Style of faith

VALDEEN SHEARS

One of the greatest factors of all successful businesses is finding a niche market that has a greater demand than supply.

This is the firm belief of mother of six, Nester Flanders-Skeete.

The self-taught seamstress has been sewing for years for herself, family and close friends. Occasionally, she said, she would take jobs to sew for people outside her inner circle.

Now Flanders-Skeete has not only found a way to ply her trade lucratively, but to incorporate her faith.

Her adept hands toil hours into the night, creating spiritual garments for members of the Baptist community at her recently opened The Spiritual Baptist Clothing Store.

The store, located at The Bridge Mall in Freeport, Chaguanas, is the culmination of Flanders-Skeete's desire to provide "uniforms" for members of her faith.

"I grew up in the Baptist faith and I admired the flowing gowns, the folds, pleats, colours. I never saw myself wanting to sew exclusively for my own people," stated Flanders-Skeete during an interview at a domestic violence forum at Vistabella Community Centre on Emancipation Day, recently.

For her, the forum was liberation itself and marked her first booth at a public event.

As the founder of Domestic Violence Survivors Reaching Out (DVSRO), a non-governmental organisation, Flanders-Skeete explained that it was her faith which kept her sane and alive throughout her own ordeal as a victim of abuse.

Sewing, she said, was a means of not only offsetting the costs to clothe her six children, but therapy for the trauma she suffered.

Now, she is a voice for victims and survivors and lives by the mantra, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".

"I always had it in me to be strong, I think. It's why I learnt to sew through my cousin, Margaret Andrews-Blackburn, at age 19, knowing that those basic skills would one day turn into a business. I want to tell other survivors, other victims, I survived, I am victorious. I am a businesswoman. You can and will make it too," she noted.

Made it she has, as she sat next to her 15-year-old twins, Omari and Onessa, who work alongside her to fill the daily orders at her store.

Flanders-Skeete explained that she utilised one of the trending means of advertising and calls came pouring in.

"I posted it on DVSRO's Facebook page. Thought I would get some responses, but was really thankful when we got some really favourable responses," she recalled.

Flanders-Skeete noted some turned out to be clients, while others were just encouraging and uplifting. It was a boost for her morale and business, as she remembered one person advising her against advertising her desire to sew ready-made Baptist clothes.

Flanders-Skeete explained that the clothing worn in her faith are all inspired or instructed to its wearer through their spirituality.

She noted too that even the colours hold great significance in what it represents to the wearer, and to his or her church.

"It’s called a uniform, because just like the military, several garments represent the rank or arm of the wearer, just as in the coast guard, police service and so forth. So it’s not like I could just sew like a regular clothing store and await buying customers," she said.

How did she get around that dilemma?

Flanders-Skeete decided to sew just the traditional baptism, blue or white dresses and sew all other garments by orders only.

"You have to work smart, not hard," she joked, as she smoothed out a brightly coloured plaid floor-length gown.

She said her own spirituality has guided her since inception and recalled closing her eyes, laying her tailor's chalk on paper and saying a prayer.

"This is more than just a means of income, you know. I understand the role I play. I pray as I sew every piece of clothing that comes from my store. I understand the sentiments of doing a job with a peaceful frame of mind, particularly when it’s for a spiritual or religious reason."

And while, she knows she will eventually have to employ others to help fill her orders, Flanders-Skeete said she will do so with prayers.

Ever mindful of the religious connotations involved, she said, she has to ensure that her customers are spiritually comfortable with those who handle their material.

Then she faced having to satisfy the needs of her customers through "telephone measuring and descriptions", as her social media ad saw potential clients from across the country.

"I couldn't expect customers to come from quite south or town to take their measurements and then go back home without a completed outfit, so I utilised the means that was in front of me. I would return their calls for those who inboxed me, and I would ask their bust size, their height, weight and so on, take my notes, then sometimes by instinct I would know if that person wanted a floor-length or any particular desires," she added.

Flanders-Skeete wanted to be even more accommodating to her customers, so she offered delivery at an additional reasonable cost.

Is hasn't all been a smile and a song, she noted.

There have been challenges, as sometimes she is swamped with "big" orders.

While one church may order one colour co-ordinated outfits for its entire congregation, it may mean several different patterns.

Being able to correctly ascertain the colours her customers wants, without seeing a sample, can also be tricky, she admitted, as colours come in a variety of shades.

For instance, Flanders-Skeete recalled a customer sending her a photo of a yellow blouse she wore and requesting the same shade. However, she said, when the customer came with the cloth, it was actually markedly difference.

Fortunately, the woman didn't hold it against her and walked away another satisfied customer, she said.

Scarcity of particular fabrics has also momentarily fazed her, but Flanders-Skeete pushes on.

"I have decided to simply purchase bolts of whatever fabric I can get now, to avoid facing that again in the future. Materials such as tetrex and mini matt, are often hard to get in particular colours, but I don't let that stop me," she stated.

As for the direction she sees for her store heading?

"I never see my store as just a store to sew Baptist clothes, it was always intended to be a variety store catering for my own people, so it will continue to be a spiritual source for other garments and for whatever our faith needs," said a confident Flanders-Skeete.