Innovation and creativity come together in one young woman, Hope Tadinma, a young creative in the capital city of Abuja.
Hope Tadinma, 27, has always been passionate about creating extraordinary pieces with her hands. She has come up with an absolutely stunning face shield/mask, made with Ankara fabric. This product is the one which caught our attention and led to this interview.
In this interview with the Assistant Editor of News Digest, Alexandra Klein, you will get to know the artist and the brand, CRAFT BY DINMA.
NEWS DIGEST- Please introduce yourself, your business and where you are located.
HOPE: My name is Hope Tadinma. I am 27 years old and I own CRAFT BY DINMA which is an arts and craft business that specializes in the creation and recreation of items ranging from fashionable fabric earrings to building stage sets and props for Theatre. We are green, we love to recycle and upcycle. We are based in Abuja.
NEWS DIGEST- What inspired you to start up your current business?
HOPE: I have been crafting professionally since I was 19, making cake boxes and packaging for my sister’s events company but I never thought of turning it into a business till 2018 after I quit my job. I wanted to follow my dreams but my job left me no time, money and energy to do that so I resigned. After which financial constraint got real. I figured that like every other hustling Nigerian I would have to use my hands to feed myself so I turned to craft and my other talents like acting, voice over gigs, modeling and whatever else would pay and I found that I enjoyed crafting the most. I would spend hours and late nights perfecting a project, so I focused more on it and here we are today.
NEWS DIGEST- Prior to crafting and creating, what were you doing?
HOPE: I worked as an Administrator for a primary school.
NEWS DIGEST- Would you say you are driven by- passion or money?
HOPE: I would say both. Passion because art is in my blood, and money because I need the capital to make more and quality art and one must survive, too.
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NEWS DIGEST- What inspired the idea of these ankara shields/masks?
HOPE: I was looking for something different since there were a lot of fabric face masks out there already. While doing my research on COVID-19 and how best to protect yourself, I found that the virus enters the body through what is called the mucus membrane which is found in the eyes, nose and mouth. A mask only covers your nose and mouth so i wondered if there was compact way to merge the face shield and the mask then that would be great. I found a way and started making mine.
NEWS DIGEST- How has the response towards this been?
HOPE: So far so good, people have been really impressed and I get a good number of individual orders but I’m praying for something big, that way more people have access.
NEWS DIGEST- What else do you make?
HOPE: What don’t I make? Emm, I make Ankara and Denim Totes. I make reusable shopping bags. I make shoe bags, fabric book covers. I build sets and props for stage plays, Ottomans and other furniture from plastic. I make fabric earrings, bangles, precious stones bracelets, Ankara and Denim backpacks, and a bunch of other things. I also have a new service I will be offering soon so watch out for us.
NEWS DIGEST- How has business been for you during this pandemic?
HOPE: Tough, before the pandemic, I used to go to fairs as a vendor to sell and meet new prospective clients but I can’t do that anymore. The only business I get apart from the masks is from clients who have used my services before or recommendation from friends and sometimes delivering the order is an even bigger challenge.
NEWS DIGEST- What would you say is the biggest challenge as a young Nigerian entrepreneur?
HOPE: Just one? I have so many to share… Like age and awareness and sometimes capital but I’ll settle for funding. By funding, I mean from clients who want 9 yards but only pay for 2.
NEWS DIGEST- Why should we trust your brand/buy from you? You know that ‘I know someone who will do it cheaper’ story?
HOPE: Haha. On a serious note, I am a perfectionist when it comes to my craft, and I will provide the very best quality according to your budget, so give us a try. Her creations are stunning as you can see.
If you would like to patronize her, be sure to follow her @craft_by_dinma .
Go and cop your face shield! It’s going for just N1,000 and it’s pretty stylish.
