After leaving the corporate world, Faith started her own clothing brand and is now making a name for herself in the fashion industry. But it hasn't been easy.
Faith was employed at UPS Supply Chain Solutions as a Sr. Customer Service Rep (Account Coordinator) for a number of years when she decided to take a leap of faith and resign from her job to pursue her dream of becoming a swimwear designer. She was determined to make something of her own, so she decided to combine the names of both of her children Dhakyem and Imani, to create the brand Dhakmani.
Faith's husband was initially skeptical about her leaving the job, but he eventually decided to invest financially in her new venture, and that allowed her to take the plunge and make her dream a reality.
Faith purchased a sewing machine and supplies and taught herself how to design and sew. Despite the setbacks of wasting fabric and breaking needles, Faith was determined to make her venture a success.
She began collaborating with local photographers to create campaigns for upcoming collections and participated in fashion shows. Faith began producing her own yearly fashion shows and provided runway opportunities for other fashion designers.
Faith wasn't content with just designing swimwear, however, she expanded her brand to include lingerie, dresses, custom designs and a fitness line. Her goal was to create an empire for the brand.
Faith was making waves in the industry. After gaining recognition for her innovative designs, Faith had the honor of creating Sky-lander costumes for Kevin Harts son's sixth birthday party. She customized clothing for May May Ali, (The legendary Muhammed Ali's daughter). Her designs were featured in local magazines, and featured on the Vanity Fair Magazine swimsuit cover featuring Martin Short.
https://www.heartofhollywoodmagazine.com/club
Faith had the opportunity of showcasing her designs in the following fashion weeks: New York, South Carolina, Los Angeles and San Diego.
For many young designers, participating in New York Fashion Week is a dream come true. For Faith, however the dream quickly turned into a nightmare.
Faith paid a hefty fee to participate in the prestigious event, but soon became discouraged as the business was not turning a profit. Despite providing custom design services, she found that the business was not lucrative and soon found herself struggling to keep the business afloat.
Faith had taken on a full-time job as an office manager with her husband's company, but still wanted to pursue her dreams of running her own business. She continued designing custom orders, but found it hard to juggle the workload of her job and her business. Faith was unable to produce orders in a timely manner and the quality of her work began to suffer.
Ultimately, Faith had to make the difficult decision to take a step back from her business due to the strain of trying to design and work a full-time job.
Despite facing discouragement, Faith persevered and saw a pivotal moment in 2019 when she founded the Designers of Los Angeles organization. This organization was created to support and inspire other designers, and the success of this endeavor has led to the upcoming premiere of a reality show on June 24, 2023.
This story reminds us that sometimes our ambitions can outstrip our abilities. We all need to remember to set realistic goals and be honest about what we can and cannot manage.
To all entrepreneurs out there success doesn't come overnight, it takes hard work and dedication to make a business successful. Faith's story serves to inspire other aspiring designers to never give up and to continue to strive for success.
Faith is currently working on her swimwear SS24 Sea Breeze Collection (Poolside).
IG: dhakmani_swimwear
Be on the look out for Faith's autobiography SOMEONE TO LOVE
Faith Rudder
CEO of Dola / Fashion Designer / Artist Management / Writer
Faith Rudder is a 48 year old self-taught Swimwear Designer from Los Angeles, California. Faith has been designing for over 16 years and her brand is Dhakmani.
Dhakmani represents the beauty of being a woman and embracing who you are and what God has created within you. Dhakmani promotes having a healthy mind and healthy body.
As a teenager Faith loved styling for her friends, enabling them to feel confident in their young skins.
Faith is proud to say that she carried that love for style and beauty over to her handbag creation. Whether it's swimwear or handbags, style and beauty are two things that she truly enjoys bringing to people's lives. Because her products are designed with each person's unique individuality in mind, she loves to create pieces that can truly help you feel confident and empowered, no matter your age.
Faith is a former Sr. Account Coordinator for UPS Supply Chain Solutions. In 2008, Faith decided to resign from UPS and take the risk of starting her own Clothing brand and that is where the journey began.
Faith received Designer of the year award from the Carson Black Chamber of Commerce in 2014. Faith is the founder of Designers of Los Angeles, an organization for upcoming Fashion Designers. (www.designersoflosangeles.com)
Contact Faith Rudder at faithrudder@ruddercccs.com or 1-562-240-9538
Photo credits:
Imani Rudder
Greg Worsham
Jovahn Oddie
Ashutosh Gupta
Steven Harvey
Christian Bull
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