Natou Keita - A Gambian Entrepreneur making Waves in Fashion
Friday 28th April 2006

Natou Keita–Jeng, manageress of Natou’s Boutique and Tailoring in downtown Bakau, is a Gambian-born fashion designer par excellence.
She does not want to be seen as a genius. However her giant strides and advancing pace since she entered the fashion designing industry let her stand out as a designer with a clear sense of mission.

In the space of a few short years, the fair in complexion 35-year-old mother of a one-year six-month-old baby has carved an enviable niche for herself in the world of fashion designing.

Armed with both talent and determination, Mrs Jeng is set to conquer the planet.

Her greatest weapon is the wide variety of her designs, ranging from the most sedate to the totally original . What’s more refreshing is that she sells her quality products at reasonable prices.

In this exclusive interview with Point’s duo, Alhagie Mbye and Momodou Justice Darboe , the precocious and ambitious lady talks on issues important to her domain.

Read on:

Can you please introduce yourself?

My name is Natou Keita–Jeng. I am 35 years old. My profession is seamstress. I joined the fashion industry five years ago.

How do you describe your five-year stint in the fashion business?
Well, very successful. To be frank, I nurse no regret for venturing into fashion designing. You see, I started with a cosmetic shop. Selling cosmetics, buying shirts from Senegal, creating models in Senegal. From there people tried to push me into tailoring because they said when I put on any thing people would like it. So they tell me ‘why don’t you buy a machine and start sewing?’.

Are you telling us that you entered the fashion industry because of peoples’ motivation?
Yes, because they say, I look like a model, anyway; because when I put on something people will come and say ‘Hi Natou, can I borrow your this thing – it is nice I want to sew the same style? So I said ‘why shouldn’t I be a seamstress one day.’ So that is how I enter into sewing and today I thank God.

What were you doing before you enter into this business?
Tailoring was not my profession. When I left school I was a cashier at one restaurant.

Are all things going rosy for you in the business?
Absolutely I thank God. Since I started the business I can afford to pay my bill, I can afford to pay my workers . I have three people working for me. So I never complain; everything is going fine. What was your seed capital in this business?
Let me tell you something my brother . I just bought one machine for D150 from one of my neighbours who bring containers here. From that one machine I bought one Desan de Zat machine for D15,000 and later bought another recent sewing machine for D2,500 and the machine was costing D5,000, but because of my public relation, the boy reduced it to D2,500 for me. So from there I started buying generators. I also started buying clothing materials and after I sew them and I hang them outside for sale.

Indigenous business women like you need some kind of encouragement. What is your view about this?
Well, it’s true that we need encouragement, but if people don’t encourage, you encourage yourself .

What is the secret behind the success of your business?
The secret behind the success of my business is good public relation. I have a good public relation. I talk to people, laugh and joke with them. So they like me and they come to buy my products.

Any advice for those young women who want to enter the fashion design industry?
They should be ready to work hard and be honest. Because any thing you are doing let it be clean and let you have faith.

What are your last words?
Well, I would like to thank my husband because he encourages me a lot and whatever I m doing I have to consult my husband but he always assists me.