Today we’d like to introduce you to Crasticia Gifford.
Hi Crasticia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Abella Storm has always been a dream of mine, in 2018 I decided to step out on faith and bring it to life. The idea of creating a brand scared me, so things started off slowly. Fear crippled me into thinking I couldn’t do it or that it wouldn’t be successful. Even though fear was heavy and strong, my faith and belief in myself was stronger. Progress started off very well, things were on track and moving along just fine.
And then July 2019, I received a call from my mom crying. My brother had been shot and killed on his birthday, a victim of wrong place at the wrong time. I was crushed, felt like my soul was ripped from my body, I couldn’t think straight or function on a day to day basis. I went into a deep depression, I laid in bed all day with no desire to move. Abella Storm was the furthest thing from my mind. It took me months almost a year to get my mind back right and focused.
So with mountains of prayer and faith of a mustard seed, I decided to GET UP!
And once you get up, what’s the first step? Get dressed, and that’s when the idea hit me.
Rebrand Abella Storm, back to the drawing board I went. I decided to create a brand for women that are going through storms but doesn’t let it stop them from living life and conquering goals.
I created clothing that’s comfortable and easy to wear, also easy to style in unique ways that fit each individual woman.
It’s never about what you wear, it’s about how you wear it. Styling clothing to fit your everyday mood is something we strongly suggest at Abella Storm, the days you feel like a t-shirt, we got you covered, the days you feel like a dress and bomb accessories, we got you covered there too!
Abella Storm is growing and we are excited to see where it will be in the next few years, our goal is to encourage women everywhere that no matter what they are going through, getting up and getting dressed is always the first step.
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?
Has it been a smooth road? No! lol
Trademarking the name was the first and major struggle, the brand was to be named “Storm” originally, but it was taken, so I had to come up with something else. It took about five names until I decided on Abella Storm, once we started trademarking that, we had to fight for it because of the similarity to someone else’s. This was horrifying because the clothing had been ordered, all of the branded had been created and I was afraid that if I lost the name, then all of my hard work and money would be gone, would have to start over from the beginning. But what God has for you is for you!
Everything worked out in our favor and we were able to complete the process and Abella Storm will officially be mine in the next couple of months!
Another struggle is finding a vendor that is trustworthy and time-efficient. It’s hard dealing with some vendors, the pictures they send are not always what you get. And that creates a loss in revenue, time and production.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Abella Storm is a brand for women that are going through a storm but is determined to get through it and overcome any obstacles that stand in their way. The meaning behind Abella Storm is: A Beautiful Disaster – also meaning no matter what you are going through you are beautiful and that storm won’t last forever.
I am most proud of our message, I genuinely want to see every women become the best version of herself as possible. Life is not a walk in the park and a lot of us are hiding storms that no one will ever know about. And that’s okay, but just knowing that someone else rather they’re a stranger or not is sometimes the only push you need to overcome.
I would love for your readers to see us as a strong brand that is dedicated to women being a better version of herself. Showing women that anything is possible, any dream can be achieved all it takes is drive and the right wardrobe.
We offering causal clothing for everyday life and amazing accessories to match.
What makes you happy?
Life. Life makes me happy because now I know that it could end at any moment. I have two children to live life for and I want to make it the best life possible for them and myself. Life is not a walk in the park but it is up to us to make it whatever we want it to be. Everyday we wake up, God grants us a chance at another chance to make a difference.
Pricing:
- Clothing from: $20.00
- Accessories from: $12.75
Contact Info:
- Email: customercare@theabellastorm.com
- Website: www.theabellastorm.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/abellastorm
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Abella-Storm-101959091697130/
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/abellastorm
Image Credits:
Myto Studio – David
