Meet Amani Grant of Island Gyals

 Hi Amani, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Island Gyals LLC was started in order to build generational wealth by capitalizing on a timeless skill; crochet. In August 2019, Island Gyals LLC was officially launched by myself, Amani Grant, Ayanna Grant, and Daysha Egson. Driven by our passion for entrepreneurship and financial security, our hobby turned pro!

Crochet was introduced to me and my sister by our grandmother, who is a professional seamstress. Along with crochet, our grandmother taught us how to sew.  She thought it was important for us to learn how to mend our own clothing. Despite learning crochet at a young age, we didn’t pursue it until high school when my friends and I took it up for fun! After making a few pieces for ourselves, we realized we could take crochet beyond our small circle to a larger audience. A year later, Island Gyals became official and we have been slowly and organically building since.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been a smooth one. We started Island Gyals LLC with no previous background or experience in business. As such, we learned many things along the way through simple trial and error. A turn in our business started when we participated in an idea accelerator program at the University of Georgia. Through the program we gained insight into building our brand. One of our biggest takeaways was learning how to deal with rejection. In the beginning, we were desperately trying to get exposure walking in the streets and spreading our business through word-of-mouth. More often than not we heard the word “No”. However, we were persistent! Eventually, we entered into consignments with several local boutiques and attended pop-up events throughout the community.

Additionally, we have reached out to several influencers/artists in an attempt to market our clothing to a broader audience. Most recently, we had the privilege of partnering with celebrity Yemi Alade, a Nigerian Afropop singer. Yemi Alade wore an Island Gyals crop top in her culture exchange vlog with dancehall queen Spice promoting their latest song “Bubble It”. That experience taught us to never give up! After years of pushing our products, an opportunity presented itself and we are very thankful for it!

Still, balancing life, school, and a business can be difficult due to the nature of our work. Our clothes are handmade! With each item, we work to provide a quality good that our customers will love. As such, a lot of time is dedicated to each piece. Thankfully, we have learned to lean on and support each other when in need!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Island Gyals?
Island Gyals LLC is a retail company, which launched in 2019. It was founded by three college students who desired their own business and utilized the skills they learned from childhood.

We specialize in handmade crochet clothing. Thus, each piece is unique! Further we encourage customers to join the creative process by allowing them to customize items.  Since our launch, we have expanded to include accessories, cosmetics, and more!

Island Gyals has a Caribbean touch stemming from me and my sister’s Caribbean identity. Thus the slogan: BRINGING YOU VIBEZ FROM THE ISLANDS.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
As of now, we are operating primarily through our online social media accounts (i.e. Instagram, Facebook & Twitter), with Instagram as our main platform. If anyone would like to collaborate with us or support us, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of our socials or by email.

Email: islandgyals123@gmail.com