Nigerian designer discusses the business of fashion.

This interview was granted and published August 2012 How we made it in Africa, an Inspirational blog that focuses on commending the creative works and achievements of Africans, home and diaspora. I hope you find it a good read.

Kiki Kamanu left her job at Harvard University to pursue her passion for fashion design. Her Nigerian-based KIKIKAMANU brand has taken her down runways at the London Fashion Week and twice at the ARISE Magazine Fashion Week, as well as being featured in international media such as CNN and Russian Tatler.

Kiki Kamanu

This year Kamanu has been selected as one of five finalists for BiD Network’s Women in Business Challenge that focuses on women entrepreneurs in emerging markets. How we made it in Africacatches a moment with Kamanu to discuss fashion and business in Nigeria.

Tell us about the KIKIKAMANU fashion brand

KIKIKAMANU is comprised of four lines: EKZ (menswear), ArmKandy (accessories), Omakaa (women’s ready-to-wear) and Zbird (womenswear diffusion line). KIKIKAMANU represents the man and woman who expect to walk into a room and own it. The label was started in New York less than three years ago and has since then found a home in Lagos, Nigeria.

What made you decide to go into fashion design?

The idea of a business per se was secondary. It was the pursuit of my interest and passion that was the genesis of KIKIKAMANU. I view entrepreneurship as a vehicle for the realisation of one’s vision, dreams and passion. As a child I would dress my twin sister and myself. I recall being the belle of the ball or at least feeling like it at my sixth grade dance. I still remember the sky blue dress with the asymmetrical hem I wore. As I matured, I observed how women appeared empowered with a simple change of attire, and emerged with a sense of confidence. I found that I enjoyed being a part of that transformative process. Allowing one to express their individuality as a manifestation of freedom is as empowering as it is life changing. I have found that for some, this is the jumpstart that a woman needs to redirect the chapters of her life.

What motivates you and how do you generate new ideas?

I love what I do. It is as simple as that. It has been said that if you do what you love you will never have to “work” any day of your life. That rings true for me. I am surrounded by a brilliant team and we constantly push ourselves to do better. I am also motivated by my clients who continually challenge me and force me to outdo my last collection. I may see an asymmetrical hem on the dress of a passerby or a peculiar blend of prints and that can set the tone for an entire collection. My mind is continually racing with ideas. I keep a sketch book in almost every room. It can be insane some times, but I love it.

How do you deal with competition in the industry?

I am self-motivated to continuously challenge myself to outdo my last success, so it is not external but an intrinsic desire to create and to improve. My benchmarks are not the success of others but how far I can push myself creatively.

What is the greatest challenge your fashion brand faces?

In the fashion industry in Nigeria we often deal with the absence of basic infrastructure such as electricity, an ongoing “brain drain”, and frankly, changing styles and interests. To be successful, we actively network and leverage the counsel and advice of seasoned people. I moved my production from the US to Nigeria a few years ago and sadly I still continue to source most of my fabric from outside of Nigeria. For some time as well, I had to import the bulk of my labour.

These are just a few of the factors which affect our production costs and prevent us from providing our clients with lower prices. We also understand that passion will need to inspire many days of discipline and sacrifice, however, difficult challenges undoubtedly lie ahead. To overcome these challenges I believe it is essential to cultivate a much stronger partnership with financial institutions that understand and appreciate the value of investing in the garment industry.

Where do you see your business in 10 years?

In terms of growth, our vision is to become an internationally recognised fashion brand with a world-class production and manufacturing base in West Africa.

Do you ever find time to sleep?

Ah sleep, elusive as the Scarlet Pimpernel. It seems I am continuously at work. In my opinion, in this business, creating and designing takes about 30% of the time while the other 70% is devoted to marketing, management and sales. Therefore my mind is always at work. It fills with ideas inspired by the world around me. However to be productive I aim for 5 to 6 hours [of sleep] a day and ensure that I spend time with loved ones.

Fashion, Business, Entrepreneurship and humble beginnings make up Daymond John

Guest blog post by: Francisco Lopez, NY Urban Fashion Examiner

On bright and sunny day in NYC, sitting in the waiting area on the 66th floor of the Empire State Building awaits this already inspired writer as he is about to interview one of the most iconic, and accomplished men in the fashion world to ever come out of the city of New York, Daymond John.  Over the last 20 years, Daymond has evolved from one of the most successful fashion icons of his generation to one of the most sought after branding experts, business, and motivational speakers in the country.

Daymond’s creative vision and strong knowledge of the marketplace helped him create one of the most iconic fashion brands in recent years. FUBU, standing for “For Us By Us”, represented a lifestyle that was neglected by other clothing companies. Realizing this need in the marketplace, Daymond created the untapped urban apparel space and laid the groundwork for other companies to compete in this newly established market.  Daymond grew up in the community of Hollis, Queens, quickly becoming known as the birthplace of the new genre of music called Hip-Hop, with acts like RUN DMC and Salt-N-Pepa rapidly making names for themselves. The brand hit a tipping point when Daymond convinced Hollis native and Hip-Hop superstar, LL Cool J, to wear FUBU for a promotional campaign. This was the catalyst behind the entire Hip-Hop community supporting the new brand and instantly giving it credibility.

FUBU eventually recorded annual sales of $350 million, placing it in the same stratosphere as designer sportswear labels such as Donna Karan New York and Tommy Hilfiger.  In 2009, John joined the cast of the ABC entrepreneurial business show, Shark Tank, produced by acclaimed TV producer Mark Burnett. As one of the “Sharks”, Daymond and four other prominent executives listen to business pitches from everyday people hoping to launch their company or product to new heights. Investing his own money in every project, Daymond becomes partners with the entrepreneurs helping turn their dreams into a reality. Millions of viewers tune into the show as Daymond demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.
Daymond created Shark Branding, which provides companies with the marketing insights that have made Daymond’s companies successful over the years. Daymond also entered the literary world with his two books, “Display of Power” and his second book “The Brand Within”.  He has a third book on the way as well as many other business ventures in the works.

Shark Tank began last season with a huge showing with 6.9 million viewers, with outspoken co-hosts Robert Herjavec, former owner of an IT security firm, Barbara Corcoran, former owner of the real estate company, The Corcoran Group, Kevin O'Leary, co-host of CBC's The Lang and O'Leary Exchange, and former president of The Learning Company, Kevin Harrington, pioneer in the infomercial industry, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theatres, and chairman of the HDTV cable network HDNet, Jeff Foxworthy, Grammy Award winner, author and TV host and Daymond John, founder of the clothing company FUBU, this season will be full of scheming, back handed deals, arguments, hurt feeling and a lot of money to be invested.  Season 3 of Shark Tank starts Friday January 20th at 8:00pm on ABC.
I spent a few with Mr. Daymond John as we discussed FUBU, Shark Tank and advice on business here is a sample of our discussion:
There was a long standing rumor that you and your partners at FUBU sold the company and no longer get along, is that true?
We do still get along and we still hangout.  We all have different things that we’re doing, do we fight? Yes, but at the end we’re brothers and we will always be brothers and partners.

Five things you need to Succeed as A Fashion Entrepreneur.

The ability to fend off a private venture in any part of the world is not a slight ability. It takes so much from the individual involved, than it often meets most attention. The fashion industry is such a thriving one, such that, if not gainfully channeled can bring with it some measure of thrust; either on the upside or the downside. While the former, shoots the individual to success, the latter is a regrettable fate.

However, there so some factors to be considered, and that is what i look to spell out in this piece, in the briefest way i can.

The First thing to look at is that, the individual has to nurture and grow in his own confidence. You need confidence in yourself and your merchandise with clear goals and knowledge of the products (fashion wears) you are producing. Only then can you inspire dedication from your staff and a willingness to buy from customers.

1.       A Fashion entrepreneur must constantly set higher goals towards his business. Successful business people are mountain climbers who, having climbed one peak, look beyond to the next highest. The fashionista must be one of a kind who sends over a thousand mailers to their customers and yield a good turnout of 100. But instead of being satisfied with 100, they ask how they can increase that number to 150 the next time. That is the game plan.

2.       A fashion entrepreneur must wade off what I call the "comfort zone" factor. As an aspiring leader, he must not confine himself to a particular school of thought or business ideology. He must strive to learn more within the trade.

3.       A Fashion entrepreneur must always create room for failure; envisage the possibility of failing. This view point helps him set possible blockage(s) to whatever disappoints his venture could produce in the nearest future. In simple words, the Fashionista looks at the worst possible scenario that could emerge.

4.       A Fashionista must look to solve problems instead of blaming them. This point is sequel to the aforesaid above. He must be ready to work around problems, with a view to solving them instead of blaming his overall failure or momentary down-cut on the problems. His will must always be at alert on how to solve day-to-day problems. He achieves this by employing capable staff and more often, by sharing his experiences with people he believes are more able than him.

5.       A fashion entrepreneur must at all times “rehearse” the future. He must do all things with a view on the future. Successful people move towards the pictures they create in their mind. They can rehearse coming actions or events as they "see" them. They are like chess players who can "feel" the next move of their opponent and have half a dozen responses ready when their time comes to move. Many successful athletes will say they practice "seeing" themselves winning the race, hitting the home run or scoring the touchdown. They actually visualize a future event which gives them the impetus to achieve the goal.

The Keynotes to Starting A Fashion line Business.

Getting off with your own business is never an easy task to start. So many little things in various parchments are involved. It raises quite a lot of challenges that really test your initial resolve and ability to hold firm to your own innovation. To that light, the idea of conceiving a business of any nature has scared off so many young people, thereby killing off several possible ventures that would have ushered in more job creation and entrepreneurial satisfaction. It is to that upshot that this piece is out to expose the process of opening up a business in whatever environment you find yourself.

As an individual, starting up my business was no strobe in the walk. The early days were the roughest I ever conceived of, that would ever be my portion. There were times I thought of giving up; to quit and go about a search for some conventional jobs, but then, all thanks to my business partner, we strove on regardless of the initial daunts. The framework of this write-up would be basically a product of my own little experience, mentoring and research.
It must be noted that, I take a greater fancy in writing about dating and relationship issues. I chose to delve into this area just to pass out a lesson or two to those who might need the information I have to offer. Hence, what you'd get here may not be a true reflection of my writing prowess, but a mirage of some thoughts conceived and subsequently experienced.
Who is an Entrepreneur?
This question is of paramount importance when talking about setting up a business. An entrepreneur is anyone who identifies an opportunity and exploits it creatively with a mindset of getting satisfaction and/or profit. He brings together all the various factors of production; land, labour, IT, raw material, capital etc for the purpose of producing goods and services for the satisfaction of the end users.
Entrepreneurs are primarily motivated to satisfy a personal need, usually by bringing into being new products/services that are meaningful to them as well as to the market.

Why start your own enterprise?

There are several reasons as to why people venture into business. But believe me, quite a whole lot of them are subjective reasons which borders on the single fact that, the individual seeks profit maximization through little or no investment. Some of the popular reasons include:
However, there are challenges that come with owning your own business, as I said earlier. Some of them include:
There are countless advantages or benefits of owning your own business:
Furthermore, there are critical aspects that must be looked at before starting your own business.
First, you must have a clear cut idea of what you want to do. Every business enterprise starts as a raw idea, which derives from perceived opportunity, and then translated into a product or service that a customer needs and is prepared to pay for. There are many sources of business ideas; literature, books, journals, newspapers, internet, television, seminars/workshops and so on.
Second, and most importantly, all business ideas must be confirmed and/or validated, using factors such as legality, achievable/feasible structures and that, it meets a need. More so, that people would be willing to pay for it. And that there are opportunities for linkages wit bigger firms or co-operation with similar firms in the future. There must also be an ability to identify your advantage over existing firms, and how quickly can you adapt to meet changes in users’ need and taste. You must also ask, “Can I create a special demand for my business output?”
Of good note is the “idea validation” stage of an enterprise. This is a highly important stage, because any error at this stage may lead to the total loss of resources in the future.

Third, you must set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound) goals for yourself. These goals will serve as guide to how soon you can achieve your dreams.
Fourth, you must undertake an honest self-assessment of yourself. To self-access, you must answer the following questions:
Getting yourself through the precise exercises stated in this piece may just be the soft guile you need to get your entrepreneurial skills up and running. You must be determined first and foremost, and you must ensure you continue to remind yourself of the vision you set out to achieve from the outset. Doing this will help ensure you do not derail from the track that would lead to your success in the desired business. I hope this helps. Thanks for the time taking to read through this. Your constructive criticisms, questions and evaluation would be of great value in setting up a sequel to this piece.