By Sainabou Sambou
Olimatou Lateef, the founder of Lateefah’s Modest Clothing talked to Gambia Daily about fashion and her trotting journey in the industry.
Lateef, also a final year nursing student at the University of The Gambia, said her desire for modest fashion stems from a deep belief in the power of self-expression through style and maintaining cultural and personal values. She said she always admires how fashion can be both beautiful and respectful, empower individuals to dress in a way that reflects modesty and creativity.
She said she found Lateefah’s Modest Clothing to provide options that celebrate modesty in all forms, offering a variety of designs that are stylish, diverse and accessible.
She said her goal is to inspire others to feel comfortable and beautiful whilst staying true to their beliefs.
The young fashion designer revealed that she has been in the fashion business for three years and officially launched her fashion brand in August 28, 2021.
Olimatou revealed that for the past years, she has seen incredible growth, both personally and within her business. This she said, is her source motivation to continue the journey.
“What motivated me to go into fashion design was my deep passion for both fashion and modesty. So basically, from a young age, even when I was in junior and senior school, I always dressed modestly yet stylishly. So anywhere I went, people complimented my outfit, saying how modest, beautiful and fashionable they were,” she explained. This, Oulimatou added made her believe that she could turn her passion into business. I realised that I had the opportunity to create something that did not only align with my passion, but also influenced others. I absolutely love what I do because it does not only reflect who I am but also defines my business and connects me with people” she said.
She highlighted that her greatest achievement as a fashion designer is the journey she has taken from scratch to where she is today.
“So when I started my business, I did my photo shoots outside, sometimes in the yard or in the veranda of my house. Even though it wasn’t professional, I didn’t give up, because I believed I would eventually reach that point. So over time, I created a small showroom in my house where I decorated and set up space to shoot videos with my models”she said.
According to Olimatou, that was a significant step towards moving from outdoor setup to something huge and more professional.
“So as my business grew, I realised I needed to take it a step further. I knew I had to be more professional if I wanted to participate in the industry and go international. So I worked hard to get my own shop,” the final nursing student stated.
