Louise Priddy name is synonymous with Bacchus Night club, this is because she has run the wave making night club on the Island for years and has become a big player in that terrain. Nevertheless, she has also tried her hands on other things. She opened Sixth Degree 3 years ago, which is a VIP lounge located within the Bacchus Night club, on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. She also started Posh Café, an A-class restaurant located inside Mega Plaza, Victoria Island, Lagos. But her latest business now is Kristos Jewelry Line, a business she floated with her friend, Elfreda Edewor. They started the business last year in a very quite way just making for their friends and couple of people who like it. But right now, Kristos is one of the hottest accessory lines on the Island and the demand for it really high among celeb. It’s really a luxury brand as the minimum goes for $1,000 dollars and it higher grade is $10,000 dollars. And despite the fact that it is expensive, these two industrious ladies get a lot of orders everyday. It’s a line that appeals to both the men and the ladies. The likes of Dbanj, Don Jazzy, John Utaka, Sound Sultan amongst others have turned head on red carpets with these unique pieces in recent times. Louise Priddy and Efreda Edewor both sit down to design these pieces, and later send it to Italy and Lebanon, where it is been manufactured and brought back into the country to sell. Each Kristos Jewelry is generously designed and completed for beauty, functionality, durability and longevity. These original pieces of jewelry are all one of a kind and feature beads made of Black Onyx, Pearls, Clear Gem stones, Gold and Diamonds, accented by an 18k Gold/Black onyx cross featuring an18k rose gold peace sign. The first collection which is the most the most popular and distinctive Rosary Inspired necklaces was a best seller. The other pieces from the collection, be it necklaces or bracelets, have also been a huge success with celebrities and high brow socialites. City People Fashion Editor, BOLA AKINBOADE, met with Louise Priddy recently and she opens up on why they decided to float a jewelry line. Louise who also got married last year to hear beau, Mario Bou Harb and recently delivered a baby boy also open up on the challenges of motherhood and how she juggles her different roles.
“WHY I WENT INTO ACCESSORY BUSINESS” – LOUISE PRIDDY
You are known to run a night club, why then did you decide to diversify into the accessory business?
Last year, myself and my friend, Elfreda, sat down and we sketched different designs of accessories. So when we traveled out of the country, we met a jewelry designer who offered to turn our sketches into jewelries. So from there, we used to come here and sell and so many people liked it, and that was how it all started. Gradually, people started ordering for our accessories. And it became too big for us and that is why we launched our line Kristos Jewelry, to make it official.
So what makes Kristos Jewelry stand out from the rest?
Kristos Jewelry is an exclusive luxury brand. It is a handmade jewelry, and it’s made of Onyx, Diamond, Gemstones and Gold. Kristos Jewelry is designed and completed for beauty, functionality, durability and longetivity. Why we are different from others is because you can design your own jewelry. Like a lady came to me and said she wants her initials on the jewelry. I can go and do that for you. That is why we are different from every jewelry shop. We are expanding our first collection with earrings and rings.
Our next line will be catering for the children; we will be doing children accessories, necklace and bracelet, earrings, rings. We are getting there gradually.
Where do source your fabrics from?
It’s from Italy and Lebanon and we have 2 workshops in both countries. We actually manufactured it over there and bring it down to Nigeria. We design them, we draw them, and we manufactured it and bring it down here.
How is business so far?
In the beginning, we were just selling to our friends, and a lot of people were demanding for it but we didn’t have enough stock that is why we eventually had to start the jewelry line officially. And it became that popular. We started a year ago in a very quite way, now, it has become more popular.
So how do you juggle between the new business and the old ones?
I work on my accessory line during the day. You know during the day, I also run Posh Café which have had for 3 years now. So what I do basically is to cross between Posh Café and the Jewelry line. Anytime my attention is not needed at Posh Café, I sit down working on the jewelry line. I’m on the internet taking orders and doing some necessary transactions.
Interestingly, you seem to be into a lot of things
Not a lot of things. Really, it’s Bacchus, posh café, Louise designs and now the jewelry line. Why, because, the night club has been there for 8 years and it time for a little change. Some people ask me, they needed a place where they can go during the day and relax, that was why I started Posh Café. Jewelry was something had always had passion for. And it just started from people admiring my jewelries, and we had to sit down and discuss, “can we do it?” And Elfreda and I started together, and we said to ourselves, okay, we can do it. And that is why we have to do a new line and make it bigger because people want it.
But the night club is your dad’s business and you took it over from him
It’s my business. My dad and I opened Bacchus together 8 years ago, it’s always been our business.
Why then did you decide to run a night club?
I went to England and to club and I kind of liked the idea. So a friend of mine left England to start the 11.45 night club which I managed, I was the manager then. And while I was doing that, I always had intentions that I don’t want to work with someone else, I want to have my own business, so basically I learned and trained while I was there before I opened Bacchus. So I had always wanted to do it, but I had to go through process of learning how things work in Nigeria before I opened my own.
What will you say is your staying power in the night club business? You have been doing it for 8 years and even when others were shutting down you became even stronger in business
My staying power is not about money, and I really mean this, its just about doing what I am passionate about. I love to change the club, I love to have theme party like the Halloween party and all that. I like to do things that are different. I like to change the club; it’s not the same boring club that has been there. When people come day in day out, they see changes. That is the passion I have for it. I actually love doing my job, that is why have been there for 8 years.
So what are the challenges you face running the club?
Challenges are that other clubs open, and people might go to other club and probably come back to yours. Challenges are that as a woman, some men will under rate you. In the first year, people actually said to me, you will never last, you are a woman, and it’s going to be so hard. But that gave me more will power to be stronger and better. And that is it
You also opened sixth degree, why the need for that?
It’s just above Bacchus. Sixth degree is like a VIP Lounge, it comes with more relaxation.
In your family, you are also the only person that is out there doing everything while your sister and other maintain low profile
Nothing, it’s just that in every family, you get one who is an introvert, and the other who is an extrovert. It has to do with different personalities. They just like to take it easy and do their own thing. My sister has her own property company, and she is very good at that but she just like to keep it quite. And the same thing with my brother. I think it basically because I run a night club, that is why I m more out there.
You are also a mother now. So how has motherhood being for you?
Motherhood is difficult. I m not going to say it’s the easiest thing because any mother will tell you its not. What has happened as to work is that, it just slows me down; you have to sacrifice a lot. One great thing about posh café is that I create the children segment side, so he stays with me and he comes to work with me. Night club, of course I can’t go every night, it’s different. So I have young people now who are taking over. It just slows me down, its hard work. But there is nothing great as a child waking up and smiling to you, saying his first word or eating, nothing greater than that. But right now, priority changes and he is my first priority.
Now that your priority has changed, does your husband still support your line of business?
Yes, he does, we are very happy and he supports the business I do. We actually dated for 5 years before we got married last year. So he is totally aware of everything I do, and has always been supportive even right from the onset.
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