How we got an upcycling bags brand to go global

When Mohamed Awale started Suave Kenya in 2012, he didn’t think he’d have the kind of business that would see him reach an international market.

Mohamed, 29, wakes up early each day and scouts for materials in Nairobi’s Gikomba market, which he uses to create bags that are chic and have a uniquely African artistic flair that resonates with those looking to stand out. With time, he’s improved his designs and implemented new ideas that have seen him recycle what would be waste fabric into unique finished products.

His bags utilise a blend of different materials, including tweed, wool, cotton, linen and denim. Mohamed, who holds a degree from the United States International University, started his brand in Nairobi’s River Road and has since seen Suave Kenya capture a sizeable share of the local market and go global through various stockists outside the country’s borders.

The company designs different types of bags, including satchels, backpacks, messenger bags, laptop sleeves and travel bags that retail between Sh1,500 and Sh8,000, depending on their size and quality.

Mohamed attributes the success of his brand to the fact that all his designs are a reflection of his style and are unique as Suave doesn’t use a design twice. He speaks to Hustle about what it took to build up his company into what it is today.

How did you conceptualise Suave?

Suave started from an interest in leather and leather products that I had while in university, and an entrepreneurial spirit that came together when a cousin helped me start the brand after he stopped his leather business to focus on a shoe-making business.

There are many bag-making companies in the market – how are you standing out?

To stand out, we had to rethink the whole concept of bag making based on what we found existed in the market back when we started out.

We didn’t have the necessary capital to work with leather at that point, so we needed to find something that young people could afford and it had to be stylish, great looking and affordable. That’s when we decided to use second-hand clothes.

This was the perfect idea – it would help people get rid of their old clothes and make something that could be reused. On average, we sell 100 to 200 bags a month.

You recently went international. How did this happen?

A video of the brand went viral online after it was posted on Facebook, which led to a lot of traffic on our website and social media pages. It was posted by an online brand that promotes African stories and was a hit.

We had people asking for bags from all over the world, including places that required us to look up sometimes.

I have to say it definitely worked out in our favour as it increased our sales and brand visibility.

To meet the international market demand, rather than wait for orders, we make the bags and post what’s available online.

The clients pick what they want and we ship the bags to them via DHL, which takes three to five days worldwide.

What would you say has been your biggest lesson in the years you’ve been in business?

Persistence and consistency will be the biggest lessons you learn when running a business. Both as an individual and the business, you’ll come to learn that things don’t change immediately and will take time.

I thought that people would immediately love the brand, start buying it and success! What I hadn’t planned on were the ups and downs that came with building a business.

We had months where I didn’t make enough to pay my bills and seriously needed to figure out how to make it all work.

It was also important to learn how to work with people and live with disappointments.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever got?

The best piece of advice I ever got is to never give up. That’s the difference between the person who succeeds and the one who doesn’t – one kept going, the other gave up. Also, believe in what you’re doing, and that persistence pays off.

hustle@standardmedia.co.ke