When Nthenya Mwendwa displays her travel bags in Dubai, the brand is LabelSaba but it looks similar to what one would find in a designer shop in the UK.
She started making leather bags three years, with an eye on the international market.
The desire to sell her bags internationally dictated her fine craftsmanship and designs.
When Nthenya Mwendwa displays her travel bags in Dubai, the brand is LabelSaba but it looks similar to what one would find in a designer shop in the UK.
She started making leather bags three years, with an eye on the international market. The desire to sell her bags internationally dictated her fine craftsmanship and designs.
“I knew one day I would compete in the international market,” says the 36-year-old.
Today she sells her unisex travel bags made from hair-on cowhide, Maasai beading, fish leather, and top grain leather in the US, the UK, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dubai, and South Africa.
“I wanted to build a sustainable brand. Secondly, I enjoy working with fish leather because there is so much you can do with it,” she says.
Her most expensive bag costs $420 (Sh47,640) while the cheapest is $150 (Sh16,950). She says her focus was breaking into the international market because few Kenyan buyers appreciate the pricing.
“In Kenya, customers see these prices as too high and are more interested in buying known brands like Gucci, Dior, and such,” she says.
“Abroad buyers love that the bags are different.”
She makes the bags using skin from Nile Perch, sourced from Lake Turkana, because of its large size, making it easier to get more material when cutting the parts for the bag.
The process starts with scaling the fish and inspecting the skin. It is similar to tanning cowhide, which she says gives her bags an edge amid a shift to sustainability by global firms.
Zanelle Wanja (left) and Claudia Kimani, the co-founders of Àzana Collective holding the Kazi laptop bag and the Yara shoulder bag. PHOTO | POOL
Once the skin is scaled it is transported to Kitale in a freezer truck. It is cleaned and either vegetable dye or chrome is used in the tanning process.
“My bags are a by-product of the meat industry. I choose fish leather because it is a great alternative to snakeskin and crocodiles. I believe in sustainability,” she says.
Fish leather is also the second strongest level in the world of skin, after pig skin. The leather can be bedecked with gold or metallic flakes for finishing or put a gloss over for a smooth feel.
You can also leave the pockets open to bring a suede-y feel.
“There is no limit to what you can do with fish leather. There are a lot of ways you can play with texture and it allows a lot of exploration,” Ms Mwendwa says.
Wood and Ankara
“The fish leather has different ways of finishing. You can gloss it to close fish pockets and make it look like snake or crocodile skin. It is the most durable finishing to use and easy to clean,’’ she said, adding that she makes wallets, pouches, and clutch bags.
Zanelle Wanja and Claudia Kimani’s have also found space in foreigners’ closets. I found these two entrepreneurs at the just-ended Dubai Expo with their bag collection called KT collective.
They have two brands — Claudia K and Azana— which is travel-focused.
The colour scheme is more muted to neutrals and earthy colours best for travellers, says Ms Kimani.
“We make bags that are efficient for travellers with additions like carry-on straps, zips, and compartments that help divide and separate your stuff,” she adds.
The Azana collection uses tier-one leather including oil pull-up leather, croc printed leather, nubuk in brown and black, and sugar almond leather.
The bags are also mixed with tent canvas for durability.
Ms Wanja is 24 while Ms Kimani is 31. Their bags range from Sh25,000 to Sh30,000.
“We have been selling locally but we get international orders as well,” Ms Wanja says.
They have been able to get customers in the US, the UK, Switzerland, Nigeria, South Sudan, South Africa, Canada, UAE and Uganda.
The bag collection company also does coffee and menu coasters for companies in Kenya and South Sudan. “They (export countries) are lucrative markets to tap into and they have a high demand for leather products,” Ms Kimani says.
Unlike Azana, the Claudia K bags are lower-priced with bold colours and made with a mix of leather and wood or Ankara. They range from Sh3,500 to Sh18,000.
Ms Wanja says there are looking to sell Claudia K bags globally, which include wallets, toiletry, diary, beach sling and laptop sleeves, and soon gym bags.
“That is why we are here,” added Ms Wanja during the Expo 2020 Dubai.
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