Meet Tiombe Amina of SWAKCouture in Buckhead

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiombe Amina.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
You could say designing & creativity is in my blood. I grew up watching my father and grandmother run their alterations and reweaving businesses. They both consistently encouraged me and my siblings to become business owners once we became adults. As a pre-teen, I took a keen interest in knitting/crocheting. I was 12 years of age when I made my first afghan and won 1st place in the county fair. My interest and love of creating and crafting have grown ever since!

Years later after college, I began to design accessories – initially, just for myself and as gifts to family& friends. I constantly was stopped by strangers who wanted to know where I had purchased my handmade scarf/hat from. After so many accounts of this, I realized that I needed to follow my natural passion in life and monetize it. In 2010, I decided to say goodbye to the Corp. world altogether and I opened my online boutique, SWAKCouture. We make and sell a variety of Turbans, Satin Lined hair accessories, Hand knit beanies and scarves.

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?
LOL! Yes and no. We are a small family business and have needed more staff outside of ourselves. One of the main challenges has been finding reliable and productive employees. Quality control is a stickler for us and often staff does not share the passion that you do to provide the best to your customers.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
SWAKCouture is an artisan brand specializing in handcrafted women & girl accessories. We make a variety of Turbans, Satin Lined Headband wraps, Hand knit beanies, cowl & scarves. I am most proud of the high percentage of repeat customers that we have and referrals to our business.

Our quality, original designs, and great customer service set us apart from other brands. Many of our customers remark on this in their reviews of our business. We are meticulous in our production process and since the majority of our products are made by hand, it allows us to pay great attention to detail and quality.

What were you like growing up?
I was very shy as a young child but grew out of my shyness as I entered my teen years. I was involved in so many academic activities, I didn’t have a choice but to become more assertive and extroverted. LOL! I was often labeled as ” one of the smart kids” at school. To some degree, it helped me to come out of my shell because I was chosen a lot to lead programs/activities at school. Outside of school, I was involved in 4-H and volunteered a lot. In my leisure time, I enjoyed the outdoors, tennis, reading, and hanging out with my five siblings.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.swakcouture.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/swak_couture
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/SWAKCoutureBoutique/
• Twitter: twitter.com/swakdesignsetsy

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