Heritage

Kanga fabric spins cash for former top model

kanga

Ms Juliet Kwamboka, proprietor of Kanga Kulture. Inset: Some of fashion accessories at her outlet. Photo/Joe Makeni

Entering Kanga Kulture shop located on the ground floor of Adams Arcade in Nairobi, one cannot fail to notice the bright coloured garments popularly known as kangas on its shelves.

The kanga craze has risen sharply in the past five years as more women and adventurous men pile clothes made from the fabric in their wardrobes.

Juliet Kwamboka, the owner of Kanga Kulture, says that she is out to embrace this native East African fabric and build a lifestyle around it.

When Kwamboka returned to Kenya after completing her studies in Australia in 2004, she noticed that prices of African clothes and accessories in the market were too high.

Convinced that she could offer the same for much less, she opened her first fashion business based on the fabric. Offering clothes made exclusively from the kanga was challenging.

“I needed to change the culture. It cannot be that it’s the foreigner that wants to buy at Sh10,000. To change the culture, I could not start charging Sh10,000. You have to offer good quality clothes at decent prices,” she says.

In 2006, Ms Kwamboka opened a shop with a business partner but sold it off soon after. She took a break from business for a year.

When she resumed, she set up Kanga Kulture shop. “I learnt that I could do it by myself. I think the hardest thing to do is start a business, especially for a single mom like me. If you are going to have a partner, you must have the same vision,” she says.

Although the previous venture involved intensive tailoring work, the experience made the new business seem much easier.

Again, tailors from the business moved with her. It was also easy for her to order for the kanga fabric from Mombasa and Zanzibar since she had already established contacts.

Kwamboka’s interest in fashion began during a stint as a model, which saw her become one of the finalists in the first edition of M-Net Face of Africa in 1997.

“I was a tomboy, tall and lanky kid who did not know what do with her height,” she says.

Kwamboka was pulled into the competition when she went to pay for her satellite TV service at the MultiChoice offices.

After the competition, she left for Australia to pursue university education. During her undergraduate studies, she joined a modelling agency where she worked for seven years.

“I would get jobs because blacks were very few at the time. Being a model, grew my interest in fashion and I started learning about what was in or out and behind the scenes,” she says.

Kwamboka graduated with a degree in business and IT and a masters in finance. On her return, she secured a job with a private company in Nairobi.

She has to juggle between her work and Kanga Kulture. The entrepreneur runs the fashion business in the evenings, Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays.

Her target market is the middle income bracket comprising men and women aged between late 20s and 50s.

She describes this group as not hip to follow trends, do not depend on the Internet for their looks since they have developed their own style.

“I don’t like those people who follow trends because they are not repeat customers... With my target market, they want to be creative with the kanga and incorporate into their style,” says Kwamboka.

Most of her customers are referred, repeat and walk-ins. However, she is trying to build a strong clientele base. In fact, one of her challenges is reaching out to these people since they most likely already have the fabric at home.

The business offers ready to wear clothes and those tailored based on the client’s own fabric or bought from the shop. Foreigners and customers in a hurry mostly buy the ready-made clothes.

“Dressing African women is a challenge but we have the kaftans, kimonos and we are known for empire waist, which is forgiving for most shapes,” says Ms Kwamboka.

Most of the outfits are made from a pair of kanga and each pair dictates its design. Kanga Kulture also advises its customers on the best design for their fabric.

Ms Kwamboka says that kanga is unique and it cannot be treated like any other fabric. The prints have to align to make the clothes made from it look good.

The business employs four people and an intern.

Kwamboka says she wants to educate the next generation of fashion designers on entrepreneurial skills.

“I do most the designs myself, and I also have a good in-house designer,” she says.

As much as the fashion house is out to build a name for itself based on the original kanga fabric, the invasion of polycotton kanga is a threat.

The traditional kanga is made of pure cotton. On the other hand, manufacturers mix polyester with cotton to make polycotton, which is more durable.

Kwamboka is also diversifying her products. Three months ago she introduced fashion accessories with the help of upcoming designers and students.

“Kanga Kulture’s style is fun. I want people to have fun with our clothes,” she says, “I am trying to change a culture and show people that you can own the kanga.”

[email protected]