ABOUT PEE'S TAILOR & FASHION

The Fabric of Our Being

I'm Peter Sahr Aruna and I'm the CEO and founder of Pees Tailor & Fashion (PTF).

PTF is my first business venture. I never really saw myself as an entrepreneur because in my country - the beautiful Sierra Leone - entrepreneurship is still a relatively new phenomenon and creativity is still not fully appreciated by the majority of our society. I never imagined I'd be working in the fashion industry never mind starting my own business in it. I'm loving it and now consider myself a bit of a 'fashionista'. 

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There's something about patterns, vibrant colors (especially African fabrics) and the texture of the materials that I have a deep sense of appreciation for. When I was a kid I'd learn how to cut dresses and make stitches with my grandmother on holidays and I'd learn how to sew simple things from a button, to mending holes and rejuvenating clothes. 

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Living in an African country like Sierra Leone prepared me for the world of clothes. In Sierra Leone, the fashion trends mostly revolve around traditional wears and western fashion. I was really inspired to get involved in the industry when I discovered how expensive it is to purchase good clothes. In Sierra Leone, your outfit really says a lot about you. So the idea of starting a tailoring shop was born out of a desire to make African wears and western fashion available at a more affordable price. 

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While at school, I saved my lunch allowance until i could purchase my first sewing machine. I used my savings to design and issue flyers and to register the business. Starting small, I first made Outfits for friends and family members. While I focused on establishing the business, working closely with customers and designing the clothing, I employed a tailor to do the sewing following my designs. As interest in the business grew so did my creativity. I created original designs such as the Fayie drops in cashmere fabrics, Berry wears, Hayarpe designs and others. These new designs attracted even more interest in our business and our customer base expanded significantly. With the business doing well, I was able to employ more tailors. We currently have 3 tailors and we can cater for the fashion needs of both male and female customers. 

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Pee's Tailor and Fashion has come a long way since it was founded, and I have learned a lot about business along the way. You could save that we've grown together. To help ensure the success of the business I have invested time in developing my business knowledge and skills. I have carried out lots of research and I've attended workshops such as the Common Wealth Workshop for Creatives which was organised by the British Council here in Freetown. I also participated in the under-30's entrepreneurship where I was able to showcase my clothing designs to a wider audience. 

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I am pleased to say that, today, the business is going from strength to strength. We now provide tailor and fashion services to many customers in Sierra Leone, West Africa, and we even supply customers as far afield as Russia and Scotland. Our success helps to keep our clothing affordable for Sierra Leoneans and has allowed us to widen our ethical objectives to support Sierra Leoneans who less fortunate.