Fashion designer makes millions with African outfits

Kenya: Fashion designers in Kenya have long been viewed as little more than glorified tailors. However, this perception is beginning to change as more designers make a mark in the industry.

Priscilla Muigai is one such fashion designer, and she has found her niche making outfits with unique African prints on them.

She has been in the industry for six years, but only in the last three did she make what was previously a hobby a full-time business.

“I started out designing for fun, but when family members and friends would see what I was creating, they’d ask me to make clothes for them. They initially wanted outfits for special occasions, but later began asking for clothes for everyday wear,” she said.

“Because of the constant requests, I began to mull over making fashion design a full-time job.”

And the more she thought about it, the more business sense it made. Soon, she registered Just Redd Apparels.

“To start off, I used the deposits that friends and family had paid so I could purchase materials for their clothes and print my designs. So, I didn’t have to use my own money to start.”

She also chose to focus on designing clothes that have a modern African look that could be worn every day, anywhere.

 Retail outlets

Ms Muigai grew her reputation with unique designs, and her client list began to grow. And since fashion was her sole business, she took an aggressive approach to create opportunities and reach more customers.

She partnered with Naivas Supermarket, which sells her clothes at their outlets, allowing her to reach a larger audience. She is in talks with other retail outlets to set up a similar arrangement.

Muigai is also actively using online channels. She has launched her own online shop in the Jumia marketplace.

“This is an industry that has a lot of competition, so you really have to be out there and be aggressive to be noticed,” she said.

Unique designs, high quality fabric and excellent finishing on clothes, she said, are not enough to get a designer to stand out and grow their clientelle.

“I tell fellow designers to get an agent or a marketing person to handle the business aspects of fashion design. Most creative people are not particularly gifted in handling the business side of things,” she said with a smile.

Muigai’s main clients are middle class Kenyans, and her outfits retail for between Sh3,000 and Sh7,000.

“My sales per year average about Sh10 million, and this has enabled me to outsource some of my production and printing to China, where it is done much cheaper and a lot faster,” she said.

Her plan is to break into the international market, which has slowly begun to happen, with orders coming in from clients in the UK and US.

“Most of those who make the orders from abroad are Africans hoping to remain connected to their culture.”

She got these clients through showcasing her clothes at local and international fashion weeks.

On why Kenyans have been slow to pick up locally designed clothes, she said it is about taste.

“At first I used to think that it’s about money, that maybe people were not buying local designs because they were expensive. But this is not true at all,” Muigai said.

 Main challenges

“The fact is that there are rich people that still prefer mitumba dresses, and there are also those who are not so well off who will opt for local designs. So, to each their own.”

Her main challenges?

“The huge printing costs and constant need to travel to make sure everything is running well.”

Muigai’s parting shot to aspiring entrepreneurs is that they should take a leap of faith in business, as procrastinating will not remove the obstacles, and there will never be a time when everything is aligned perfectly.

“Following your passion and talents is paramount, and above all, put extra effort into the things that you love and success will surely be on the way.”

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