BRANDS TO KNOW: FINE GIRL
Fine Girl
Bay Area natives Najja Iman and Sadé Amari are the CEOs and Founders of Fine Girl, a modern twist on iconic Y2K apparel. At just 19 and 20 years old respectively, Najja & Sadé have already started two businesses prior to Fine Girl and are inspiring young black women to chase their entrepreneurial dreams.
SHEER: Tell us a little bit about yourselves and where you're from.
NAJJA IMAN & SADE AMARI: Our names are Najja Iman (NI) & Sadé Amari (SA), we are 19 and 20 years old respectively, and we were born and raised in the Bay Area.
SHEER: What was the inspiration behind launching Fine Girl?
SA: The inspiration behind our brand was to create a self empowering hub for girls everywhere who love themselves or are on a journey to finding self love and their own inner confidence.
SHEER: What were some challenges you faced when starting your business?
NI: The biggest challenge for us was learning how to properly build a business from the ground up with zero prior experience or guidance from mentors. Fine Girl is not the first business of ours, we actually ran two businesses (Major Slayage a t-shirt line, and Fine Girl Hair, a wig/weave/and bundles line) that were largely unsuccessful due to miseducation about business processes. However, we learned from our mistakes, and applied that knowledge to create Fine Girl.
SHEER: How do you approach the design process of your clothing?
SA: We have a very thorough process of how we design and create our pieces. We watch a lot of music videos and movies from the 2000s and get inspired from that. From there we brainstorm and sketch ideas that are nostalgic yet modernized. Afterwards, our sketch will be sent to our design team to create a sample.
SHEER: How is your brand offering a unique and fresh perspective to the 90s/Y2K trend?
NI: Our brand is a girly 2000s vault, so we definitely draw inspiration from that era, however, we keep our brand unique by putting our own special twists on each piece. For example, one staple Y2K fashion item is the iconic low rise velour tracksuit. We decided to bring that piece back, but personalize it by making the jacket cropped, and the pants mid rise so our customers have the option to choose between whether low or high rise is more flattering on their body. The main goal of our brand is to modernize old trends.
SHEER: In what ways has social media been an asset to your business?
SA: Social media is our biggest resource and tool. It’s brought us exposure on a completely different level. Social media has been the biggest part of our success.
“We have a very thorough process of how we design and create our pieces. We watch a lot of music videos and movies from the 2000s and get inspired from that. From there we brainstorm and sketch ideas that are nostalgic yet modernized. ”
SHEER: How do you stay mentally and emotionally grounded as you navigate your entrepreneurial and creative journeys?
NI: Prayer, meditation, spa days and girl chats. It is important that we keep each other grounded because the vision will not prosper if we are not equally showing up for each other and the brand.
SHEER: What advice do you have for young entrepreneurs with an amazing idea but no idea where to start?
SA: Start. Immediately. Don’t hesitate to get the ball rolling. The longer you prolong your idea the longer it will take to reach the success you deserve. Never give up either, you may have to try again and again but never give up! You never know how close you are to the finish line!
“Prayer, meditation, spa days and girl chats. It is important that we keep each other grounded because the vision will not prosper if we are not equally showing up for each other and the brand.”
SHEER: What do you envision for the future of Fine Girl?
NI: We see Fine Girl as a trailblazer in Gen-Z fashion conversations. The goal is always growth and we will not stop until we reach the top. We also want to inspire young Black women that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and put in the work!
SOURCE: CANDICE NICOLE PR; SOFIA THOMPSON