Today we’d like to introduce you to Adriana Williams.
Hi Adriana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am the founder, designer & seamstress of ADW and an educator of Sew with W. I was born and raised in Kensington, Philadelphia. As a kid, I always had a passion for fashion. I vividly remember matching my entire outfits with my beaded necklaces or scanning my own clothes pretending as if I had my own retail store.
In 2015, I attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. It was that same year when I hand drew my logo and received a sewing machine for Christmas. I had no knowledge on how to operate a sewing machine, the thread I needed, the fabric I should use. The first item I created was a tube dress. I posted a picture of me in that same tube dress online, people expressed interest in buying one and I started selling tube dresses for $10 that next day. ADW launched December 26th 2015, the day after Christmas. I never stopped sewing since. I grew a loyal customer base at Howard University while studying. At Howard, I took two fashion courses; Fashion Illustration and Sewing; Draping. Everything else pertaining to sewing and construction was self-taught and learned through trial and error. In May 2019, I graduated from Howard University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Supply Chain Management. I went on to intern at Nordstrom for a few months and transitioned into a sales position in New Jersey once returning back to Philadelphia. After a year at Nordstrom, I quit to pursue ADW full-time.
In 2020, I signed a lease for my first studio in Kensington and since then have created five collections for ADW. In July 2021, I launched Sew with W, a subsidiary of ADW. Sew with W offers Sewing 101 and Tote Bag Construction lessons. In addition, Sew with W extends small businesses the opportunity to have their brand tags applied to their merchandise.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe the road is never the smoothest when choosing entrepreneurship. Along the way, I struggled with many things; the main struggle being “Should I quit my job?”. I’ve also struggled with smaller things pertaining designing and how to construct items from scratch. I had to learn how to make anything and everything I wanted my customer to have. Another struggle is understanding your target audience and learning and understanding the financial side of running a business. I struggled with understanding when you need a team and when you need help to run and build your business. I believe all of these struggles come with entrepreneurship, no matter the field you choose.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
ADW provides handmade and hand-knitted clothing and accessories for women and men. Our pieces include cord-sets, cardigans, hoodies, swimwear, hats, bags, scarves and legwarmers. We specialize in hand-knitting, embroidery and hand-making our garments from scratch in our Philadelphia-based studio. Our in-studio process includes pattern making, samples, fit checks, photoshoots, mass production and shipping. At ADW, we are most proud of our ability to create our collections in-house which gives each and every garment an authentic feel.
Contact Info:
- Email: shopadw@gmail.com
- Website: shopadw.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/shopadw
- Other: sewwithw.as.me
Image Credits
Hoodies Photographer: Brian @bcvisuals / Hoodie Models: Jeremy @jeremydormoy & Jhaqai @jhaqailewis Hat/Leg Warmer Photographer: @pivotalchild / Model: Hana @hanaxmorgan Cardigan Photographer: Calvin @nivla.c / Cardigan Models: Jahnea @angelde.jah & Taahir @liltaah
