A brand made in Abidjan
William Mackenzie Kouakou, co-founder of the Maison Kantys brand, opens the doors to his world, far removed from traditional fashion paths. His story is one of transition, of a path that led a hospitality professional to his passion, entrepreneurship in the creative sector. In this interview, he talks about his journey, the crucial role of his partner, Thierry Aguy, and the challenges they faced in making their mark.
William confesses up front: he didn’t study fashion. His educational background is in marketing. He began his professional career in the hotel business, an industry that welcomed him for many years. C But beyond his career, another path was calling him, that of fashion, a deep and sincere passion.
He describes his love of fashion as a matter of course, a feeling that has always been with him. “I came to fashion really out of passion,” he insists. This passion is the fruit of his youthful influences, watching fashion shows, and his family heritage, his mother being a dressmaker. All these inspirations led him to a decisive turning point in 2019.
A creative duo at the helm of Maison Kantys
The Maison Kantys creative duo was born of this shared vision. William teamed up with a long-time friend, with whom he shares the same universe and influences. More than just a friendship, it’s a complementarity that has proved essential to their creative process. The sharing of roles is clear and effective. William concentrates on the marketing and sales side of the business, an area that matches his background. He is the face of the brand to partners and concept stores. His partner, on the other hand, excels in digital communications, and manages the social networks. This synergy enables them to complement and support each other, both in terms of artistic direction and sales.
The creative process is an ongoing dialogue between the two co-founders. “It’s a lot of exchanges, a lot of discussions,” says William. Their collaboration began with work on an exclusively men’s collection. “We exchanged our different models, our different inspirations, and then went off to find dressmakers to make these models and make them available to different customers.” This meticulous, artisanal process has remained the same. They exchange “materials” and “models”, and ultimately create prototypes which are then submitted to their workshops for production.
The challenges facing young brands
William talks frankly about the challenges he has faced, not least the difficulty of convincing those around him. The first buyers at launch are not long-time friends or acquaintances. Sometimes, those close to you are the most critical of your brand and, above all, your prices. They compare your collection pieces to those of major Western luxury brands and don’t understand your positioning, which they consider too expensive. Maison kantys is committed to arguing that the quality and value of a brand cannot be measured by its geographical origin, and that “made in Africa” can compete with the great international luxury houses.
This reality has prompted them to redouble their efforts and not let prejudice discourage them. William insists on their participation in events like Fashion Week by Elie Kuame, to assert themselves and show the brand’s potential. He is confident in their ability to continue to develop, to “make our own way”. The brand now has a showroom in Abidjan and a presence on social networks. A website is in the pipeline.
William Mackenzie offers us a lesson in passion and perseverance. Far from Parisian haute couture, his journey shows that with a mix of expertise, complementarity and determination, it’s possible to build an authentic and ambitious fashion brand. Hers is more than just a business: it’s the realization of a dream, a bridge between marketing, hospitality and an ever-growing passion for fashion.
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