George Ouma is in the business of making your celebrities look smart. He has grown to be a brand through Gjey Mavazi. However, not all has been rosy for Ouma.
He was taught tailoring by his dad who unfortunately died in 1999 before seeing his son succeed. His father’s demise forced him to drop out primary school aged 14 and start hustling.
He started tailoring in Kisumu at Kibuye Market to earn a living.
Ouma later moved to Nairobi in search of better returns and settled at Makini in Kibera. While in the city, his mother sold a cow to pay for a designing course Ouma had enrolled for at a local institution.
In 2005, he started Gjey Mavazi at a veranda in Kibera. Through smart working, he has grown from there to having reputable clients including BBC’s Larry Madowo.
“There was a laundry shop that allowed me to set up outside on the veranda and whenever it would rain I used to take my stuff inside and it was those disruptions that made me come to the city center,” he told Nairobi News Hustle.
He collaborated with another tailor and rented a room at Lakhamshi House, Biashara Street. In 2016, some of his stock was locked up after the property owner defaulted to pay a loan. This hook his investment but he picked up again. He is currently among the best local designers.