Today we’d like to introduce you to Chineme Ogbuefi.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started Chiwrapz in 2017, while I was a student at the University of Florida. I was 18 years old at the time. I started Chiwrapz because I wanted to give people a different and new way to express themselves. Being Nigerian and having lived in Nigeria made sourcing the fabrics I needed easy. I wore a lot of wraps in college, and I got a lot of compliments. These compliments, in addition to my love for African prints, fueled my passion. I was so scared at the time. It took me a year to get comfortable in my business and what I do. Summer 2018, while in Nigeria, I was able to scale up my business and dedicate more time as it was hard to do so during the school semester. I graduated from the University of Florida in December 2018, and I have been able to put more time into the growing business and work on it full time.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been smooth at all. I’ve had moments when I wanted to quit, days where I didn’t even get one sale, days I felt less than. While in college, my primary market was college students. I would market my business, and after finding out the price for a wrap ($20 at the time), many students would say the price was too high. My price was lower than the industry standard for wraps at the time, but I found myself minimizing my worth. I knew my products were worth it. I ended up reducing my price to $18 for the head wraps. My wraps stayed at the prices for a while. I wanted to increase my customers and build my brand. When I got to a comfortable place, I was able to have my wraps at a price that matched their worth. With the pandemic this year, I struggled with getting my products shipped from Nigeria. Everything was closed. 90% of shipping companies in Nigeria were not operating because they use commercial flights, and those weren’t taking off. I also struggled with the purchasing of the fabrics used. Markets were closed for months, and it was tough to get the items I needed. I had to pay double for shipping with the one company working. The pandemic also caused the sacristy of products, so it takes me longer to restock on certain items than last year. Being a business owner is not easy; there always seems to be one hiccup or another.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Chiwrapz?
Chiwrapz specializes in headwraps, bonnets, headbands, durags, etc. We started with simply headwraps in 2017; however, our bonnets have grown into our best-selling collection. All our items are made and produced in Nigeria with sustainable fabrics. When I started Chiwrapz, one of my goals was to create jobs in Nigeria. Our tailors in Nigeria are paid very well. I am incredibly proud of keeping up with orders and ship orders one to two days after being placed. We will be launching custom items, clothes, and more in 2021.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I graduated from the University of Florida at 19 years old in 2018. In 2019, I moved myself, and my business temporarily to Chicago for graduate school. However, Chiwrapz operates 100% online except for some in-person events. Our clothes tell people a story about us. Chiwrapz was created to give people a different way to express themselves. A way to feel confident with who they are while protecting their curls—a way to stand out.
Pricing:
- Headwraps – $21- 25
- Bonnets – $25-35
- Durags – $20
- Headbands – $15
Contact Info:
- Email: Chiwrapz@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.chiwrapz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Chiwrapz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chiwrapz
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chiwrapz
Image Credits
Samuel LaGuerre
Banee Louis
Lotanna Ogbuefi
