Shop Zetu Powering Fashion Made in Kenya: The Future of Fashion Industry In Kenya is Bright

When Shop Zetu’s “Powering Fashion Made in Kenya” event first began, Wandia Gichuru, CEO and Co-Founder of both Shop Zetu and Vivo Group, who had only been in the business for a little over ten years, said that Kenyans were not only ready and willing to support local brands, but were also more than willing to put in the effort necessary to produce high-quality goods.

A brand should leverage Kenyan producers, artists, media, and other stakeholders to develop, represent, and market its goods if it is truly made in Kenya.
~ @shopzetu~ #MadeInKenya pic.twitter.com/a1OZda22JU

— Nairobi fashion hub (@FashionNairobi) July 27, 2022

Several different groups of interested parties came together at the event on July 18, 2022, to talk about how we may cooperate more effectively in support of “Kenyans wearing Kenyan.” HEVA Fund’s Wakiuru Njuguna, Caroline Mutoko, Anne Mutahi, Connie Aluoch, Patricia Kihoro, Esther Nyawira, the founder of Elsie Glamour, and Sandstorm Kenya’s Mark Stephenson served as the moderators.

“The fashion sector is designated as a priority industry and as one of the pathways to industrialization in Kenya’s Vision 2030 because of its incredible economic potential and its capacity to create large numbers of jobs, generate income, strengthen trade, accelerate technology adoption, attract investment, and foster local entrepreneurship” (with the majority being women and youth entrepreneurs).

However, a recent survey’s findings revealed that only 5% of Kenyans buy any clothing or accessories created in Kenya. In a recent study, the British Council found that “the Kenyan fashion market has been described as complex, and hard to figure out and satisfy.” This is both a significant difficulty and a significant opportunity for the entire value chain.

Instagram stories with the hashtag #MadeinKenya were filled with new Kenyan products to check out as well as insights from the event that individuals in attendance learnt.

“A family, a community, and an enterprise are not built by one person. For this amazing opportunity fashion created in Kenya to flourish, cooperation will be essential. My main takeaway from the discussion on #WeWearKenyan powered by #Shopzetu this morning is that.
I appreciate Wandia Gichuru for developing the platform. Patricia Ithau

Whatever way you choose to describe the Kenyan fashion scene or sector, you can’t deny that things appear to be moving in the right direction.

Content courtesy of Kenyan Vibe & NFH