Fashion designer Veekee James has drawn a hard line on her rates, saying no dress leaves her atelier for less than ₦1 million and that people who complain simply do not understand what they are paying for.
The designer spoke in a recent interview after clients kept questioning her prices. She said the figure is not something she picked out of thin air. It is the result of years of building a brand and the work that goes into every piece.
“When I started fashion designing, I did not just wake up and started calling prices, I’ve invested so much in my business to make it what it is today so people don’t understand. I don’t charge below ₦1 million to sew a dress for a customer,” she said.
She broke the cost down into value, time and mental labour.
“When people complain about my prices, I ask if they know the value they’ll get when they wear my clothes. The time it’ll take to detail the dress. The mental labor it takes to come up with a design. Because it takes me a lot.”
James also spoke about how the designs arrive. Inspiration, she said, is not always on tap, adding that worship is part of the process.
“Sometimes I don’t even know what to do so 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. People don’t know that the devil gives nothing.”
Then came the brand argument.
“And then, the Veekee James brand is a big name even though it’s not as big as it should be yet. These are the things people pay for, but these are the things people who don’t understand it will never understand.”
Supporters are calling her disclosure honest luxury pricing. Critics are saying ₦1 million for a dress is out of reach for most Nigerians. James is not negotiating. In her view, the name, the detailing, the hours and the inspiration are already in the ticket.