HEAD2TOE LIFESTYLES: A SISTERS DUO

What is your name?
It's HabibaH Kikky.

Tell me a bit about yourself (Biography)?
Well umh, where do I begin from? Am Nigerian, a native of Ilorin, Kwara State. I grew up in Sokoto but I now live in Ilorin. So sometimes am a bit Hausa-ish, other times am such a Yoruba woman; especially with those facial expressions and sound reactions like anh anh! and ehn ehn! Haha!*can’t watch*. If you catch me on a good day, am pretty friendly, a people person. I think it's because I keep an open mind, I laugh a lot and I try not to judge. My go to mantra on any day is "Life is not hard". It's my way of rationalising when things go just fine as well as my way of finding a solution or an alternative when things could be better. I guess it puts a positive, calmer and simpler spin on things. And it's so appropriate as I can be such an overthinker! I hope my people don't hurt themselves nodding when they read my admission *rolling my eyes*.

Educational Background.
The typical na: Primary, Secondary, and Uni noni. My field is Business and Management. Yea yea yea, it's no wonder I ended up here shey?

Your Business name?
H2T Lifestyles (Head2Toe Lifestyles).

About your H2T?
H2T is primarily into creating made-to-order pieces and collections in form of clothes, purses, bags, shoes and accessories like brooches/corsages, earrings, neck pieces, bangles, phones cases, belts, sashes, etc.

The pride of H2T lies in using fabrics that form part of our identity, mostly ankara to make unique and creatively designed products at global standards. I've come to realise from other people's products that what differentiates H2T is, while they might have the skill most lack the creativity to truly design and combine materials. For me it's not enough to make generic products, common, what then differentiates your products from those from the assembly line?

H2T is more than mere products, it's a lifestyle. At H2T lifestyles you can express art through creative designs, express uniqueness through customisation and express class and sophistication with style. I co-own the business with my sister, so ultimately, at H2T Lifestyles you know you're with family.

H2T Lifestyles... brutal creativity in style.

Source of inspiration.
 

My source of inspiration for going into fashion to begin with comes from how disappointing I used to find clothes whenever they came back from the tailors.  More often than not, they screw up one thing or another! Since we were little, my sister and I always sketched designs and took them for creation. I know what you're thinking...that they couldn't create the designs? You're right, but, it's worse...sometimes the clothes didn't even fit right! What the...??!! Their excuse? "What we drew cannot be created with clothes." It was just apparent that they lived in a world of copying styles. We had much more creativity and talent than the tailors knew what to do with. And it was a challenge, we really believed those styles could be created! Creativity might come naturally, effortlessly or it can come from a conscious process, 'effortful'; skills however definitely have to be acquired. Yep, our pursuit for skills was born.

Inspiration for our designs comes from...anything, anywhere, anytime. Sometimes, you're just there and a style jumps at you. Might be watching TV, reading a book, writing an email, whatever. You might see a tie and the vision of a dress jumps at you, that's one way. The second way...I hate to go all book worm on you but there're a creative processes. Sometimes you have to consciously seek for creative styles. A quiet place might work for you, or be it music,  for me, a pencil and sketch book is the way I go.

Other business plans in life asides H2T?
Umh! well, a lot! I don’t even know half of them because life begins at 40 you know?
Ok ok, top of my head I'd go, more family, more friends, more education!
 

Likes?
I love chocolates, ice cream, good movies, good music, good food, good places and make sense people *batting eyelashes*.

Have you had ever had business challenges?
Who hasn't?? And in Nigeria? Hehe *beat up sef. Not just that one has ever o, One dey always! We like to say our challenges on SMEs are poor support from government and financial institutions, blah blah blah. I like to break and bring it right down, so for me I sum up a lot of these things as "My people and I."

On the 'I' part, my continuous challenge is time. I have so many other commitments I find that I have to stay up all night many nights.

On the 'My People' part, people can be so ridiculous you won't believe it. Ok, picture this, I got an order, which came to N3,000 (that’s after all the discounts I couldn't give even myself any less), and she made a 1,000 deposit (I didn't use to insist on full down payment). Anyway, delivery day came and she pinged me she'd only pay 1,800 as balance, I disagreed. When she came to pick it up, she was telling me how she can't even pay the 1,800, something about transport to get back to her apartment ooh!*jaw drops* Imagine my surprise! Nigerians, smh!

Worst moments and best moments in life.
Wow, good question! I'm not even sure! I don't think it helps to dwell in worse moments.
I've had my share of disappoints and I've had very many beautiful moments. So for me, I try to take my moments, good and bad as lessons, experience and memories. So in the end, whatever it is I know I'll be fine InShaAllah! And I thank God for who I am, where I am, for my family and my friends.

But let's not lie, my first H2T creations was a pretty bad ass moment, no one even knew I could make a bag, I secretly made 2 bags (for my sister and I) with ankara for a wedding and revealed it the morning of the event. Everyone was in awe. It was a MAD (making a difference) moment!

Advise for those thinking of dwelling into your kind of business.
Patience, Dedication, Perseverance, Resilience, Resourcefulness, Efficiency.
You need to be committed, and try and try and try. You need to be prepared to be disappointed by the lack of support you'll get from some people, it might not even be personal. It’s not embarrassing to fail, it’s an experience and a learning process. You need to be ready to pick yourself up. Collaborations and Networking are keys for marketing. And Ultimately, you need to surround yourself with the people that will support and help you; for me, my family is a great pillar of support and I thank God and I thank them. And FYI! This not a get rich quick scheme, lol!

Contact Information:
HabibaH Kikky of H2T
Head of Creatives, H2T Lifestyle
07063869525 (Call or Text)
28CD096D
hechkaykay@yahoo.co.uk