Born and raised in Saint Vincent, Kimon Baptiste St. Rose grew up in a small community where she lived in a Christian House with her heavily devoted family. Being the youngest high school graduate in her class at 15, she went on to prowl for her first job, first as a sales clerk and then a cashier. Six years down the line, Kimon signed up for the National Carnival Queen Pageant and secured the title, coming in first place.
After winning the title of Carnival Queen, Kimon went on to fly with Caribbean Star, subsequently moved to Antigua for two years and then came to St. Lucia in the early 2000s. Wanting to visit her family more frequently, Kimon moved to Saint Lucia when an airline base opened up as a convenience. After her time with Caribbean Star, she went on to study at the University of the West Indies; Cavehill Campus in Barbados with a degree in Management and Psychology. This business oriented woman sat with Dazzle to tell us about her most current venture, and how she got into the world of fashion.
Dazzle: What is the name of your business and what does it specialize in?
Kimon: The name of my brand is kimmysticclo. I was very quiet growing up, so I expressed myself a lot through fashion. My brand helps me do that. We specialize in ready to wear clothing using natural fibres such as linen and cotton. We also do customized clothing and special orders such as bridal gowns, pageant and evening gowns and prom dresses.
Dazzle: How long have you been in this field?
Kimon: I always did fashion in addition to something else. Growing up, sewing was always a passion of mine, and was a huge part of my family. Once I learned how to sew I started making pieces for myself. It was a hobby of mine. Back then there wasn’t much of a fuss for fashion so it was something I did on the side. When I left university I worked in accounting for six years and while I was doing that, I officially registered my business. It was still a side job, but it was starting to grow by then. I started focusing on it in 2007, when I decided to open my own store.
Dazzle: Why did you decide to do this full time?
Kimon: In 2012 I got the opportunity to work with Project Runway alumni in New York as an intern. I got time off my job then to do that, but shortly after that my position where I worked became redundant after they restructured the company so I was left with a choice. I either had to look for another desk job or dedicate my energy and time to fashion. I decided to take a leap of faith and venture into what I loved, and since then I’ve been doing this full time.
I put my energy into building my brand, marketing and setting up my store in a way where persons could walk in and order. There have been a few changes between 2012 and now to the brand and to the business. It’s evolved since then and there hasn’t been a minute where I regret doing what I love, and what I’m good at.
Dazzle: What’s the most difficult thing about what you do?
Kimon: After I had my son I had my store to showcase my pieces but I was still doing a lot of the sewing myself and the bulk work out of my home. I realized that in order for the business to grow and go where I wanted it to, I needed to invest a little more. I did some restructuring and for another unit; one is a showroom and the other is production.
I wanted my staff to be comfortable, so I hired more staff at that point and invested in more machinery. I wanted to ensure that my finished product was up to international standards. This was partly facilitated by companies who invested in my business, for example, Caribbean Export.
I have about eight seamstresses and an administrative assistant, because I wanted to make sure my supply and demand was on the same level. I work between the showroom and production room so I could both interact with customers and follow up with my staff. The most difficult part of the job is producing a quality end product, and having my staff aware enough to accomplish that.
Dazzle: How do you deal with quality control?
Kimon: I’m constantly training them. I can’t spend most of my time in the front interacting with customers. I have to split myself in two, so I can balance my time and energy on my staff too. I sit and I show them what I want, what it’s supposed to look like.
Dazzle: How are you able to keep your designs interesting and fresh for your audience?
Kimon: It’s something that I’m obviously passionate about and I get inspired by almost everything. The last collection I did was actually inspired by a shirt-dress. I love being comfortable and I absolutely love a good, white shirt. So I decided to start manipulating different ways that you could wear a shirt. It started as a simple shirt dress, turned into a maxi dress and then a romper and the ideas continued to flow. I get inspired by the people around me; the things they might say or the clothes they wear. I look at it and think about how I could make it more interesting. How many different ways can I manipulate one thing?
Growing up I was inspired by two Caribbean designers; Heather Jones and Claudia Pegus. I loved how Claudia would manipulate different types of fabrics and Heather’s hand painted designs. They were complete opposites but were fundamental in getting me off my feet.
Dazzle: What words of wisdom would you give to your younger self when you first started your business?
Kimon: I would say to be more confident. I don’t think the confidence I have now was always there; not for my brand. Be confident in what you produce, and expect people to love it. When I started out I was doing it mainly for myself; not quite expecting people to like it. Be a little more expressive and interactive. Growing up as an introvert, it made saying what was on my mind difficult. So that’s what I’d say, have confidence, be expressive and brave.
We hope that both Kimon and Kimmysticclo continue to strive and we see more good things in the near future. All the best, Kimon!
Fun Facts:
- What is your biggest fear- Failure
- The most exciting news you’ve gotten?- Having my son
- If you had to eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? – Pelau
