Why Nivishe Africa? — It’s not about the clothes…

I am Kate. You would never recognize on the streets if you expect the woman I am to be dressed to the nines in designer clothes. As a matter of fact, I am a total geek in my dress code. T-Shirt, jeans & sneakers are my default look. This has been my image for the past couple of years, and it is why I never take offense when people ask me: Why Fashion?

So, why am I in fashion? and worse still in retail? I asked myself this sometimes and would offhandedly respond that since I love all things beautiful, I guess that goes for fashion too.

This past year however, has changed all that. The not great or innovative idea of getting Africa designers in the wardrobes of Africans through some online technology medium has been a demanding mistress.

For this simple idea I have left a good job and my family behind to explore and inquire what is missing in the Africa fashion industry. My expectation was for a simple e-commerce fix but when I talked to the designers, they made it clear it wasn’t a lack of e-commerce that is the problem.

Wow, that is a great outcome. They don’t need e-commerce so am good to go and continue my life, right? Not quite. Because even as I realized that my e-commerce silver bullet wasn’t needed, the real problems that exist could not be ignored.

It’s not that African designers are ignorant of online opportunities. Many of them actually have an online store, a website or have online stockists selling their collections. Or like me, walking in to propose they add my store to their growing list of online stockists :)

What I learnt that kept me going in-spite of opposition, broken relationships and financial projections that didn’t make sense, how can e-commerce cost so much? don’t we have people starting marketplaces with $500? Is that like in most Africa industries, the supporting structures to allow full exploitation of e-commerce were missing.

Here is a designer who has enough customers who visit her shop to keep her busy and living well enough but cannot be relied upon as a constant source of income. Because when the currency of their country takes a hit, everyone rediscovers their vintage looks that remind them of happier times. This designer now has near zero sales, while her family and her production team all still need money. Their livelihoods are very much impacted.

This situation leads many designers looking to the diaspora. Which is great because now they can have a lower risk exposure, especially when the buyer gets the items in bulk and pays upfront. Only problem is, for those buyers, they work with styles and to them a repeat purchase is only guaranteed if a miracle happens and that designers collection sells out so fast that they need to come back for another round. Which rarely happens. Plus, to them Africa is a country, if they work with you this year, they want variety next year and so will look for designers in other countries. Also a perfectly logical move.

Here is our designer now. She has to create pieces that echo the stereotype of the western consumer or else they won’t get buyers. This might lead to creative frustration because when she tries something new, she stands to lose more than she gains. I suppose this is why the ankara and print fashion have such divisive opinions. To some designers, using the print fabric is considered lack of talent hence the need for a crutch in ‘african print’; to others its the height of talent to be able to work with the print and pull it off in a desirable outfit.

What is the African designer to do? Design for the local market, which is revolting against ‘print fatigue’ or for the diaspora which is crying out for ‘print creativity’? On the surface, it would seem obvious; Design for the diaspora and get paid because they have higher spending power. True. But, they also have lower tolerance for variance. They also return clothes on a whim and require refunds. They also have a different culture which holds suspect Africa exports of fashion as questionable quality craft.

Our well meaning designer, unable to meet these demands from her high maintenance clients and after losses incurred, money transfer is painfully expensive in Africa, they return to serving their local markets.

Is it that Africans are content with low quality? No. I believe, it is because we are more tolerant. When we get an outfit that doesn’t fit, we are happy to be given the same outfit at a later date with adjustments made. When we are asked to give our measurements, its not considered a barrier to commerce, but rather a sustainer of trade. Because you are being assured it will be custom fit to your body. Ask all the good tailors how they keep business. Get the customer fit right and your become their defacto wardrober for life.

We have a complicated situation in fashion and increasingly the African designer is the one taking the hits and losses on both sides. If they choose to focus on the market abroad, they will lose their local clients to the tailors and if they choose to focus on the local market, they will lose the international buyers for retailers.

I only fail to understand why they have to choose. Should we not be giving them the best of both markets? Are we not the youngest continent that is Africa rising? Where the population is increasing and the workforce is increasing? My premise is this, in Africa we have 54 countries. For designers in one country, residents from the next country are diaspora. Only this time they are not the customers who are high maintenance but rather they have a similar culture of tolerance. They are happy to give their measurements because they don’t consider lack of ‘standardized’ sizes a problem, because it isn’t, its just custom. Hallo, is that not why we are called customers?

Am still new in the fashion space, and even newer in retail. One of the most compelling reasons for me to choose technology was to avoid sales ;) All I know for sure is that the future of Africa fashion for our designers is in the African market. Whether we are 900 million or 2 million upper class, We are the answer to the fashion industry thriving in Africa.

So now, as I sit and ask myself was it worth it? The one year away from the life you knew and loved? To set this idea free from your mind to the visible world? I think it is. Because if passion is that thing which through every heartbreak, every isolation and every disappointment refuses to lie down and die or at least leave you in peace. Then I am passionate about African designers getting the value of their craft and creativity from the support and business of us in Africa.

Its not about the clothes, its the people that make them that make me work so hard to create a fashion success story in Africa.

So, dear reader, what do you think. Am I crazy? Or is this a vision we can make happen in Africa? I am listening, please share your thoughts in the comments or our online store.

All fashion images used are copyright to Wear Ghana an emerging fashion brand for casual and everyday clothes. The entire Gigi collection can be purchased at nivisheafrica.com