com, www.virginiadere.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kneekiniswim
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/kneekiniswimwear
Image Credits
Amanda Briscoe Photography
