I want everyone to experience the comfort of wearing Faiz Alvaro- Faisal Mohammed

Faisal Mohammed is the CEO of Faiz Alvaro which is a shoe making brand with locally sourced materials. His production is made 100 percent in Nigeria. He has employed labour and have aspiration of diversifying into bags and clothes. Find out more on the challenges, visions and more.

Hello Faiz!

• Hello Phatymah!

Brief family and educational background...

• Well, I come from a family of six and I am the second born. My dad is a civil servant and my mum is a house wife. I did my primary school at Al-Iman private school, Jos, then to Federal Government College, Kano, for my secondary education. I then went to the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Agricultural Engineering which I am now a graduate of.

How did the name Faiz Alvaro come about?

• Obviously, Alvaro is an Italian name  which means the guardian, so I chose Faiz Alvaro because I wanted the brand to have an Italian feel of which we all know is the birth place of modern fashion as far as shoes and slippers are concerned.

What inspired you into shoe making/cobbling?

• The desire to be self reliant and provide jobs for other people is just one or two of the reasons that inspired me to start up my shoe brand.

Was there mockery from friends/family with your choice of business line?

• Ofcourse not! I have some of the most amazing and supportive friends who bought some of my very first slippers even before I branded it and have supported me all the way especially Zallah Zamani who has been a very big part of this.

Parental reaction you got?

• My parents have been supportive all the way but my dad was always against me joining business and school.

Challenges of the business?

• Some of the challenges range from the inconsistency of materials in the market. Lack of funds to grow bigger. Lack of constant power to operate some of the machines are just a few among many.

Most epic moment for you since the inception of the business?

• Every day has always been an epic one right from the inception as our popularity among our target market keeps growing.

Who would you like to see walk in your shoes?

• I am a big dreamer so I wouldn't say I have a specific person in mind but I want everyone to experience the comfort that comes from wearing a faiz Alvaro slippers.

What's the vision of Faiz Alvaro shoes in the next years to come?

• My vision is to go beyond Nigeria and Africa. To make better shoes that will beat the likes of Gucci, LV, bertozzi among others.

Was there ever a day you felt like giving up? 

• It is normal for an entrepreneur to feel like he/she wants to give up and I am no exception but I would say I have received a lot of support and love from people I know and those I don't to a point that I believe the brand is bigger than me so quitting is not an option.

(👍👍👍, quitting should never be an option)

Any plan to diversify? Maybe try something else like bag making?

• Yes there's. We are planning to start making all sort of bags and also expand into the clothing line but that is after we are sure we have gotten the shoe making business right.

Who is the lucky lady?😍😍😍 love nwatintin😂.

• Sorry I will pass on that question if you don't mind 😊.

(Awwwn😊😊, he must be shy)

Words of advice to fellow youths...

• My words of advice to other youths like myself is to never stop believing in themselves and also they should know that the right time to start is now, not tomorrow.Everything is possible.

Thank you Faiz for your time and patience. I haven't forgotten about the giveaway though. Next time is tomorrow😁😁😁. Continue to keep the brand growing and never quit. 


You can check on Faiz Alvaro's business on:

Twitter:@faiz__alvaro IG:faiz__alvaro Email:faizalvaro669@gmail.com