Fashion designer Veekee James has explained why her dresses cost at least ₦1 million, saying clients pay not only for the finished outfit but also for the creativity, expertise, time, and investment behind each design.
Veekee James made the remarks while explaining the process and resources involved in building her fashion business.
According to her, she did not simply start her business and begin fixing prices without significant investment and years of work.
“When I started fashion designing, I did not just wake up and start calling prices. No, it took so much. It took a lot, and there’s so much that I have invested in my business to make it what it is today. People don’t understand,” she said.
She said she often encounters questions from people who feel her prices are too high, but argued that the cost of her outfits reflects the value and effort involved in producing them.
“So when I tell that’s how I would say, oh, oh, why is the price like this? Am I like you really expect me to explain that? Do we want to start from the value that you’re going to be getting?” she said.
Veekee explained that designing a dress involves considerable time and creative effort, noting that she sometimes struggles to develop ideas before eventually finding inspiration.
“Do we want to start from the time that we’re gonna take to detail this dress? Do we want to start from what it takes me to actually create a design for you because it takes me a lot. Sometimes I’m sitting down. I don’t even know what to do,” she added.
The designer also attributed some of her creative ideas to her Christian faith, saying she sometimes worships and seeks inspiration before developing a design.
“Sometimes I have to just even start worshipping for God to actually show me what to do. So that’s why every time I say, oh, the Holy Spirit gives me designs, and they’re like, huh?” she said.
Veekee further noted that the reputation of the Veekee James brand also contributes to the value attached to her designs.
“And then the Veekee James brand is a big name in itself that is not even as big as it should be. But it is big,” she said.
She maintained that clients are paying for several elements beyond the physical material used to make a dress, including creativity, craftsmanship, experience, investment, and the strength of the brand.
“These are the things that people pay for, but people who don’t get it just cannot get it until it’s time for them to get it,” she concluded.
