Today we’d like to introduce you to Dayne Lewis.
Hi Dayne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My wife Connie, and I have a fashion design, development, and production company, Conjetta Designs. We have been creating amazing apparel and accessories for large and small brands. It was only natural that we would start our own brand. Gyal Bashy is a combination of my Jamaican roots and style, and our company’s expertise in apparel development. Gyal Bashy is a sustainable, Caribbean-inspired fashion brand.
The name Gyal Bashy is a Jamaican Patois phrase meaning “woman/girl you look amazing”. We wanted a brand that expressed our love of traveling but is sustainable and not easily forgotten fast fashion. Though our brand has a Caribbean theme the items are designed to be worn whether you’re barefoot on the beach or layered up for a cozy mountains retreat.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Supply Chain challenges, factories closing down because of COVID-19, higher shipping prices, financing, and not enough hours in a day.
Outside of geo-political issues and a pandemic, finding people to invest in your vision and trust in our process. We have an amazing team who are key to everything we do, and as we grow it is a challenge to find others in the midwest to join our team.
As you know, we’re big fans of Gyal Bashy. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our brand Gyal Bashy strive to be fully sustainable-made and ethically sourced. This is important to us, but we also make fashionable amazing looking apparel and accessories. We believe that being “green” doesn’t have to be boring or drab. We use color and unique in-house prints to make our wearers “that gyal (look) “bashy”.
Our brand is a true mix of my Jamaican roots and my wife and partner’s midwest feel. We offer our wearers great-looking, amazing-feeling fabrics, used to make the best quality apparel and accessories made from recycled and/or renewable materials. Offering decreased guilt of harming the environment when you buy our brand. We are proud to be a St Louis brand and the work we do.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I think the number one lesson we have learned is that the whole team doesn’t have to be in the office at the same time. The pandemic has forced us all to rethink what it means to be “in the office”. Our team can be just as creative/productive and get things done from home.
Fashion design requires creativity and the think the hybrid office setup gives our designers some freedom which helps creative juices to flow. It also taught us to be cognizant of the well-being of each of our teammates, and stay connected even when we aren’t in the same place.
Pricing:
- Our products are very affordable ranging from $32-$78
Contact Info:
- Website: http://thatgyalbashy.com
- Instagram: @gyalbashy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gyalbashy
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gyalbashy
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-c7N5bA1kY1cTOx5RlPm1g
