Africa revamped': Fashion designer shoots for the stars“非洲改組”:時裝設計師芽為明星

By Alex Court and Marc Hoeferlin for CNN
September 8, 2014 -- Updated 0924 GMT (1724 HKT)
When Kemi Kalikawe set up her business in Dar es Salaam six years ago her mission was to blend African and Western styles.
When Kemi Kalikawe set up her business in Dar es Salaam six years ago her mission was to blend African and Western styles.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Fusing styles
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Naledi Lifestyle store sells clothes and home products in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
  • Kemi Kalikawe creates products that bring together African and Western styles
  • Before starting her business Kalikawe studied marketing in England
  • Kalikawe struggled to find a place to base herself in Dar Es Salaam

African Start-Up follows entrepreneurs in various countries across the continent to see how they are working to make their dreams become reality. Follow the team on Twitter.

(CNN) -- Naledi means "star" in Tswana, one of the languages spoken in Botswana. So when Kemi Kalikawe gave her lifestyle store that name, she decided to add a sparkle to her business.

"My brand is Africa revamped," she says. "Africa getting a modern twist and just bringing the West and Africa together and marrying them into something beautiful."

Kalikawe grew up in Botswana, as the name of her store suggests, but her business is in the thumping heart of Tanzania's biggest city, Dar es Salaam.

Funky fabrics

Shoppers who visit her store find jewelry, sandals and vibrantly-colored outfits on the shelves. Some of Kalikawe's garments even use indigenous Tanzanian fabrics like the Khanga and Kitenge.

"I make dresses, I cater mostly for women," Kalikawe explains, "and I do jewelry and also sandals, which have all got an influence of African fabrics."

 
Revamping African fashion for the future

Whilst taking a tour of the store, Kalikawe points out one her favorite dresses, "I love it because it defies what Tanzanians think of the Tanzanian Kitenge, which is funky, it's stylish, and it can be worn anywhere."

With such a variety of designs, fabrics and patterns on display it's clear that Kalikawe's work is her passion. "Sometimes I see a fabric and it just speaks to me," she says. "So I take that and start thinking of what I can do to bring out its beauty."

Career change

As a child, Kalikawe dreamed of working in the design industry, but she ended up studying marketing in England. She soon realized she wasn't cut out for the advertising world and moved to Kenya to study interior design.

My brand is Africa Revamped. Africa getting a modern twist and just bringing the West and Africa together 
Kemi Kalikawe, Naledi owner

"The school that I was going to also had fashion design. I ended up wanting to find ways of promoting fashion designers and so I put on a show for them," she explains. "When I came back to Tanzania, I worked with the British Council... and my job was to find underground fashion talent and put them on the stage. That's how I ended up making my own dresses... and the people that would come to the show loved my clothes."

That background is reflected in her store, where she promotes other entrepreneurs alongside her own creations. "I choose to include other designers because there isn't particularly a space where designers can showcase their work," Kalikawe says.

"It's expensive to open your own store. So this was something that gave me that chance to promote other designers plus sell my own things," she adds.

Like Kalikawe, many women in Africa are capitalizing on their entrepreneurial skills. In fact, the continent leads the world in the number of women starting businesses, with almost equal levels of male and female entrepreneurs.

Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2013 Global Report
INEZ TORRE/CNN

Overall, Africa has a higher proportion of female entrepreneurs compared to other regions, with Nigeria and Zambia (both 40.7%) topping the charts. The stats reveal that countries like the United States (10.4%), the UK (5.5%), and France (3.1%) have a less equal business landscape.

Overcoming obstacles

Over its six year lifespan, Nalendi Lifestyle has established a reputation and a steady stream of clients. But it wasn't always so easy for Kalikawe.

"I had to find a place that was close to my customers, so I shopped around for different places where I could share with somebody who had an existing space and they were not using it. I had to do a lot of convincing when I finally got the space that I am in now," she remembers.

But getting a physical presence wasn't the only obstacle Kalikawe had to overcome. She says that creating advertising and getting people to know that her shop was there took time. "It's lucky that I am right by the road, so that way when people pass by I put mannequins outside with my dresses."

While she has faced difficulties, Kalikawe has no regrets; "I totally love what I do," she says. "From a kid, I've always known I was going to work in the industry; in design industry somehow. I am so fortunate that I am actually doing what I love to do."

“非洲改組”:時裝設計師芽為明星
由亞歷克斯法院和 馬克Hoeferlin對美國有線電視新聞網
2014年9月8日 - 更新0924 GMT(1724 HKT)
當凱米Kalikawe開設了業務達累斯薩拉姆六年前,她的使命是融合非洲和西方風格。
當凱米Kalikawe開設了業務達累斯薩拉姆六年前,她的使命是融合非洲和西方風格。
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新聞提要
Naledi服飾店在達累斯薩拉姆,坦桑尼亞賣衣服和家居用品
凱米Kalikawe創建,匯集非洲和西方風格的產品
她開始營業前Kalikawe在英國學習營銷
Kalikawe努力尋找一個地方立足自己在達累斯薩拉姆
非洲開始行動遵循歐洲大陸各國的企業家,看看他們是如何努力讓自己的夢想成為現實。跟著隊伍上微博。
(CNN) - Naledi指在茨瓦納語,口語在博茨瓦納的語言之一的“明星”。所以,當凱米Kalikawe給了她生活店這個名字,她決定閃耀添加到她的生意。
“我的品牌是非洲的革新,”她說。“非洲越來越現代風味的,只是把西方和非洲在一起,他們結婚到美麗的東西。”
Kalikawe從小在博茨瓦納,為她的商店的名字所暗示的,但她的生意是坦桑尼亞最大的城市達累斯薩拉姆的重擊心臟。
質樸的面料
消費者誰訪問她的店裡找到首飾,涼鞋,充滿活力的顏色的衣服在貨架上。有些Kalikawe的服裝甚至可以用土著坦桑尼亞面料像罐子蛾和基滕格。
“我做的衣服,我的客源大部分是婦女,”Kalikawe解釋說,“我做的首飾,也涼鞋,這都得到了非洲織品的影響。”
改造的非洲時裝的未來
雖然走的是專賣店參觀,Kalikawe指出她的一個最喜歡的衣服,“我喜歡它,因為這違背了坦桑尼亞人認為坦桑尼亞基滕格,這是質樸的,它的時尚,它可以在任何地方穿。”
有了這樣的各種圖案,面料和圖案上顯示很明顯,Kalikawe的工作是她的激情。“有時候我看到織物,它只是對我說話,”她說。“所以我認為這個開始的我能做些什麼來襯托出它的美麗的想法。”
轉行
作為一個孩子,Kalikawe夢想在設計行業工作,但她結束了在英國學習營銷。她很快就意識到她沒有切出了廣告界,搬到了肯尼亞學習室內設計。
我的品牌是非洲的改進。非洲獲得現代風味的,只是把西方和非洲共同
凱米Kalikawe,Naledi老闆

“我要去的學校也有時尚的設計。最後我想找到促進時裝設計師的方式,所以我做戲給他們,”她解釋說。“當我回到坦桑尼亞,我曾與英國文化協會......而我的工作是要找到地下的時尚人才,並把他們在舞台上,這就是我最終作出自己的衣服......而人們會前來觀展的喜愛我的衣服。“
這樣的背景下體現在她的店裡,她促進了其他企業家沿著她自己的創作。“我選擇到其他的設計師,因為沒有特別一個空間,設計師可以展示自己的作品,”Kalikawe說。
“這是昂貴的打開自己的店面,所以這東西,給了我這樣的機會,以促進其他設計師再加上賣我自己的東西,”她補充道。
像Kalikawe,許多婦女在非洲正在利用他們的創業技能。事實上,非洲大陸處於世界領先地位的婦女人數創業,其中男性和女性企業家幾乎相等的水平。

資料來源:全球創業觀察2013年全球報告INEZ TORRE /美國有線新聞網
總體而言,非洲擁有較高比例的女性企業家相比其他地區,尼日利亞和贊比亞(均為40.7%)登上了排行榜冠軍。該統計顯示,如美國(10.4%),英國(5.5%),法國(3.1%)的國家有一個不太平等的商業環境。
克服障礙
在其六個年的壽命,Nalendi生活方式已建立了信譽和客戶源源不斷。但它並不總是Kalikawe那麼容易。
“我發現,接近我的客戶的地方,所以我逛過各地不同的地方,我可以用別人誰了現有的空間,他們沒有使用它分享。我不得不做了很多有說服力的,當我終於有我在,現在的空間,“她回憶道。
但得到的物理存在是不是唯一的障礙Kalikawe必須克服。她說,創造廣告和讓人們​​知道,她的店在那裡花時間。“這是幸運的,我是對的路,所以這種方式,當人們路過我把外面的模特和我的衣服。”
而她面臨的困難,Kalikawe不後悔; “我完全愛我所做的事情,”她說。“從小時候,我一直都知道我會在這個行業工作,在設計界不知何故,我感到非常幸運,因為我實際上做我喜歡做的事。”

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