As a child, Tom Gasana was passionate about anything to do with fashion and design. As an adult, he thought about how to turn his ideas into a business, but he lacked expertise and the capital to start. With time, he was inspired by a friend who was already in the field, who told him that fashion is a business to invest in as it pays off. In 2017 Gasana’s friend taught him a little bit about sewing, and with capital of Rwf 35,000, he designed his first dress. That was the beginning of many opportunities. Gasana also decorates for various events. Now the founder of Tom’s Collection, Gasana specialises in fashion and event planning such as weddings, birthday parties, bridal showers, dinners and co-operate events. “One time, a friend called and asked me to make her a dress. It was quite abrupt since she had a dinner party that day. I didn’t have a sewing machine because I was just starting. “But I didn’t want to let her down, so I bought the material, drew some sketches and made her the dress of her choice. I borrowed a sewing machine from a tailor who happens to be my friend. In a few hours, the dress was ready and my first client was amazed,” he says. Gasana adds that his first customer connected him to other clients. In the beginning, he employed three tailors who had their own sewing machines. After a couple of months, Gasana was able to buy his own sewing machine. Set up for a traditional wedding ceremony. Photos/Courtesy The 27-year-old says he gained clientele through meetings and events that he organised, mostly on social media. Originally, Gasana’s plan was to focus on fashion, but in 2018, one of his clients suggested that he also tries events, a thing he did some research about and added to his services eventually. He started partnering with catering and cake companies to make events a success and the company started thriving gradually. Gasana points out that in the beginning it was overwhelming to organise events on his own, he worried about a customer ending up unhappy with the service. But, most of the events were colourful as he did research and applied distinctiveness. He employed 10 workers with time as his clients increased in number. However, small events like dinners and birthday parties, he did on his own. He currently has 25 workers. Gasana explains that one of the challenges he encounters in fashion is expensive materials, because high quality fabric is imported from Kenya and Turkey. Such high prices, he says, are reflected in the attire, a thing that puts off some customers who want ‘fair’ prices. Also, capital was a challenge, especially with decorating, because it requires him to replace old equipment with new like chairs, tents, carpets, which are very expensive to buy. “I was also competing with brands that were already established. In the start, losses were inevitable because I had to win customers’ trust and at the time I even lacked the necessary experience,” he says. Gasana notes that fashion requires creativity as he has to keep up with trends. He has to make sure he stays ahead because customers expect designs that stand out. “Finding and keeping customers is no walk in the park, because if there are no sales, then the business can’t operate. “I also lack a strong platform to showcase my garments, locally and internationally. I have noticed that a lot of local designers are talented but are not known yet because they lack the means to display their crafts,” he says. He explains that some clients want glamorous events but are not willing to go the extra mile to pay for them. He adds that with events, overspending is the biggest challenge because things keep changing during the planning process, for example, lack of a backup plan for bad weather, limited time, and having more guests than planned for. He also notes that failure to track small details, confusion at the event as people are not sure of what to do or where to go, getting the perfect venue for the event, are also challenges that can mess up the occasion. Gasana says that he participated in the Made-in-Rwanda exhibition in 2017 and 2018. He has also attended fashion seminars and taken online fashion courses to enhance his skills. Through his earnings, he catered for his university online course in Business Management at Midland University in South Africa in 2018, and Catering at Utalii College in Kenya in 2017. He anticipates establishing a display shop where Africans can showcase their art and craft. You can reach Tom Gasana on 0789 910 287 Some of Gasana’s designs.
