Meet The Woman Who Has Taken Over AutoGele Styling Business In Ghana
- A beautiful and talented mother of four lovely children has successfully built a fashion brand from her home
- Emmanuella Erinma Ukoha is one of the leading gele stylists in Ghana now with a long list of celebrity clients
- The Nigerian business genius is a pioneer in the autogele styling business with countless styles for her clients to choose from
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Some entrepreneurs start their journey by solving a problem other than amassing wealth. A Nigerian and mother of three created a fashion brand as a breakthrough to financial independence and a means to support her family.
Mrs. Emmanuella Erinma Ukoha is a mother of four who resides in Accra with her family. She is the CEO of Gele Center, a unique brand that designs and styles bridals and head gears for fashion lovers.
She has a long list of clients, including Ghanaian celebrities Anita Akuffo, Tima Kumkum, Stacey Amoateng, Rebecca Donkor, and Chris Kata.
Source: Instagram
In an exclusive interview with YEN.com.gh’s fashion editor, Portia Arthur, Emmanuella revealed that she decided to set up her business when she became a mother.
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Being a woman you have to be financially independent and not only a Woman, a Mum, or a Wife you have to be financially independent so these were things that actually motivated me to be a Sole Proprietor.
When kids were also in the picture, it motivated me to also become a sole proprietor.
Delving into her personal and marriage life, Mrs. Ukoha added that she needed to do something to support her family. After a lot of brainstorming, she settled with auto 'gele' styling.
Watch the video here
When I got married, I wasn’t working. I was a wife, bearing kids. So along the line, things began to happen, especially from the financial aspect. Having kids also made me put my legs down, and I told myself, “okay, Ella, do you know you have to do something?
The ideas that came up were makeup artistry and being a lace vendor, but along the line, I saw the advanced way in Autogele and I was so fascinated by it, having to slay with an Autogele without any assistance, It’s so Amazing. I was so inspired, and ventured into Autogele Styling”.
Auto Gele styling is a new addition to the fashion industry, and most traditional brides have embraced the trend. It saves time and money for expensive wigs and remuneration for hair stylists.
Sharing her first experience as a trainee, Emmanuella said:
I just had to learn one autogele style from my teacher then.
Talking about her experience since establishing her business years ago, she said,
With prayers and practice, I can recreate and have recreated over 20 different styles and counting by his grace.
You need to work on different measurements for different styles and Practice x Practice helps a lot.
Watch the video here.
Social media has been the easiest way to market and sell every product but does it work for every brand?
Emmanuella started her gorilla marketing campaign with fashion editor Portia Arthur where she advertised her products to men and women who might use the products at various advantageous places.
I started offline, from office to office, mall to mall, on weighing days at the hospital, etc.
Customer service is always key, and it takes a confident salesperson to close deals once a client gives them a listening ear. The fierce mother of four reminisced how she made her first sales as a sole proprietor.
It was an offline client. I walked into her store, greeted her, and requested 3 minutes of her time.
When she gave me a go-ahead sign, I began talking about the autogele, while wearing the autogele to show her how easy it is to wear an Autogele.
She got so interested in purchasing one, which by his grace, I made and delivered it to her”.
The Gele styling market is getting saturated, and brides, bridesmaids, and wedding guests make high demands each weekend to complete their looks.
According to the chief executive officer of Gele Center, she is unperturbed by the competition as she gives clients value for their money.
Watch the video here.
The Gele Styling Market is getting tough by the day because your fellow Gele stylist vendor wants to be in the face of consumers.
Yes, I was Scared at first, asking myself if I could pull this off. But, what keeps me going is how beautiful and lush my autogele turns out to be.
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So I rather work on being amazing at what I am doing than moping to see what my fellow Gele Stylist vendors are doing and comparing. It won’t help.”
If you want to stand out, branding is very important for individuals and businesses. According to Emmanuella, her autogele has distinctive features from the rest on the market.
“Even if you see it, the same style by another vendor, there is always a difference..Mine speaks classy, lush, and royalty”.
Commenting on the sudden craze for autogele, she explained,
the Autogele has an adjustable strap which makes it suitable for all head sizes, no head measurement is needed, and no stress. Yes Please, It fits all clients.
Ghanaian brides and mothers have become frequent customers of Gele stylists, especially during traditional weddings. Emmanuella disclosed that it is always a great exposure and pleasure to work with brides and other guests for a wedding.
Being called to be part of a bride’s big day is an opportunity I am always grateful for, whether on her bridal squad, mum, guests, sisters, etc.
I am super grateful. Working on a bride, helps you take on a challenge to make a bride look outstanding amongst everyone, which makes you extra focus and on attention to deliver”.
Finally, the generous businesswoman said,
ever since I started Gele Styling, the passion for recreating a style, and how it turns out, motivates me to keep doing more.
Ghanaian bride shows off dance moves in elegant kente gown
Previously, YEN.com.gh wrote about Patrick and Winnie, a Ghanaian couple, who wed in a lavish ceremony.
From the pre-wedding picture shoot through the celebration after the traditional ceremony, the bride was unable to contain her joy.
The groom's male fashion label, House of Paon, created a gorgeous kente gown for the bride, which made her seem ethereal.
One of the most kente materials was used to make the off-shoulder and corset gown, which chiefs typically wear to major events.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
