Made in Fulham
It never fails to surprise us what a talented bunch you Fulham folks are. Each month Urban Village Ldn introduces you to THe Fulham face behind an idea, product or business and asks them what they love about being a local resident. This month we talk to Designer Jacqui Johnson At Jacqui Johnson Atelier
How long have you called Fulham home? Since summer 2003 when we moved to the area, my oldest son had just turned one and I explored Fulham daily by taking him for walks in the various parks. I must say I was delighted with the amount of green spaces in the neighbourhood.
Tell us a bit about yourself/and your family I am from West Africa, born and bred in Accra, Ghana. I was born to a Ghanaian mother and a Togolese father. I am a Christian and a divorced of Mum of 3 lovely sons. As a consummate creative, my loves are cooking, creating beautiful things with my hands and DIY. Also very close to my heart is helping women in my sphere of life recover from the emotional ravages of life through empowering conversations. I come from a long line of creative people. My maternal gran was a milliner, my Mum was a fashion designer. My Mum’s sister is also an amazing dressmaker who is currently my right hand woman when she is in London. I believe creativity and fashion and was organic to me. I followed my heart twenty one years ago to settle in London because I found love here. Initially the change was really tough, I missed Accra and all that I had left behind. I still go back occasionally but I really feel at home in London now.
What’s your favourite local haunt and why? Definitely Maggie’s haberdashery market stall. Maggie’s stall is like a mini Aladdin’s cave for sewists, knitters and other crafters. I am always finding useful little things there and her customer service is just brilliant!
What is your slice of Fulham heaven and why? Bishop’s Park has got all the elements of Fulham heaven for me. It feels like an escape to a countryside retreat whilst it’s just a few minutes walk from home. Various parts of the park meet a need for me. For example, I find water very therapeutic and just leaning against the rails and watching little bobbing boats or the ripples of the Thames is ever so soothing. The pond and it’s little footbridge is so picturesque and serene throughout the year. The skating area ticked the box for the boys when they were younger, was just fantastic for their much needed adrenaline rush. The icing on the cake is Fulham Palace. How many local parks come in tow with their their own palaces? Fulham Palace and it’s beautiful gardens are so steeped in history. My first experience of the palace itself was a summertime picnic day, held in the gardens by my son’s primary school many years ago. I fell in love with the place so I did some research and it has become a favourite walking destination for me.
What have you missed about Fulham life during the pandemic? Fulham is full of eateries, cafes, quaint shops and all sorts of social spaces and the closure of all these lively places, made Fulham a ghost town. I honestly found it uncomfortably eerie whenever I stepped out for a walk or to buy essentials. It was surreal.
What local shop/service/business has helped make life easier during the pandemic? Hands down it was the North End Road shops. For me, they alleviated the long queues to the supermarket only to find empty shelves. Most of them were also one stop shops - they stocked fresh fruits and veggies, store cupboard items and had butcher’s counters too. Fish is a huge part of our diet so the fishmongers on North End road was a bonus.
If you could do one thing to improve Fulham what would it be? House all the homeless people and address the issues that lead to homelessness. No one has to call the street a home in one of the most civilised countries in the western world.
Tell us about Jacqui Johnson Atelier and how it came to be Jacqui Johnson Atelier is a sequel to a story that started some 31 years ago. As I mentioned earlier, creativity and fashion is organic to me. When I was 19, I took on sewing much to my Mother’s chagrin. Both she and her Mother were graduates of London School of Fashion and Paris Academy of Fashion respectively and she felt that the profession was not accorded its due respect in Ghana. Despite her opposition, I still persisted. She could not deny that I was a natural, gradually she relented and poured all she knew into me. She handed me her prized portfolios from her student days, 7 Singer industrial machines, an industrial steam press, industrial cutters and all the tools of the trade and a huge venue to set up my studio. For 10 years I built the brand to become a household name in Accra. With a staff of 10, myself and my Mum helping behind the scenes, we served the creme de la creme of Accra society and hundreds of overseas clients. My Mother’s goodwill opened doors for me and brought me clients from all over. I never advertised once in 10 years but I always had a waiting list. Indeed I felt blessed! When I relocated to the UK the next 17 years saw me go to university, raise my children, work in other areas before I came full circle to start Jacqui Johnson Atelier in 2017 - hence the sequel. Once again I make couture clothing for ladies, my service is mostly what the client wants to wear - from occasional wear to custom coats, trousers, berets and fascinators. I also make clothes for people who are extra tall, plus size or really petite and can’t find beautiful things to fit them well. The client is involved in the entire design process to ensure she gets exactly what she wants. I recently added a few accessories such as shoe clips, collars, dressy shawls etc. These are currently the only ready to wear things I offer. I believe accessories can bring a wow factor to any simple outfit.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting their own enterprise? My advice is that, your business has to: solve a problem or help your client /customer with a need, earn their trust for repeat business because shopping for a product or service has now moved beyond just a purchase to an experience. Finally you have to be passionate and determined because there are bound to be bumps and hurdles on the way.
What top tip do you always give about couture fashion? Develop your personal style, wear things that brings out the best in your features and invest in key items of clothing that are timeless. Trends change too quickly these day. Finally, nothing beats a well tailored item that is custom made to your specification and exact physique.
See more of Jacqui’s designs on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jacquijohnsonatelier/?hl=en or find them at The Couture Collective (659 Fulham Road).
