Today we’d like to introduce you to Nneka C. Alexander.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Brides by NoNA was officially birthed in 2013 after my twin sister’s wedding went viral! I have always had a flair for fashion, but I never saw myself pursuing it as a career. I used to be a fashion model in my college days and went to fashion & modeling school to perfect my skills. I had a thriving modeling career, but I was still not satisfied. I found myself more interested in the clothes I was modeling than in the modeling job itself so I knew that I would not survive very long in the modeling industry because the passion was just not entirely there. It wasn’t too long before I left modeling and began designing clothes for my own personal use. People would always compliment my clothes as being unique and one-of-a-kind but again I never saw myself actively pursuing fashion design as a career.
Fast forward several years later to the year 2013 — I was working as a Senior Finance Specialist with Coca-Cola and my twin sister called me over-the-moon excited because her boyfriend had just proposed to her. We both screamed each other’s ears out in excitement and then she dropped the bombshell on me when she made it clear to me that she wanted me to make ALL the outfits for her wedding — this included her actual wedding gown, her wedding reception gown, her pre-wedding dinner dress, and seven bridesmaids dresses — ten elaborate dresses in less than six months. I had just given birth to my first child, and at that point, I had never made a single dress for anyone other than myself, so I immediately answered with a very stern “NO!” Being the strong-headed lawyer that my twin sister is, she was not taking “NO” for an answer and decided to involve my parents. In our Nigerian culture, parents are usually the highest level of authority in the community and so when the parents get involved compliance is a must! I went ahead and grudgingly made all ten dresses and boy was I stressed out, but at the end of it all, it was very rewarding to see the joy on her face when all the dresses were complete.
So, her wedding day finally comes around, and my twin sister together with her bridesmaids looked absolutely beautiful! The wedding took place in Lagos, Nigeria and was featured in several local newspapers, magazines and T.V. networks. The biggest hit was when pictures from the wedding started making waves on Instagram, and several international wedding blogs picked up the pictures and featured my twin sister’s wedding. I was credited as the designer of all her gowns as well as the bridesmaids’ dresses, and since I had no formal business in place, my personal e-mail address was listed in all these platforms as the way of contacting me. No joke — I woke up one morning with over one hundred e-mails from brides asking me to design their wedding gowns. I wasn’t even on Instagram at the time and had no clue how much fame my sister’s wedding had garnered. These brides meant serious business, and so I had to put together a make-shift business by opening an Instagram account and publishing a few photos from my sister’s wedding, I set up a business e-mail account to respond better to clients and got a business phone to speak to clients one-on-one. The business hit the ground running and has been soaring even higher year after year since then! To think that I initially did not want to design my sister’s dresses for her wedding is actually pretty scary. I would have missed out on this blessing entirely.
They say opportunity knocks but once…I am just glad that when it came knocking I was able to respond howbeit grudgingly! (laughs out loud!). That’s the amazing story of Brides by NoNA, and I am so glad that my twin sister shares in this wonderful story of my life!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Nothing good comes easy, so it has certainly not been a very smooth road. I have made a lot of mistakes but looking back on them I am glad that I made those mistakes. I think of them as growing pains which every business must encounter in the early life stages of the business.
One of my biggest struggles when I first started was social media. While social media can be a blessing, it can also be a curse. It is a blessing to me in the sense that I see it as my virtual store where I am able to display my garments in front of potential clients all around the world, and these potential clients can, in turn, reach out and connect with me just at the click of a button on my social media pages. However, the bad side of social media is that it is heavily saturated with so much content and in order to stay relevant you almost have to stray away from who you are and become something/someone you are not just to please your audience. I struggled with this a few years ago in the early stages of the business. I found that I was losing my creative identity because I wanted to stay relevant. I created gowns that I thought my audience would love. The need to please my audience and keep them engaged started taking over my passion and creative ability. I was lost in the social media “rat race” to make it to the top by any means necessary. One day I got quite physically ill due to stress, and I was unable to run the business effectively. My character was slowly morphing into something that I was not. I snapped at my team members quite a bit and even fired my personal assistants at the slightest provocation. I had to take several steps back because I could not recognize the person I had become. I am typically very calm and patient, but these two attributes were so far gone it was clear that I was not myself anymore. This was not me and if I continue this way I could lose myself…and if I lose myself then I lose the business that I have worked so very hard for. I decided to do a thorough self-evaluation. I highlighted all my stress factors and attacked them one after another. I had to rewind to the beginning of it all when the business first started in 2013 when I designed my first pieces for my sister’s wedding. I designed all those gowns from my heart. My only audience at the time that I needed to please was my twin sister — I listened to her and paid attention to all her requirements for the gowns, and then I went to work and brought her vision to life! It was like an “A-HA!” moment for me. I love my audience, and I want to please them, but my number one priority is my bride. Am I listening to her? Am I in tune with her vision? Can I produce in real life the gown that is currently in her dreams? If I can use my creative ability to do all these for my bride, then I have accomplished the mission of my brand, and that is all that matters.
My advice to young women starting their journey in business is this: be true to yourself! Stay focused and cut out all the distraction. YOU are your only competition so do not compare yourself to anyone else. When you start your journey in whatever field you may be called to please set your goals, pray over your goals and be intentional in making daily efforts to achieving those goals. Again, please do not compare yourself to anyone — that is the fastest way to lose yourself. The road may be rough but trust me you will make it if you do not give up!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Brides by NoNA – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Brides by NoNA is an international design house specializing in the creation of bespoke luxury wedding gowns and formal gowns. The brand is known for intricate beadwork and perfectly fitted silhouettes, hence I have been nicknamed by previous clients “The Queen of Bling” as well as “The Fit Queen.”
As a brand, I am most proud of the eclectic nature of my designs. I am very unpredictable and creative. I do not follow one system or method of doing things. I like to free up my mind and let my creativity run wild. So I always tell my clients you never know what I will do next [I, myself, don’t even know too] but one thing I can guarantee is that you will LOVE it! I push the design boundaries when it comes to wedding gowns because I am tired of seeing the same cookie-cutter designs everywhere. I like to incorporate unconventional designs into my creations while still honoring the sanctity of a wedding.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I have always believed in having a mentor — someone you are accountable to, and you can look up to for honest counsel and guidance. In finding/choosing a mentor, my biggest advice is be sure you choose someone whom you have a trusted relationship with — do not choose some random person just because you think the person is successful in your own eyes. Your mentor must be someone you can open up to and share your insecurities and vulnerabilities without being judged. Your mentor must be someone who is not afraid to tell you the truth. Most importantly, your mentor must be someone who will push you to rise higher in life without fear of your rising higher than him/her. When you find these qualities in your chosen mentor your life will never be the same!
Pricing:
- 1) No Frills, No Thrills: This package is tailored to brides who mostly reside out of the country and are unable to come to our atelier in Atlanta for fittings. The price package includes all consultations (in person and over the phone), tailoring & production, and complimentary ground shipping to one address within the United States. The starting price for this package is $4,000.
- 2) Everything in Between: This package is tailored to brides who mostly reside out of state and are able to come to our atelier in Atlanta for just one round of fittings. The price package includes all consultations (in person and over the phone), tailoring & production, one round of fittings, and complimentary ground shipping to two addresses within the United States. The starting price for this package is $5,500.
- 3) All The Bells & Whistles: This package is tailored to brides who are able to come to our atelier in Atlanta for all fittings. The price package includes all consultations (in person and over the phone), tailoring & production, multiple rounds of fittings, and complimentary ground shipping to multiple addresses within the United States. The starting price for this package is $7,000.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bridesbynona.com
- Phone: (404) 919-7748
- Email: sales@bridesbynona.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/BridesByNona
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BridesByNona
Image Credit:
J.O.P. Studios, Sterling Photography, Joshua Dwain, Stanlo Photography, Sophia Barrett Studios, Dave Shay, Red Light Photos
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.
