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Bola has been part of the Harlem community for more than 30 years.
Originally from Nigeria, she started out doing seamstress work, following in the footsteps of her father who was a tailor. In the 1990’s she opened her first shop in Harlem on 125th Street on the corner of 5th Avenue. Due to higher real estate prices in Harlem, she is now in a space with several other entrepreneurs at 44 West 125th Street.
At her shop she sells African-styled clothing, headpieces and fabric. She can also deliver hand made garments. She also provides alterations and tailoring services for all types of garments.
Above all, Bola’s priority is the satisfaction of her customers. “That is my joy and pride,” she asserted. “If I work with you, I work with you whole-heartedly and with sincerity.” Her devotion to her craft and clients has clearly paid off, as her business has stayed alive despite the mounting difficulty of owning a small shop in an area increasingly overtaken by chains and corporations.
Bola attributes the secret of her longevity to word of mouth and the fact that she has maintained mostly the same regular customers since she opened in the 1990s. When asked about her clientele, she maintained that “everybody is my customer,” as she gets anyone from dance academies in need of African costumes for a performance, churches who need robes, to people attracted to the vibrancy of African-styled clothes for everyday use. Bola’s genuineness and clear enjoyment of what she does make her shop an appealing spot for everyone to visit.
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