Patricia Otoa quit her job to start a clothing line

She is fast becoming a go-to for many looking to make dresses out of African fabric: the kitenge.  This growing number of customers has seen Patricia Otoa, grow her self-initialled business OP Clothing from a dream into a reality.

Today OP clothing boasts many branches and an online shop. Caroline Ariba caught up with her in the United Kingdom where she is now studying fashion design.

Judith Heard models OP Clothing

Everyone has a story, what is the story behind Patricia Otoa?
First of all, I did not study fashion; I did Information Technology at Makerere University.  Two years after school, in 2012, I decided to change career paths.

Patricia far right with some of the OP Clothing staff

 
Okay, not too fast. So what did you do after school?
I started to work way before school ended. In 2007 I started work as a full-time youth IT instructor and mentor with a charity called the KiBO Foundation. While there, I developed a passion for working with youth and motivating them to work hard and follow their dreams.
 

 Models showcase OP Clothing designs

When did the fashion bug bite you?
I became enamoured with fashion after participating at a fashion event as a model and being inspired by one of the designers' creations she wore. So I started designing and sewing clothes for myself on my mother's balcony with the help of a friend who was an experienced seamstress.

Patricia Otoa in her outfit

That easy?
No, it wasn't that easy. My first outfit took four weeks to complete, but I had to be patient and not let this discourage me.

Four weeks! They had to be really patient customers, right?
This was practice majorly, but by August 2012, I was designing clothes for close friends, family and yes, even customers. And later that year, OP launched officially with a fashion show.

 Judith Heard models for OP Clothing

How did you go from a balcony to launching OP Clothing in less than a year?
Well, I had been planning for some time before I quit my job. I had been saving money, but also, the real monies also came from an event consultant with John Snow Inc (JSI) and USAID funded projects in Uganda. It was from these gigs that I was able to fund and grow OP clothing Uganda.

Did you get a place, or did you stay at the balcony?
After the November 2012 Fashion show that launched OP Clothing in Kampala, I  opened a store at Gattomatto in Bugolobi, Kampala in 2013, then a year later, I opened a second store at Prunes Cafe in Kololo, Kampala as well as four different outlets to sell OP products including Kyaninga Lodge Fort Portal, Serena hotels and Bold Kampala.

Wow that was quick. How did you pull that off?
Well, it boils down to my team. In fact, throughout the growth of OP clothing, I have worked with young, talented, creative designers & seamstresses. This I believe could be traced down to my first job as working with fellow youth. All employees at OP are between ages 21 and 28 years old.
 

 Models showcase some of OP Clothing designs

Isn't it harder to work with the youth?
 No. I constantly instil in them the values of hard work and patience, this I have learned works quite well.  

Is that how you grew so first?
Yes. But also, I started to also focus women's custom tailored services which instantly widened my client base and increased the company revenue. In fact, in 2015, I hired 12 full time employees including marketing, PR, tailors & seamstresses which boosted the Company's stability and sustainability.

Patricia Otoa

 
You basically work with individual clients, right?
No, I knew that to grow, I had to increase the individual orders, but also get bulk orders. So last year, I started designing work wear for companies in Uganda such as Vivo energy, DFCU Bank and Coca-cola.

Aren't you afraid this will crumble now that you are in the UK?
I have systems in place, but also, I run an online shop too, that means I am still as much around as I was before. But also, OP clothing is looking to go beyond borders. It's growing each year; however, I feel it's too slow. And the market is not big enough. At the pace it's moving in Uganda, it will take longer for me to reach the goals I have set. Being in the UK gives me a wider market hence faster growth.