Understanding Africa’s fashion ecosystem to conquer collector’s items
In this article, we’ll show you how it’s possible to acquire collector’s items made in Africa. There are many ways to discover and acquire collector’s items made in Africa. To find them, you need to have a taste for research, like a collector of rare pieces. To understand the African fashion ecosystem, you need to be interested in bespoke and handcrafted products. And, to succeed in this challenge, it’s best not to look for an equivalent to Western ways of doing things.
For starters, Fashion Weeks in Africa’s fashion capitals are the best way to discover brands, styles and trends. Fashion Week organizers in Africa such as Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week, or Adama Paris, founder of Dakar Fashion Week, are very active on social networks to promote their events and give visibility to the continent’s brands. Brand owners are also organizing themselves to be visible online. On their Instagramaccount, you’ll find information on their latest news, whether it’s a new release, a collaboration with a celebrity, a partnership with a physical concept store or a digital marketplace. In this way, it’s possible to identify professionals who are working to promote African creativity on the continent in an effective way. For these initiatives to appear more often on your news feed, and for the algorithms to suggest new Made in Africa accounts on a regular basis, you need to do this initial work of investigation, likes, comments, registrations and shares.
Fashion designers on the African continent aren’t working on their google ranking. They have other priorities, such as developing partnerships with DHL to facilitate worldwide deliveries at attractive prices and with reasonable lead times. A search on the Internet is therefore not enough to find the most efficient platforms in just a few clicks.
Notoriety acquired through collaborations with celebrities. Some orders for statesmen, businesswomen and influential personalities remain secret. Behind-the-scenes stories about the preparation of a special order on Instagram are out of the question. Private appointments for limited fittings are organized to dress a demanding elite attached to the confidential nature of their relationship with their personal stylist. Investments in facebook ads, google ads and other acquisition strategies are not lead generation levers. Real-life appointments are still the best way to create lasting links and do business.
The power of retail to facilitate the acquisition of collector’s items made in Africa
Africa’s fashion ecosystem is therefore characterized by the strength of retail. The physical point of sale remains the primary sales lever. Adama Paris has opened a “Made in Africa and Made by Africans” fashion concept store in Paris in 2019. Saargale, which means homage in Wolof, is the name she has chosen for this concept, which has already been rolled out in Casablanca. The lifestyle boutique features a selection of African-inspired fashions, accessories, jewelry and home decor. The exclusive offering is the brainchild of creative entrepreneurs committed to the continent of 54 countries. Items are available in small series. You’ll discover the collections of designers who have shown on several occasions at Dakar Fashion Week. A collective of enthusiasts who work to promote Made in Africa know-how andclaim that their creations are “sustainable”. These businessmen and women want to be present in Paris to strengthen their ties with their customers. They also want to contribute to a new storytelling of African fashion. The aim of an international roll-out for fashion brand owners based on the African continent is to meet Parisian consumers and offer them a responsible purchasing alternative. The company’s other ambition is to challenge potential customers’ preconceptions of African creativity by presenting a wide range of techniques, weaves, embroideries, cuts and colors. Even before convincing them to buy, it’s a question of education, culture and heritage promotion. Saargale has faced a number of challenges since it opened, with the yellow vest protests in 2019 and the pandemic in 2020.
Buying Made in Africa parts
Today, this concept store is a reference address for African creativity in Paris. Located in the Viaduc des Arts, it boasts high ceilings and a large surface area, offering multiple possibilities for showcasing collections. The space has also been designed to host collection presentation events, masterclasses and other corporate privatizations. As is the case for many French businesses, the confinement of the store brought business to a screeching halt. The teams mobilized to speed up the launch of the digital version of the concept store. It is now possible to shop Made in Africa online.
There are many opportunities to shop online for Made in Africa brands. Entrepreneurs are setting up ingenious initiatives to showcase their collections and make their voices heard. Sarah Diouf, founder of Tongoro, asserts her pure player strategy with 110K followers on Instagram. Recently seen on Loïc Prigent’s Youtube channel, she manages to turn each of her collection launches into a digital event. She innovates by proposing new concepts, always associated with talents from the continent. For the release of her jewelry collection, the entrepreneur developed the “MADE” medium, a digital magazine that showcases the diversity of African women with 3D models. Her collaborations with Beyonce have established her reputation beyond the continent’s borders, particularly in the United States.
Acquiring Made in Africa collector’s items is a possible mission for enthusiasts, the curious and the patient.
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