Chinyere Amunchinwa
... DISCERNING EYE FOR LUXURY!
Chinyere Amunchinwa is the beauty and brains behind Glitters, a luxury boutique that stocks premium luxury designer brands for men and women. Her vast entrepreneurial skill has helped build a solid foundation for her legendary retail luxury store. Based in Abuja and Lagos, Glitters boutique is impeccably merchandised and the expansive space makes it easy to shop to your delight. Classy, exclusive, elegant and glamourous, Glitters showcases clothes meant for superstars and adorning one of her numbers can actually make one feel like that. Chinyere has never compromised on quality and standard when it comes to anything with her name on it. Funke Babs-Kufeji spent a day with the entrepreneur who spoke to her about her background, the challenges she faces in the business, designers to watch for, and more.
What is your background and what did you do before you went in to the fashion retail?
It has always been a dream of mine be a boutique owner. Not a shop owner – a boutique owner. When I moved back to Nigeria in 2000, I decided to work towards making this dream a reality. I worked with Foreshore Towers, Peace Gallery at first. Then luckily, I came in contact with Gianfranco Ferre (GFF), shortly after I moved back. I started working with them and that further fuelled my passion for fashion, and my dream of running a boutique. From my experience at GFF, I realized there was a lot of potential and that more could be done. So I started planning towards opening my own fashion business.
And now, my boutique, Glitters Luxury, has set a unique record in the Nigerian fashion market, as it is host to many high-end designers around the world and is the sole and official stockist for designers that have never been to Nigeria like Capucci, Alberta Ferretti, Emmanuel Ungaro, as well as others like Roberto Cavalli, Tardini, Ermanno Scervino, Fratelli Rossetti, amongst many others. It is the only place you can find one-of-a-kind collections, limited collections straight off the runway, coming directly from the designers. Located in both Abuja in Wuse 2 and Lagos in Lekki Phase 1, Nigeria, it houses a variety of high-end collections ranging from women to men’s clothes, shoes, bags and accessories.
Glitters was born from my passion for fashion. It is an expression of my true style which is simply “quality”. Quality in all that I do, in all that I wear and naturally, in all that I offer my customers. 15 years ago, I opened my first boutique in Lagos. It was a small boutique of just 30 sqm. Glitters, as we see it now is simply an evolution of the dream I started back then in Lagos.
My concept is unchanged. Whilst the expression says “all that glitters is not gold”, I felt that at Glitters, everything here must be gold. When you walk in, you feel instantly that everything here is of value - you can trust your eyes, your can trust your feelings. I am very happy and proud to open Glitters in Abuja – 500 sqm of fashion and luxury. It has been a long time in coming but finally we are here!
What challenges have you faced that are peculiar to the Nigerian economy and market?
The major challenges being experienced in the luxury retail business is the sudden rise in the foreign currency exchange rate. For instance, in my business, I import only summer & spring collections because of the weather in Nigeria, and normally you have to deposit 30% of the money and when the goods are ready you pay the remaining 70%. So you can imagine, with the high exchange rate now, just that 30% deposit is really a large amount of money.
Apart from holding a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, what are some things in your background that were instrumental in giving you the tools to open your own store?
My drive and my desire to succeed irrespective of whatever obstacles came my way. I believe that my story is truly an inspirational one, as it hasn’t always been glitz and glamour. From facing financial obstacles when I first started my business, to overcoming the impact of prejudiced attitudes of some international designers who assumed ‘all Nigerians are scammers’ when I was in the beginning phases of setting up my business and liaising with them, I’ve seen it all. But despite that, I never gave up, I kept pushing. And here I am today.
What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you first opened your first store?
Patience is definitely a virtue I have learned over the years. You can have all the money in the world, but if you are not patient enough to do all the things that are required to make your business flourish, your business will never grow to its full capacity. So that’s a big lesson I have learned, that I wish I knew earlier.
Lagos is known to be the fashion capital/hub of Nigeria, why did you decide to open your first store in Abuja and not Lagos?
All the top designers I approached when I was first setting up my business insisted that they wanted their collections in Abuja. They insisted that it has to be Abuja and that they didn’t want Lagos at all. That was a big challenge for me because I didn’t live in Abuja. I didn’t even used to go Abuja, so it was a big dilemma for me. Luckily, a very good friend of mine advised me to take advantage of the opportunity no matter how difficult it seemed. I’m really glad I took her advice, because despite the hardships, it turned out to be a great decision.
How would you compare both stores?
Both stores are equally well-stocked. The only difference are their locations. One is located in Abuja, and the other is located in Lekki, Lagos.
The Abuja was more thought off, it is how a luxury boutique should be – clean lines, spacious and elegant with its own character. I put a lot of effort and detail into every single aspect of the store – all the way to the lush pink and blue velvet curtains in the changing room. Each piece of furniture in the boutique is unique and lovingly handpicked by me - from the French upholstered sofa to the Venetian ceiling lamps to the woven rugs. Make no mistake, a boutique like this is an investment, but I will only be happy when my customers come in and they are happy to see the boutique. It is the ultimate compliment.
The boutique also has a “by-invitation” section where customers will be ushered for even more pampering.
What designer brands do you carry?
Capucci, Alberta Ferretti, Emmanuel Ungaro, Roberto Cavalli, Tardini, Ermanno Scervino, Fratelli Rossetti and many more.
Speaking of the designers you carry, what are some of the things you look for when choosing a brand?
I look for uniqueness. I’m not going to stock anything that is common. The renowned designers I work with deliver collections to Glitters Luxury at the same time they deliver in New York, London, Paris or anywhere in the world. This is because I go to the same fashion shows with them. So I obtain clothes that have the same quality and price. And I never stock clothes that are out of season. So that’s why I always say Glitters Luxury is a proper boutique. It can’t be 2015, 2014, 2013 season, no. We aim for the most up-to-date styles. Most times, you will only find one piece of a certain clothing/apparel/ accessory from a certain international designer in Africa. There are clothes you can only find five of them in the world. Glitters Luxury stocks such apparel.
Was it hard as a Nigerian stocking in Nigeria to convince these labels you carry to be stocked in your store?
It was quite difficult. For instance, some people would hang up on you just because you are calling from Nigeria. They didn’t want to hear the name Nigeria at the time because of the stereotypical perception of Nigerians being scam artists. But gradually, I was able to gain their trust.
What are some of your favorite items currently in your boutique?
I wouldn’t say I have favourite items per se. All the items are unique in their own way. But if I absolutely had to pick a favourite, it would have to be my #Capucci apparels.
Finding good salespeople is key and a priority for the luxury industry. How do you go about making sure you have the right team and that your customer service delivers?
At Glitters Luxury, our staff members are well-trained on all customer service best practices. This is how we have been able maintain excellent customer service.
How would you describe the ideal Glitters Client?
The ideal Glitters Luxury client is a classy individual who is a style enthusiast and desires the best of everything when it comes to fashion.
Describe your personal style?
I don’t follow trends. I wear whatever makes me feel stylish and comfortable. I’m a fan of the school of thought that states that fashion is fleeting but style is eternal. And so I apply that philosophy to my dresssense.
I believe that my story is truly an inspirational one, as it hasn’t always been glitz and glamour. From facing financial obstacles when I first started my business, to overcoming the impact of prejudiced attitudes of some international designers who assumed ‘all Nigerians are scammers’ when I was in the beginning phases of setting up my business and liaising with them, I’ve seen it all.