Saturday 26th of September 2026

Nairobi, Kenya

Tag: African Fashion

Has Black Lives Matter really helped African brands?

Posted on by Fashion Police

The first week of June 2020 was memorable for AAKS designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi. She woke up to hundreds of orders via her brand’s online store a volume of sales unprecedented in the handbag line’s six-year history.

“I knew the Black Lives Matter protests were happening, but I was wondering, ‘why are people shopping?’,” she recalls. “Then I realised a lot of people were sharing lists of Black-owned businesses online. From June to December [the sales] never stopped.”

For AAKS, based in Ghana, direct sales online grew by 700 per cent in 2020 alone. From her home workshop in the city of Kumasi in the south of the country, the designer is preparing orders that have been placed by major international retailers over the past nine months.

Afriyie-Kumi initially felt under immense pressure when faced with the expectations of her new clients. “The majority expected me to operate like a major retailer,” Afriyie-Kumi says. “I’m a small business. It’s a challenge meeting the orders. I had the worry that they might cancel the orders.”

The process of completing one of Afriyie-Kumi’s handcrafted bags can take from 10 to 14 days. AAKS bags are handcrafted in raffia from palm tree leaves. The harvested leaves are left to dry in the sun before being soaked in vegetable dyes to create the striking colours so characteristic of the brand’s designs. Artisans in northern Ghana hand-weave the raffia; in the finishing process, leather linings, buckles, handles and straps are applied.

Fortunately for the AAKS designer, her new clients are firmly aligned with the sustainable and artisanal ethos of the brand. “Companies are so understanding once I explain the nature of our operations,” she says.

AAKS is one of many African brands that have become highly prized in the aftermath of last year’s anti-racism protests in the West. Calls to end racial and social injustice catalysed a global Black economic empowerment movement that has boosted Black businesses around the world.

South African brand Maxhosa Africa likewise experienced a surge in demand, with sales growing by 400 per cent in June 2000. The luxury knitwear line was featured on Beyonce’s Black Parade, a platform on the singer’s website to promote Black-owned brands. Its online store promptly sold out of stock.

Maxhosa’s knitwear, for both men and women, features colourful patterns in silk, mohair and wool thread that appear to have been dipped in a rainbow. They reference traditional beadwork and symbolism from designer Laduma Ngxokolo’s Xhosa heritage.

However, despite the positive interest, Ngxokolo says he is unenthusiastic about servicing the influx of requests from international retail platforms. “Unfortunately, they only place orders in very small quantities,” he explains. “Processing a very small order costs more than the revenue that you’re going to generate from that order.

I personally feel that some outlets want to be on trend, or they want some form of credibility or want to leverage demand I’ve created. It’s not really worth it.”

Ngxokolo says longer-lasting and lucrative opportunities are needed to promote meaningful change. “If you think back five years ago or even three years ago [about] boutiques that placed Black brands, do they still stock them to this day? No, they don’t.”

African Fashion Foundation creative consultant Arieta Mujay-Barg is also a touch sceptical about increased interest in African brands. “Of course, it’s a bit of a trend,” she says. Mujay-Barg has witnessed a revolving door of African creatives over the years. She urges caution: “This whole thing happened last year  let’s wait and see the figures.”

One of the most high-profile initiatives promoting Black economic empowerment is the 15 Percent Pledge, founded by Canadian designer Aurora James. The Pledge has called on major retailers to commit a minimum of 15 per cent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses to reflect the size of the African American demographic in the US.

The Pledge has evolved into a nonprofit headed by racial justice activist LaToya Williams-Belfort. ‘We didn’t get to this moment overnight,” Williams-Belfort says. “It’s been years of systemic injustice to get here.

So it will take time and work for companies to take the pledge… Eighteen companies have taken the pledge since June and are making progress to hit their benchmarks and goals, while others are at varying stages of discussions with the organisation.”

Meanwhile, retailers are creating or reevaluating their internal diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. This includes major global luxury platform Net-a-Porter, which says its buyers are in the process of improving access for, and visibility of, Black-owned brands.

Mujay-Barg says social media has played a central role as a conduit for African creatives who have taken control of their narratives to deliver their aesthetic story directly to trend-spotting gatekeepers of the industry.

Fashion designer Phyllis Taylor highlights how social media influencers’ approval has driven transformative growth for her made-in-Africa brand Sika. The influencers’ followers post images and videos of her collections on Instagram. Sales have grown by 150 per cent since June.

Within less than a year, Taylor has hired 30 people to boost the production team in Ghana to 50 artisans. She is ramping up output to fulfil substantial orders for 10 new wholesalers keen to stock her hand-dyed batik prints.

For all the good news, Taylor describes the expansion as an uncomfortable period of “forced growth… With all these deadlines and interest we have to work at a different pace  that hasn’t been easy. I’ve gone from [being] a retailer to a production house. I’m grateful for it, but it’s not what we set out to do”.

Taylor is among a number of African designers who are considering broadening their handcrafted offer to include some elements of machine-made product.

The dilemma is that these brands could lose part of their allure and be potentially obliged to abandon some of the sustainable practices that originally attracted eco-conscious consumers and wholesalers.

Growth can be difficult but it’s also exciting and potentially transformative. “Before it was about the big brands the Guccis, the Louis Vuittons but now people are craving something different,” Afriyie-Kumi says. “The Black Lives Matter movement has prompted a conversation.”

Written By  Ijeoma Ndukwe

Content courtesy of  Vogue Business & Nairobi fashion hub 

 

Black Lives Matters ( BLM ) in Italian Fashion campaign shows early tangible results

Posted on by Fashion Police

MILAN – A digital runway show by five Italian fashion designers of African origin opens Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday, one tangible result of a campaign launched last summer by the only Black Italian designer belonging to the Milan fashion chamber.

After some initial resistance and a slow start, designer Stella Jean credits the Italian National Fashion Chamber with “a lot of goodwill” in pushing through an enhanced collaboration with five young designers, including financing and partnerships with Italian suppliers.

“When you want to do something, you can do them immediately,’’ said Jean, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matters in Italian Fashion campaign. “I have been working hard to overcome this gradualism that is part of the mentality of a certain part of the Italian fashion world.”

She launched the campaign with designer Edward Buchanan and Afro Fashion Week Milano founder Michelle Ngomo after fashion houses expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matters Movement on Instagram, demanding that they put action behind their social media pledges. Jean, who got her break when Giorgio Armani invited her to show in his theater in 2014, said putting the spotlight on Italians of African origin is important to combat one of the first obstacles the campaign ran up against: claims that there were no Black designers in Italy.

The collaboration with the Italian fashion council will continue in September, when five new designers from Italy’s minority communities will be featured during fashion week. And Jean also is creating an event featuring designers and artisans from Africa, with the goal of creating partnerships between Italian fashion houses that can learn sustainable production methods in exchange for training in the global fashion system.

“You speak about sustainability ad nauseam here, and what I see is anything but sustainable, believe me. In the countries where I work, people are working 99% sustainably, as a result of necessity, of restriction or desire,’’ Jean said.

Jean is also working on a database of African artisanal techniques, fabrics, motifs and other cultural references. The Italian-Haitian designer sees the move as a bulwark against cultural appropriation that does not economically benefit Africans and a way to prevent racist gaffes.

Valerie Steele, director of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s museum, said many of Jean’s ideas could be replicated in the United States and elsewhere.

Steele, who has some of Jean’s creations in the collection, recorded a conversation with the Italian designer for Black History Month, which will be released on FIT’s YouTube channel on Thursday to highlight Jean’s role in shaking up Italian fashion.

Steele said Black designers are also under-represented in the United States, despite the role Black culture has had on inspiring fashion there.

“When a few years ago we did an exhibition on Black fashion designers, which was an international show Stella was in, we were very shocked to realize that on the Vogue.com, something ridiculous, like 1% of the designers who were featured were Black,” Steele said.

Content courtesy of ABC News & Nairobi fashion hub 

Something for the forever: Lukhanyo Mdingi on weaving friendship into his latest collection, Coutts

Posted on by Fashion Police

When his friend and fellow designer Nicholas Coutts passed away, South African fashion designer Lukhanyo Mdingi decided to commemorate Coutts in the most meaningful way he knew how through their shared language of fashion design.

“We’ve found that the spirit of time has yielded us to create collections that have a certain steadiness to [them]; a pitch of some sort that mirrors values that are rooted by consideration and sincerity, swaying ourselves away from anything that is fleeting, the resistance of some sort that’s against the aesthetics of trends.

“Our intention is to simply create a body of work that has a sense of soulfulness to it; work that is of substance, that is strong and that is solid something for the forever.” So reads the “intention” statement on the Lukhanyo Mdingi fashion label’s

If one thinks of the idea of steadiness in the way the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as direct sure movement, being firm in position, showing little variation or fluctuation, and not easily disturbed or upset then the “steadiness” the 27-year-old eponymous designer behind the label speaks of, does indeed inform much of what he does, both personally and in his creative output.

From his 2015 Macrame menswear collection, a series of monochromatic looks presented in whites and shades of grey without so much as a suggestion of any other colors, to spring summer 2016’s genderless Taintless collection, a strictly navy blue affair of sheer fabrics and billowing silhouettes through to his more recent Perennial collection which debuted at New York Fashion Week in February 2019, made of oatmeal shades and copper hues, spread across mohair textures and metallic fabrics.

It is also that steadiness of mind that led him to choose a fashion collection as the appropriate tribute to his dear friend and fellow young designer, Nicholas Coutts, who passed away in May 2019.

“All of us who were really close to him were deeply affected by his passing, and we had our own ways of dealing with his death. A lot of people commemorated him through social media, posting things about him and posting their memories, and hanging out. But I knew that I wanted to do it in the language of what he and I shared: fashion design.

“Having had the opportunity to collaborate with him and really get the essence of Nicholas Coutts, I felt confident enough to approach his parents and his family and ask them if the LM label could commemorate his legacy through a body of work that represents the spirit of Nicholas Coutts,” says Mdingi.

On 9 February 2021, the Coutts collection by Lukhanyo Mdingi debuted at Pitti Uomo, the highly influential menswear trade show that has been held annually in Florence, Italy, for almost four decades.

This year, however, much of it has moved online due to the pandemic.

Unlike Mdingi’s usual monochromatic looks and neutral tones, here we see reds, greens, burnt oranges, and blues living side by side. At times, Mdingi’s typically loose silhouettes give way to Coutts’ more fitted sexy looks. At its most uncannily Coutts, the collection features the late designer’s signature handwoven scarves.

Alongside his fitted silhouettes and an eye for textural combinations, it was the scarves that first caught the attention of the judging panel at the 2013 ELLE Rising Star design competition, which Coutts would go on to win, launching him into the spotlight. Full disclosure: this writer was part of the judging panel that year.

Both Mdingi and Coutts were finalists. Having met a couple of years earlier in 2011 and hung out socially, Mdingi notes the competition as a significant moment in their friendship.

“The friendship really got solidified that year. Both he and I were now in the same boat, not just in terms of being fashion students, but we were also finalists in this national prestigious competition that had been happening since 2000.

Debuting the Coutts collection at Pitti Uomo this year is particularly significant for another reason for Mdingi. In 2016, the pair debuted their collaborative collection at Pitti Uomo, the first time both designers had collaborated, and the first time they’d shown at Pitti Uomo.

Says Mdingi: “It didn’t feel transactional. We were just two friends trying to put a body of work together. And it was like… business aside, let’s just collaborate and work with one another. We were 22 or 23 at the time. We hadn’t even made the marriage of business and design work; we were just designing and thinking about the shows and the craftsmanship and the direction of where we wanted it to go.

“We weren’t thinking about the business of fashion at all. We didn’t know any better. All we said was that we’ll just split everything in half in terms of costs, and that’s what we did. We weren’t even thinking of selling the collection… we were just making clothes.

“I think it was only later in our careers, as we got older, that we realized that we both have so much potential and so much to offer; that people want to feel part of the story. And the only way we can make this work is if we also bring in the business side of things, and make that marriage of business and design work.”

As with the ELLE Rising Star competition nearly three years earlier, which brought both designers into the public eye and led to a strengthening of their bond, the Pitti Uomo show would push them further into the spotlight.

This slowly led to divergent ideas between the pair, and the years that followed brought about tension and competition.

“We became more competitive with one another.

There were certain times when it was difficult to put that aside and just be friends, knowing that every single time we would have a hangout at my place or his place we would always be like… so what work are you doing? What competitions are you in?

“I don’t quite know why we became like that, instead of being the same peers that we were when we were both 22, 23 years old,” says Mdingi.

At the end of 2018, just a few months before Coutts’ passing, an opportunity came up to be part of a trade show in Paris, France.

“I was like, hey man, are you keen on doing this? And that’s when things started to get better between him and me and it felt really good. After the trade show, we decided to extend our stay in Paris and have a little bit of a holiday and just hang out.

“Sometimes there was tension, sometimes there was just a lot of love. It was an interesting dynamic because I knew I loved and respected this guy so much, and I knew that he loved me too,” Mdingi recalls.

“He was my friend, but he was also was my peer… and just having another individual that was exactly in the same boat as you, and going through the same industry struggles as a young designer, was really nice… to have someone to talk to and confide in and lean on and share what you’re feeling.

“I felt like he was my only peer that was also my friend; there was that level of trust and respect.”

Coutts’ passion for craftsmanship and the role he believed it could play in society had also led him to work with Philani, a multi-faceted organization based in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, that works to empower women and children.

Says Mdingi: “I looked at him with so much respect… there was so much potential to be reached. Nicholas was making his own textiles by his own hands, and no other designer was doing that, to be frank. And then it reached a point where he was able to pass that spirit, using his time and talent through working with the women at Philani, teaching his technique, and collaborating with them.

“He used talent as a means of service. A lot of people don’t know the intentions that he had, the visions that he had, you know, and I feel honored to have had a little bit of a taste of that.

“His passing made me realize there is an impermanence to everything. And it really made me reflect on my friendship and work relationship with Nick, and the importance of actually being friends, having your peers’ back, supporting them, and understanding that one is on their own trajectory, their own journey, and respecting that person’s journey instead of looking at them as competition.”

As Mdingi prepared for their second collaborative showcase at Pitti Uomo, this time without Coutts’s hands and his craftsmanship to get on the loom and weave his signature scarves, Mdingi would have to go to the source – the very same person who taught Coutts.

“It was in January last year 2020 … maybe February… when I visited his mom Lindsay again and she was, like, ‘Okay, well, when you visit again, I have to teach you how to set up a loom and how to weave, because if you’re going to be doing this yourself, you need to do it properly. I need to teach you the same way I taught my son’. And so she taught me,” says Mdingi, recounting an afternoon spent with Nicholas’ mother, Lindsay Coutts.

He would visit the family several times, showing them the progress of the collection.

“It was a constant and steady in and out because I knew each moment that I would text or call or even enter their home, one way or another, it was a reminder of their son, of course among other things that were in the home.

“Besides coming in based on the premise that Nicholas and I were friends, I’d also be coming to discuss the body of work and showing them progress and getting permission to go into his studio. So I had to be steady, and do this sporadically overtime to make sure I didn’t bombard them.

“Because as much as the spirit of this is to celebrate Nicholas, it would still bring up a longing and missing, and it could be triggering; it would be a reminder that the physical being of Nick is no longer with us, even though his spirit is still here.”

While putting together the collection, in particular, while weaving the scarves in the style Nick would weave them, and now as they had both been taught the technique by Coutts’ mother, Mdingi would momentarily be faced with moments of doubt about his decision to embark on this commemorative collection.

“There was this imposter syndrome when I’d ask myself, ‘What are you doing? Who do you think you are?’ I would literally have conversations with myself like, ‘Why are you doing this? Nobody asked you. You’re just taking over somebody else’s like signature’.

“But there were also moments when I felt his presence. And I felt him saying, ‘Go for it.’ Without sounding weird and spiritual… but I felt his presence. I remember moments while weaving and thinking to myself, ‘Lukhanyo would never put these colors together, but it wasn’t about me, it was Nick saying, ‘Go for it, put together that green with the purple, bring in the gold, bring in the yellow’.

“Even in those moments of doubt, I just had to remember the intention… the root of what I was doing love. I just had to remind myself that you’re doing this because you love Nick’.

“My friendship with him was too strong to just say ‘goodbye, my friend, I love you, I miss you. No way. I had to use the language of design to honor him and his legacy; through what he did, in the most honorable way.” DM/ML

Content courtesy of Daily Maverick & Nairobi fashion hub 

Cyril Naicker To Represent South Africa at The Un Panel Discussion on Sustainable Fashion

Posted on by Fashion Police

The world of fashion is more than models, make-up, ramps, divas, and fabulous designs. That’s exactly what a UN panel on sustainable fashion plans to discuss next week and South Africa has a seat at the table.

Chief executive at Imprint Luxury, events, PR and marketing company, and founder of the Fashion Revolution in Cape Town, Cyril Naicker, will be joining fashion gurus from around the world at a sustainable fashion show and panel event on February 24 where they will discuss the importance of sustainable fashion.

The event will also showcase fashion designers at the forefront of sustainable and culturally diverse clothing and ethical consumerism.

Panel members will highlight the different ways to systematically change the processing and supply chain management of the fashion industry as well as their experience in promoting sustainable fashion around the world.

Topping the agenda will be harmful practices and human rights violations of the fast-fashion industry, which hurts millions of people and has been justly criticized for perpetuating poverty in developing countries and unsuitable manufacturing methods.

In 2014, Naicker was contacted by Brittany Chambers, a researcher and education advocate with a passion for sharing insights on the workplace. In 2017 he was asked to be part of the UN panel but due to funding issues, he had to decline. Fast forward to 2021 and Covid-19, the event is taking place online and Naicker would not miss it for the world.

“I have worked as a fashion consultant for sustainable clothing brands. I am a fashion designer by qualification but spent the last twenty years working at almost every point of the fashion value chain. I built a reputation for an ethical stance on fashion and am very involved in the sustainable fashion movement in South Africa.

“My work with Fashion Revolution South Africa and my dedication to sustainable and ethical fashion made by local people who are paid a living wage and work in decent workplaces is what we will be highlighting at this event,” said Naicker.

He said while he’s the only African on the panel, he knows there are many like-minded people in South Africa and on the continent.

Naicker said sustainable fashion is a movement and process to bring about change in the fashion value chain.

“It is about addressing the impact that the manufacturing processes have on our environment and it is about social justice. The people who made our clothing. What working conditions do they work under? Do they get paid fair wages? In summary, it is about a fashion industry that is fair to the planet and fair to the people that make our clothing,” he said.

On ethical consumerism, Naicker said: “It’s voting with your money. It is the practical side of consumer activism based on their shopping habits. An ethical consumer cares about understanding the process of how the item that they are buying was made. It is about caring for the artisans that make these items, boycotting items made while exploiting children as workers and avoiding items that damage our environment.”

“I have a sit-down interview with sustainable textile designer Sindiso Khumalo and we feature fashion from local South African designers, Mmusomaxwell, Lukhanyo Mdingi, Thebe Magugu as well as Cute-Saint from Lagos, Nigeria. Imprint Luxury’s focus on sustainability as a business consultancy company has led to several large companies approaching us for advice and business ventures with respect to them achieving the UN Sustainability Development Goals,” said Naicker.

He will be joined on the panel by Hyejune Park Professor, Oklahoma State University Specialist in Sustainable Fashion Production, Ayesha Barenblat -Social entrepreneur and sustainable supply chain advocate and founder and CEO of Remake Tara Rangarajan – Head of Communications, Brand Relationships and Country Programmes, International Labour Organisation and the discussion will be moderated by Jeff Trexler from the Fashion Law Institute.

Content courtesy of IOL & Nairobi fashion hub 

Kutula Clothing Celebrates its 50th Anniversary as a Leader in African Inspired Fashion

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Kutula’s clothes are rich in color and African history. They’re a favorite on the red carpet. Stars like David Oyelowo, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyongo, and the late Chadwick Boseman, and their family members wore them to premieres.

Kutula itself is a family story. Francesca Anuluoha started it in 1971 after she arrived in Los Angeles from Zambia. She told NBC4 about the 70s when her daughters were little and African fashion was beginning to take off as an individual expression.

“We’re adventurers, we were allowed to be adventurers and we did what we wanted to do,” said Anuluoha.

Fifty years later, Kutula’s clothes are once again the rage. The Black Lives Matter movement, and a summer of racial justice protests and awakening, have led to a new generation of Angelenos looking to express their African heritage.

“Individually people have come to us and made a decision to now start wearing clothing in their daily life,” says Nyambo Anuluoha Francesca’s daughter and co-owner of Kutula.

From formal wear, like the senator suit, a favorite of Boseman’s, to more casual wear like the dashiki, all of the clothes at Kutula have roots in Africa.
Francesca has now handed the business to her two daughters, Nyambo and Kay, who say they don’t only see each other as family, but also the community around them.

Everyone is a family member, everyone is part of the tribe, say Nyambo and Kay.

Those interested in getting an outfit, being fitted, or shopping off the rack at Kutula can visit the store in View Park-Windsor Hills. The clothes go from $50 and up.

Francesca is retired but she still travels regularly from Zambia to Los Angeles, keeping an eye on new prints, and appreciating that her daughter’s dedication has enabled Kutula to reach 50 years and beyond.

Content Courtesy of NBC Los Angeles & Nairobi fashion hub 

25 Black Models Who Shaped Fashion and Modeling History

Posted on by Fashion Police

From Pat Cleveland to Precious Lee, L’OFFICIEL looks back at the trailblazing Black models who have made an impact on fashion.

From the rise of fashion media from the mid-20th century to the present, the industry has continually been a place to grow in terms of inclusivity. For many years, modeling agencies, designers, and editors tended to look for one body type and skin color, but over the years, there have been a number of major Black figures who have shifted the industry’s status quo.

While now world-renowned supermodels, Naomi Campbell and Iman broke barriers and catwalked their way to diversifying the industry, paving the (run)way for a younger generation of models like Joan Smalls and Winnie Harlow to thrive today. Meanwhile, Beverly Johnson and Tyra Banks made history as the first Black models to grace the covers of major magazines, and haute couture model Mounia became Yves Saint Laurent’s first Black muse.

This Black History Month, L’OFFICIEL pays homage to 25 Black models who helped shape (and slay) the fashion industry as we know it today.

Step into Elsa Majimbo’s World with an all-new Collaboration Presented by Valentino

Posted on by Fashion Police

Valentino is proud to announce a special project with writer, actor, and comedian Elsa Majimbo, culminating into a soon-to-be-released collaboration. Stay tuned to find out more.

Elsa X Valentino

One of the brightest stars to emerge from 2020 is Kenya-based social media sensation, Elsa Majimbo. If you haven’t seen her viral Instagram videos, which often feature tight closeups of Majimbo rocking her Matrix-style tiny sunglasses and always showcase her infectious laugh, then you’ve likely caught her being interviewed by Anderson Cooper or heard her voice on TikTok or Instagram Reels. (Majimbo’s now-signature quotes have become a popular soundtrack for many content creators’ social media posts.)

In a year marred by anxiety and uncertainty, Majimbo’s hilarious videos have provided joy for millions around the world and continue to do so. With a reach of 1.3 million Instagram followers (and an engaged online community that only continues to thrive), and partnership deals with the likes of Fenty and MAC, the 19-year-old celebrity is proving that when it comes to fame, there are no boundaries or borders.

Majimbo’s international popularity is also proof that there’s a reward in continuously catching fans by surprise. Like stealth chess player Beth Harmon, the main character in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, the beauty is that no one sees her coming.

Most recently, Majimbo dropped an ASMR-style song called “Snack Queen,” produced by Cautious Clay, to strategically coincide with U.S. Thanksgiving. It’s also an ode to Majimbo’s signature snacking habit on social media and after all, has there ever been an ASMR trap song about snacks? Well now, there is.

So who is the Internet’s favorite comedian whose Instagram biography includes the titles “15x chess champion and professional bragger”? (Spoiler alert: only one of these claims is true.)

Born and based in Nairobi, Kenya, Majimbo was studying journalism when the pandemic hit in March (she had approximately 7K followers back then).

While at home during lockdown, the teenager with natural comedic talent and timing began filming short Instagram video clips from her bedroom. As fate would have it, boredom can blossom into beautiful beginnings.

The clips went viral, especially on TikTok and Instagram’s newer feature, Reels, where people posted themselves using the audio of Majimbo’s signature voice and laugh, along with her hilarious taglines. Majimbo’s profile took off like wildfire, along with her love for binging on potato chips and streaming content.

For Majimbo, 2020 has become the year of Netflix and thrill.

Majimbo’s satirical style of comedy (punctuated by her lo-fi video technique) has struck a chord with a global audience, clearly craving humor and a dose of optimism in otherwise trying times. By leaning into her voice and relatable content, Majimbo has become a breakout star with a positive impact.

“I initially made my videos to bring joy to myself. I would make them and I’d think, I am so funny! I would watch the videos and just laugh!,” Majimbo shares. “I wouldn’t care if other people found them funny or not. Turns out, the videos have also brought other people joy, and I’m so happy they did.”

Majimbo’s lockdown-themed Instagram video with the now-famous “I want you to come over, but it’s a pandemic” is the most popular. After being nominated for the E! People’s Choice Awards in the African Social Star category, Majimbo satirically taped herself looking for her humility in a big purse (a nod to her “professional bragger” title)  she ended up winning the award.

Majimbo is also passionate about chess, a skill that has earned her the title of a 15-time chess champion. Although this is clearly stated in her Instagram biography, no one thinks she’s being serious.

But once you look deeper and notice Majimbo’s swift and strategic process, it’s clear that she conducts her business as exquisitely as a chess player. Just like a chess master, everything Majimbo does is intentional, calculating, and thought out. She is always several steps ahead when it comes to plotting her next move.

A strong theme in The Queen’s Gambit is to “never count anyone out” and this holds true for Majimbo, who is proving that success can be achieved despite the sexism, colorism, and limited resources she faces in her native Kenya.

When Majimbo’s star began to rise earlier this summer, brands were clamoring to partner with her. The thing is, for Majimbo, it’s about the long game and operating with her instincts just like in chess.

“I definitely tend to always go with my gut and trust my intuition,” Majimbo explains. If my gut says one thing and I’m like, Oh no, let me just try it, it always ends up going south. My gut is like my guardian angel, always telling me what to do. Chess is an intuitive game because you don’t know what move your opponent will make next, so you have to make yours based off your gut. I always trust my intuition.”

This is why Majimbo has what can be perceived as “the audacity” (a word she uses ironically, in her videos) to refuse certain brand partnerships, by considering and focusing on the long game. She is unapologetically betting on herself and being strategic about owning her IP and brand equity. (A critical business lesson for any creative today.)

“When you’re playing chess, it’s all about the long game. And if your opponent is equally as clever as you, you have to be really clever in everything you do. Even if the brand or company approaching you makes it seem like it’s something you need or something you want that’s when the end game comes in,” Majimbo asserts.

With partnerships like Fenty and MAC already in her portfolio, Majimbo has been discerning when it comes to the merch deals, partnerships, and ambassadorship opportunities presented to her.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFFa9iNBixl/?utm_source=ig_embed

It’s further proof that she is doubling down on her worth and keeping her sights on long-term brand equity rather than quick wins.

“It’s big money, but I know that bigger opportunities are on the way and I’d rather wait than jump on what’s coming in right now. So I’m thinking about the long term. It definitely requires patience and hard work, and being consistent and believing in yourself.”

Another tactic in Majimbo’s arsenal is consistency, a critical tool for successful chess players. In her case, there’s a lot of A/B testing when she posts her videos to Instagram and measuring different segments of her content based on engagement. In other words: nothing is random.

“I feel like being consistent just helps my mind run and helps all the ideas flow. It keeps me happy and keeps me busy. I feel like when you’re consistent and you finally get the achieved goal, you learn that nothing can be built overnight and you learn to put one brick at a time to build your empire.”

While Instagram’s algorithm can make it challenging for content creators, Majimbo explains that the “Explore” page helped catapult her videos and content by showcasing it often: as she says, “the Explore page just ‘got me’.”

“Now I’m focusing on all my platforms. Making sure they all thrive. I’m continuously perfecting my art and I’m perfecting it until now, and I just tried to build a team around me that I trust  I removed all the negative people, all the people who just came with very wicked vibes.”

She recently put her journalistic skills to use as the host of her newly-launched IGTV series, Bedtime With Elsa (her first guests include musician Jorja Smith and comedian and talk-show host Lilly Singh). She also launched a podcast this Year 2021.

While Majimbo might joke about her work ethic in her Instagram videos (with her viral quote “Everyday slaving, everyday labor”), she is getting the last laugh.

“The fact that people told me I couldn’t do it  I think that’s what drives me so much. Maybe it’s because I’m dark-skinned or I’m African, they say that I can’t achieve certain things, and I’m like, okay, we’re gonna see about that  and I just go for everything headstrong.”

The mantra she always go by?

“Chance favors the prepared mind, and opportunity favors the bold. Because I have this opportunity and so many people would say it’s luck, but I believe there is a very thin line between luck and opportunity. I feel like there’s also quite a number of people who say, Oh you know, I’m famous now, I’m untouchable. You always need to know where your head is at and I feel like you also need to carry yourself with some type of humility. Being in such a space should humble you strangers go out of their way to support you, so you should be so incredibly grateful.”

Another parallel to The Queen’s Gambit: surrounding herself with the right people. Majimbo’s manager, Mo Kheir, helps mastermind the moves, behind the scenes. Kheir, who is an architect-turned-brand developer, is also the host of the podcast Turning Point and author of the book, Alien Of Extraordinary Ability. (Spoiler alert: while Beth Harmon in the Netflix series was a natural wonder, a big part of her success can be attributed to her support system and those in her tight circle.)

Majimbo jokes about being a “professional bragger” and binging on junk food, but in reality, she’s humble and swears by eating healthy foods for her, hydration is key!

“I like junk, but I don’t eat it as much as I imply! I also tell people not to work. I’m like, guys, don’t work, work isn’t meant for you, just rest! And I work a lot. I work so much for what I want and what I’ve achieved and for the life I’m aiming for. So I always feel like I’m cheating people but we laugh. I laugh, they laugh. So everyone wins.” Checkmate.

#ElsaXValentino

Content courtesy of Valentino, Forbes & Nairobi fashion hub 

If Rihanna herself can’t hold down a luxury fashion label in 2021, then who can?

Posted on by Fashion Police

When I heard the news that LVMH was dropping Fenty (the clothing brand) from its roster and putting it on sleep mode, (or a momentary coma with indefinite return), I flinched, but nothing automatically triggered me. I love me some Rih Rih, but I wasn’t going to have sleepless nights over the first lady of pop music and beauty becoming a little less rich.

However, something didn’t quite sit well with me. For me, it was beyond Fenty.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGDFI_vh3uI/?utm_source=ig_embed

There was a message there and it took me a few moments to grasp it.

It’s understandable there are those that perhaps feel like her luxury fashion brand didn’t have legs as she is more of a beautiful babe. It’s a fair point. Although her undeniable sex appeal and attention to diversity do sell lingerie (Savage x Fenty heart eyes), she isn’t really a lingerie designer either, right? Nor was she a beauty pro before she launched her sell-out Fenty Beauty range.

So it made me question whether there’s something else going on and whether we should be questioning the landscape of luxury when it comes to Black ownership and where exactly representation fits into this conversation.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CG7xI4dh0Mo/?utm_source=ig_embed

One of the arguments for the closure of Fenty is that her core audience is ultimately not a luxury buyer. “I believe that the clothes haven’t done as much as beauty and lingerie, but that may be because Rihanna’s current demographic/core audience is millennial/gen Z Black, men, and women.

” says creative consultant Arrieta Mujay Bärg, 41, who was a former Head of PR and Marketing for River Island and led Rihanna x River Island 13’ collection. “However Fenty fashion house has only been opened for less than two years and it takes time to develop a following when you are doing something different from the norm,” Bärg adds.

The same may be said for a lot of Black designers like the super trendy Telfar Clemens and the super edgy, cool, and monotone Cold Laundry founder Ola Alabi, who often attract a more ‘urban demographic’ for lack of a better word.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCRGVLHI9pj/?utm_source=ig_embed

By no means is that a bad thing, but of course for sustainable success, there is a need to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. Gaining respect across the board in that space is a hard task, but it’s lazy to assume that consumerism within the Black community or a specific generation is capped at a price point.

Bärg agrees to add: “On the same note. It would be inaccurate to say that her, having a majority Black following is the reason that the brand has failed. Developing a high-quality luxury brand and sticking to it is no easy task.” Barg believes that the same level of grace is not allowed fairly, and that may support the case as to why we see so few successful Black-owned/Black-led luxury businesses.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDXWPW3hM3e/?utm_source=ig_embed

“Case in point: Edun – the brand fronted by Bono and wife Ali Hewson made LVMH a loss of $28million in a space of five years, and every year they were given the benefit of the doubt and they kept feeding in cash until there was no turning back,” says Bärg.

Written By Sheilla Mamona

Content courtesy of Glamour & Nairobi fashion hub 

Hamaji Studio

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Hamaji, meaning “nomad” in coastal Swahili is an African designer collection created around preserving ancient textile traditions and nomadic craftsmanship whilst empowering local small-scale artisans in Africa.

Reigning from the East coast of Africa, Hamaji was born in Kenya in 2017 by designer Louise Sommerlatte.

Creating a narrative of sustainability and conscious consumerism their collections are made up of natural fibres, botanical dyes, hand craft, embroidery and up-cycled collected vintage textiles. Hamaji is inspired by East African charm and embodies a spirit of nomadic femininity in pastel hues, free flowing silhouettes and a delightful sense of elegance.

 

This collection was simply inspired by Hamaji journey between Kenya and India and her quest to source sustainable fabrics. The artisanal souls met along the way, the freedom in nature, wild vast landscapes, dusty roads and rickety trains.

But most importantly the feeling of travelling, the romance, nostalgia and inner peace retrieved from being alone and connected to your surroundings. It is to capture this honest feeling and portray its outstanding beauty.

The collection uses a variety of unbleached organic cotton, 100% linen, up-cycled vintage saris and what is currently known to be one of the most sustainable textiles available, 100% natural and biodegradable TencelT” By Lenzinr which is made using very minimal water and no chemicals, from tree bark.

This lucious fibre claims the breathability of linen, the wearability of cotton and the luxurious feel of silk. Garments are adorned with hand beaded collected cowry shells and various beaded embellishments. Our in house hornbill block print is made with harm free dyes and are certified Oeko-Tex’s Standard 100.

Made in rural Kenya by local artisans at the Mitumba Arts workshop in Nanyuki. The workshop consists of 20 artisans working together mostly in creating items made from second hand clothes. All the profits are collectively shared between the artists consisting of tailors, upholsters, hand headers and painters.

We are committed to equality and fairness in the workplace, pay not just living wages but decent wages, have interest in the livelihoods of our employees and to create a comfortable and kind working environment.

Content courtesy of Hamaji Studio & Nairobi fashion hub

 

Suave Kenya

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Suave Kenya was founded by Mohamed Awale in 2013. Gikomba Market, the largest open air market in East Africa, sparked a unique idea for the Kenya designer.

Over 100,000 tonnes of used clothing streams into Kenya every year, most of which would naturally end up in a landfill.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B50NwQtnw97/?utm_source=ig_embed

Suave Kenya stems from the belief that used unwanted garments can be repurposed and given a new form. Rummaging through discarded denim, the largest amount of unwanted fabric, the source material for most of the bags was decided.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8OvLXGHmap/?utm_source=ig_embed

A tiny operation with 2 staff members at its inception, Suave Kenya blossomed into a fully-fledged brand that works to end the continuous cycle of unwanted apparel in landfills.

The bags produced by Suave Kenya are crafted with practicality in mind, and their biggest supporters are the new eco-conscious generation.

The Process

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIViMY4nKl7/?utm_source=ig_embed

Sorting Process
What goes where? Denim is always our first choice but we’re constantly experimenting with an array of fabrics. From silk shirts to leather jackets, if it’s interesting enough, we’ll definitely find a use for it.

Preparation, Ripping and Cutting.
The destruction before rebuilding: This involves lots of cutting, ripping and tearing apart. The aim is to creatively get the most out of the former (article of clothing)

Bag Making Process
The destruction before rebuilding: This involves lots of cutting, ripping and tearing apart. The aim is to creatively get the most out of the former (article of clothing)

Content courtesy of Suave Kenya & Nairobi fashion hub

Jiamini Kenya Fashion Accessories Brand

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

Jiamini is a family run, Kenyan based Fashion Accessories Brand meaning believe in yourself in ‘Swahili, founded in 2016, on the belief of preserving its Traditional African Heritage.

Jiamini’s vision, through its innovative designs and use of renewable resources, seeks to combine timeless traditional technique, craftsmanship and heritage with a touch of modernity, manipulated in the construction of its delicate beaded embroidery and weave. Each piece is developed around the idea of comfort, complementing the body’s feminine form and grace.

The Brands one of a kind pieces are a reminder and encouragement to women of who they are: Bold, Brilliant, Confident, Courageous, Strong, Sensual, Liberated and more. She’s an enigma to most and a balance of delicacy and strength to those who come across her path. It’s the pep in her step, the subtle elegance she carries herself with and the silent confidence that fascinates a crowd.

Her precious Armour, ‘JIAMINI’, around her body, that only she knows the true significance of. She never forgets her roots, the broth that runs through her veins and that just like tradition, she is and always will be timeless. All that’s left to do is believe in herself.

Jiamini Kenya designs, while respecting the old – age traditions passed down from generation to generation are brought to life by skilled female artisans, Creating timeless staple pieces.

Their mission is to design an international wardrobe for today’s global woman while at the same time helping women rise above poverty through economic empowerment and employment, one stitch at a time through fashion.

Content courtesy of Jiamini Kenya & Nairobi fashion hub  

Nike Kondakiss Upcycled Parachute Fashions Help Educate Maasai Girls

Posted on by Fashion Tribe Influencer

The Greek/Danish designer and entrepreneur Nike Kondakis seeks to provide an alternative to the polluting fashion industry and is one of the talented designers featured in the soon to be released book Fashion Africa by AFG’s founder Jacqueline Shaw.

KONDAKIS is a responsible fashion company both socially and environmentally. Based in Kenya, KONDAKIS concept-collections are made from several unique materials such as Parachutes, Dead Wood and Peace Silk. Nike Kondakis creates stunning to-die-for garments fit for any Red Carpet event from these original recycled parachutes in Kenya. Her voluminous, goddess-like dresses are manufactured by local artisans and can be ordered on-line and shipped worldwide within 3-5 weeks.

The parachute line (she also designs accessories and knitwear) is available in an unexpected and wide range of colours such as snow white, lava orange, bush green, sea blue, pitch black and Barbie purple to name a few which are all the original colours, minimizing the energy used in an additional dyeing process and adding to the novelty of each piece. Stamps revealing when and who the parachute was made for and original parachute stitching are subtle details that make each piece unique.

Kondakis’ style is avant-garde and extravagant yet breathes Scandinavian minimalism , making her creations very wearable, modern and pure.

This is definitely visible in her knitwear line named the Natural Collection, which is made from un-dyed wool from Kenya and is spun and knitted by hand. Oversized sweaters and ponchos with a raw, natural look are made in unbleached white and black tones and are complemented by the accessories made from African “dead wood”.

Her accessories line consists of bangles, earrings and necklaces carved from wood which has died naturally or been broken off by wild game in the Kenyan bush. Her graphic pieces have a rustic touch, some surfaces still covered in bark and others polished and stamped with the Kondakis logo.

In 2002 Nike Kondakis started a three year program in responsible entrepreneurship at the Kaos piloterna in Copenhagen. After completing her education, she traveled to Kenya to set up a development project for 30,000 Maasai’s at the Lorika Foundation.

The project is now currently being run by local managers, but Nike still contributes to the education of Maasai girls who she says are often under prioritized when it comes to schooling. Her ambition is to create many more collections from different recycled materials, to sell more internationally and to employ 100 people in the coming 5 years.

Overall through their growing sales they want to take many more girls to school.

Kondakis has received a large amount of attention by international and local press for her design and work with the Maasai community, and has shown her collections on the catwalk in NYC, Nairobi and Sun City. If you happen to be in NYC, San Francisco or LA in September, you can book an appointment to meet Nike and view her collection.

Content courtesy of Africa Fashion Guide & Nairobi fashion hub

Ad