Gone are the days of crochet being your grandmother’s craft – this particular medium has been sweeping the Jamaican fashion industry. A crochet top or swimsuit is now a staple in every girl’s closet, and businesses have been capitalizing on this opportunity. An increase in the popularity of such items has resulted in stores specializing solely in crochet pieces. One such store is Crochet Castel – making a name for itself in the industry, and with good reason.
The brand’s owner, Tianna Simmonds, began her craft as a means to kill time. She could often be spotted around her high school with needles and yarn, eager to hone her skills. It soon became apparent that Simmonds had a talent for the art of crochet. Coupled with her entrepreneurial mindset, this capability led her to launch her business after a mere two months of learning. Interestingly, Crochet Castel was not her first business venture. A few months prior, the young entrepreneur launched Small Business Ja, the aim of which was to provide professional business advice and wholesale products – primarily swimsuits. Though Small Business Ja was largely successful, Simmonds still struggled to transition into her new endeavor. Having previously provided a service, she realized that different skills were required to market a product that was handmade.
The designer admits that these struggles diminished her drive to continue: “At first, I didn’t really know what I was doing, so I wasn’t very passionate about it.” It was her determination to be “more than mediocre” that led to her to identify an advantageous strategy – influencers. Simmonds largely attributes the success of her brand to social media influencers who have worn her pieces, thus advertising them to thousands of potential customers. Despite this boost, she still pours herself into maintaining and growing the business, saying, “I have invested lots of time in it and I have prayed hard”. Having seen that her prayers were answered, the young entrepreneur is eternally grateful. “God has blessed me tremendously with this business. I have begun to realize that Crochet Castel is a business sent from God, and that makes me love it even more.”
Another blessing is that of inspiration; creating crochet pieces excites the budding designer. She says, “I love every single one of my designs. I fall in love with them, even more, each time I see them on a new customer, or made in different colours.” As for the creativity displayed in her growing catalogue, Simmonds cites sites like Instagram and Pinterest as major sources. In her effort to stay up to date with the latest trends in swimwear, she even finds herself watching swimsuit hauls on YouTube and browsing the catalogues of various stores. As a woman, she hopes to inspire confidence in others; the customizable nature of her product means that everyone gets the perfect fit. For this reason, she makes a point of charging the same price for each design regardless of the size being ordered; she considers raising prices for larger sizes a form of discrimination.
In only five months, Crochet Castel has surpassed Simmonds’ initial expectations. Her designs have been featured in Flair Magazine, on Buzz, and in Monifa Goss’ “Bye Bitch” music video. However, as a self-proclaimed ShenYeng, the accomplishment she’s most proud of to date is her ‘Sidechick Swim’ monokini being worn by Shenseea in the music video for “Lighter” with Tarrus Riley and Rvssian. The designer reveals that despite appearances, Shenseea was actually in possession of the piece for months before she wore it in the music video. Having named the piece after one of Shenseea’s hits, the young entrepreneur’s tenacity is what brought it to the artist’s attention.
Despite the brand’s current success, Simmonds envisions an even brighter future for her work, stating: “Crochet Castel is only the first of many personalized businesses I hope to create. Its success will be the launching pad for my career in fashion. The aim is to expand beyond crochet-based pieces”.
