The Namibian bridal stylist making boss moves

Ada Auala

Any Namibian bride who has hired Ada Auala as a stylist for her big day can attest that this is a woman who can make dreams come true.

Images of her bridal clients are consistently breathtaking and an expression of her signature elegant and understated style.

While I have interviewed Ada on numerous occasions, one thing that continues to impress me is her drive and constant high spirits. We caught up once again to talk about the growth of her brand and her pursuit of global recognition.

A dream career

“This has always been my dream. After school, I went to study computer science against my will. I did IT for seven years but bridal fashion has been my passion since I was 12,” says Ada and adds that she always knew this dream would come true.

Since taking up the challenge to pursue her dream career she has styled over 200 brides in Namibia and beyond. “The first time I booked a paying international client was actually when my friend who was getting married in South Africa booked me,” she recalls. She flew to Cape Town in 2015 to style her client and international opportunities have continued to open up for Ada ever since – mostly in Zimbabwe.

Ada is renowned for offering brides a top-of-the-range luxury experience on the most special day of their lives, enhancing their natural beauty with a radiant, flawless finish complete with elegant hairstyling. Constantly striving to be on top of her game, Ada is experienced with all skin tones, ethnicity and hair textures, as much as she is well-versed in the latest wedding hair styles and makeup trends.

Finding her purpose

One of the things that sets her apart is her clear brand identity and unique selling proposition. She believes that she found her purpose in life when she realised that wedding styling was her passion, and she notes that success in any sector comes only when one finds one’s niche and perfects it.

Not enough has been done to encourage and inspire young people.

“I feel like my dream has just started. I’ve always wanted to have my own space, and my dream has come true with the new studio I just moved in,” says Ada and adds that she feels things can only get better.

“Put yourself out there”

Ada is a product of not only hard work and dedication, but she also goes a step further by putting herself out there for people to recognise her work. One of her best tools has been social media, which she uses brilliantly to market her services. Her Instagram page is expertly curated with images of her beautiful clients, inspiring quotes and informative live sessions on her regular collaborations with fellow content creators. “Make use of social media hacks and the tools to get your work noticed. Reach out to people in the same industry in and outside the country, DM them and create relationships with them. You never know who you might be able to collaborate with or who will see your work – that’s how I get international recognition,” Ada says.

Excited for the future

While she is extremely proud of how far she has come by now, Ada is excited to see her brand grow even bigger. She looks forward to meeting more brides and to keep experiencing weddings in all cultures of people from all walks of life. “To be honest, every wedding is unique. The experience is different with every wedding. I build relationships with every new bride, learn about new cultures and every time I see my clients in their wedding gowns I cry,” says Ada.

So, as a wedding stylist who knows everything it takes to make a bride happy on her big day, who are her top picks to bring her own dream wedding to life one day?

Without hesitation, Ada mentions Kevin Wedding Planner (Zimbabwe) and Wendy’s Creations (Namibia) as her top two picks for planning her big day. She also drops an honorary mention of Ruberto Scholtz (Namibia) to make her dream gown and Joy Adenuga (UK) for makeup.

One certainty is that by the time Ada walks down the aisle, we can expect nothing short of a showstopper wedding.

Rukee Kaakunga is a Windhoek-based Communications Specialist, Blogger and Freelance Fashion Writer. Contact her via email: rukeekaakunga@gmail.com and follow her on Twitter @rukeeveni and on Instagram @rukeekaakunga.