Today we’d like to introduce you to Kencovia Jean-Baptiste.
Kencovia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Nassau, The Bahamas. This story begins twenty-five years ago, as a little girl growing up I was surrounded by family that embraced their natural creative abilities. My uncle would often use me as his muse whenever he decided to paint on the back patio. My grandmother cooked and baked everyday. When I was old enough and could handle a scissors without cutting myself, I would often assist my aunt and mother with folding and cutting patterns. When I was not cutting out garment patterns, I was cutting out cushion patterns. And on most weekends my mother and I would sit down and design bead patterns for jewelry making. Fine artistry, cooking, baking, fashion designing, home decorating, and jewelry making was all an absolute norm.
Naturally, the next step would have been to attend a creative university? Quite the opposite. You see, I did not believe in my gift enough that it would bring me the success I wanted to have going into my adulthood. So, I attended Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, NC and graduated with a bachelors degree in Mass Communications with a focus in Journalism.
Over the years I realized that I could not avoid the creative bug as I constantly found myself in a nostalgic mode that would nudge me to make a quick run to the craft store to make something that would fulfill that feeling. Almost instinctual, I decide to make something, I put my hand on it and it comes to life. There was nothing that made me feel so satisfied. Not to mention, I’ve always wanted to start my own handmade jewelry business.
A few years later, I relocated to the U.S and found myself setting goals achieve just that. In the pursuit of purpose and passion, in January of 2016, I was enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the most prestigious fashion and creative arts college in the world. In 2018 I graduated with a master’s degree in Luxury and Fashion Management. There were many hills and valleys to cross over while maintaining my wifely and motherly duties.
Now, one year later, ken.co.via Unique Artisan Jewelry is truly a labor of love. It is a permanent fix to revisiting those nostalgic feelings; it is a direct homage to my island lifestyle and creative lineage, and a continuation of what started as a growing bond to a mother-daughter relationship. I take these moments, craft them, and share them with the world.
Has it been a smooth road?
There has been just as much rough patches as there are smooth ones. For anyone that has never ventured into entrepreneurship before, they will face obstacles that can sometimes be anticipated and some that can not.
Personally, my greatest obstacle was facing fear and doubt directly in the face. I knew that before I could even think about going any further into the development of my brand I had to tackle these two thing first. I was overly critical with myself and was concerned about what others would think about my design and ideas. Fear made me press the pause button on so many occasions. And doubt made me discredit my own skills and feel unworthy of the great possibilities that lie ahead. This was not easy to face at all, but it was definitely necessary in order to move to the next step.
When starting a business finding funds can also be a stressful struggle, as well as time itself. There are moments when I feel like no matter how much I plan; there is just not enough time in one day to complete the tasks on my to-do list. But the key is balance and persistence.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ken.co.via Unique Artisan Jewelry story. Tell us more about the business.
Ken.co.via Unique Artisan Jewelry creates handmade jewelry and accessories. Our collections always tell a story, but we are equally passionate about our patrons embracing and expressing the unique self through bold and eccentric pieces. The use of polymer clay, allows us to specialize in producing one-of-a-kind collections and customized pieces. The polymer clay also allows us to explore colors variations, patterns, and textures that continue to tell the story of the unique self.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In this digital era, embracing creativity as a way to bring people together is more organic than ever before. As millennials continue to show interest in personalization and self-expression the crafting and hobby industry will continue to show much growth over the next few years. Moreover, the need to attract customers under 40 will become prevalent. We will see shifts in the well-known crafting and hobbyist in-store experiences that will become updated to accommodate the new generation customer. Retailers will need to engage their customers using an omni-channel strategy that will combine in-store and online experiences.
With a total market size of $36 billion, crafting supplies are sold at some 75,000 retail outlets, including specialty craft stores, national crafting chains, mass market discount stores, dollar stores, art supply stores, even hardware and drug stores (Forbes).
So much about crafting aligns with the spirit of millennials; self-expression, a family bonding experience, and a valuable use of time, money and resources. Another powerful drive among millennials is reusing and repurposing. Crafting retailers must turn their stores into “Instagram-worthy” locations that will instantly attract and retain the next generation creative hobbyists.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kencovia.shop
- Phone: 4046409960
- Email: bykencovia@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ken.co.via/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kencoviai/
Image Credit:
Creative Content: Elevate the Experience @elevate_theexperience; Stylist: Jeramiah Roberts/FashionMr. @styledbyfashionmr; Hair: Kameron Samples/Kstylz Hair @kstylzhair; MUA: Robert Maddox/Mr.Blakemore @misterblakemore; Photographer: Alwon Mayweather/Mayweather @mayweatherimage; Graphic Artist: Claude Hamilton/ @claude_hamilton
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
