ZHANÉ PADMORE knows what sacrifice and balance mean. The former Miss Holetown has been intimately aware of both since age four when she was enrolled into swimming and ballet.
Now the recent graduate of the University of the West Indies (UWI) with a bachelor of science degree in management with a concentration in entrepreneurship has taken on a new role to the many others she has – business owner.
She is the face and creative director behind Cultured by Zhané, an accessory company that does necklaces, bracelets, headbands and belts.
“Funny enough my plans were not to start so early with forming my company,” said the former student of Charles F. Broome and Harrison College.
“I really wanted to do event management when I started UWI. In my second year is when I decided on the management. When I graduated last year I said OK, it is time to settle down and figure out what I wanted to do.”
Zhané says she spends too much time on social media but that is where her interest was piqued to start doing fashion.
“As a pageant girl you have to love fashion. So I was perusing the Internet and saw this fabric necklace. I said maybe I can make myself one. So my mum [Sandra Padmore] has a sewing machine as she does a bit of sewing and I asked her advice as I didn’t know how to sew. I showed her what I was interested in and she showed me how to do it.”
This was last year May and Zhané realised that her first necklace didn’t “turn out that bad”.
“I had used a mixture of prints and I realised I had a knack for that.”
She wore the necklace casually and her friends were smitten. They asked her to make for them and that started the roller-coaster ride she is now on.
By word of mouth at first, orders started to come in . . . very quickly.
“It takes a lot of time. I work from my parents’ home,” said the 21-year-old dancer and model.
“When the demand started to increase I purchased my own sewing machine and turned my bedroom into my “factory”, she said, laughing.
With so many people demanding the necklace Zhane decided that it was the best to do it as a business.
“From January this year I went and registered the company. The name came from my boyfriend Andrew and when I looked up the meaning of cultured it represented everything I wanted for my brand. I had to add the Zhané because of intellectual property reasons as I didn’t want my name on it. I wanted it to be separate from who I am.”
Zhané finds her prints and trappings locally, but is thinking of going overseas to source others.
“I hand-stitch them together and then finish them off with the sewing machine. I have my orders by email so I have to check those regularly. My days are structured from that to when I start to sew to fulfil orders.
“I thank God for my mum as she is a big help in helping me to prepare orders. I also do delivery so that takes up a chunk of my time.”
Zhané is all about customer service and loves to hear great reviews.
“My customers have their creative input but I love when someone says, ‘Go ahead, wow me. Do what you want’. I love being creative with prints and mixing and matching what people think would never work.”
Zhané has to make sacrifices as she has other obligations. Her dance rehearsals take up a chunk of her time, she also goes to the gym and she is the chaperone for the Miss Universe Barbados pageant.
“I am also a cast member in the Celebrations of Rhythms that performs every other Thursdays at Pirate Cove.”
But who is Zhané?
She was a national swimmer, representing Barbados at many regional meets such as the CARIFTA Swimming Championships as well as the Caribbean and Central American Swimming Championships.
Furthermore, Zhané is an avid dancer, having attained distinctions in the Royal Academy of Dancing Examinations up to grade 8. She is a member of Dancin’ Africa and The Dance Place. She also dances at various local events and festivals; she is well versed in contemporary, Afro-Caribbean, jazz and hip hop.
Zhané’s love for pageantry emerged after she participated in her school pageant. While she didn’t place, her dynamic performance in talent afforded her the opportunity to represent Barbados at the Miss Easterval pageant 2012 in Union Island, where she came away with the title as well as the prizes for Miss Photogenic, Best Talent, Best Interview and Best Evening Wear.
Speaking of talent her dance piece won her Best Talent for Miss Holetown. She also won Miss Photogenic and Public Speaking (from her Key Clubs days at HC).
“I love pageants. I enter as much as I can. And If I am not in one I am helping out with one. I really wanted to enter Miss Universe Barbados but it would have been a conflict of interest as my cousin is the franchise holder so I was given the role of chaperone.”
Zhane said all she does is really “tough and gets overwhelming at times. I have to make time for friends and family and also get some sleep too.
“I just have to take things step by step. Some customers come today and need their piece by tomorrow.”
Zhané said if she didn’t have rehearsals to take her away from the business she wouldn’t know a cut-off time.
“It is a fledgling company so I want to make sure that everything is going smoothly. Sometimes I get caught up in the rhythm of sewing the pieces that I don’t even go to eat. The end result is a joy to see.”
Two of Zhané’s proudest moments were the debut of the Cultured by Zhané collection and going to a party and seeing her pieces.
“Pompasette had their launch and I was asked to provide the pieces for the models. I made 12 pieces customised so those are here for use in fashion shows and for photo shoots.
“Then I went to a party and I saw about five people in my necklaces. I was like wow. Those are my handmade necklaces and bracelets.”
Zhane said that while she loves going to the beach she has to cut down on that. Hanging out with friends has also been reduced so she can focus on business.
“Starting my own business was an eye-opener. It was tough. To be honest to say which is tougher, pageantry or doing Cultured by Zhané I would have to say Cultured is a bit in the lead. It is a total different sphere.
“I love doing my necklaces and pieces. I have plans to branch out further in design but for now I have found my niche. But, so far, so good.” (NS)