Africa…..luxury…..really??
6:23am, small ridiculously hot hotel room -London: “What went well, what did’nt go well — even better if…” This has been my thought patterns the for past 20 mins.
Such a simple but potent formula. I learnt this from Brian Jones- One of my mentors on the Teach First programme — great guy, a proper rockstar.
This was Brian’s formula for post game analysis for self and others. It requires brutal honesty, and is designed to extract the best, learn from the worst and move on quickly in a non judgemental and straightforward way, an essential skill for life and business.
I still use this framework today and probably always will.
I’m analysing yesterdays investor meeting — with by far and away the most successful (1.something billion rev last year) entrepreneur I have personally met. A proper rockstar who made a shit ton of money in fashion — We were introduced by a mutual friend and fashion mogul.
Its funny, I actually remember looking at a case study of his company in school, during AS level business.
It was a fierce battle — with frames and perspectives crashing and colliding, “see you in 6 months” is where we left off. After the hole in my chest healed- “Yes, I thought, see you in 6 months, challenge accepted”
Although slightly wounded, post match food and a good double afternoon whiskey with two good friends — and new investors, helped me get back to planning the next few months and the path to glory.
Part of business and being an entrepreneur is being a visionary. Seeing into the future and seeing what others don’t see / can’t see / or have not seen yet. You have to see the things that don’t exist or could exist (with some modification), in absolute clarity, this is the special power that separates you…
Ultimately you have to remember that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence — speaking of:
Our discussions around luxury ‘Made in Africa’ reminded me of this phrase. I have met this resistance time and time again — “Africa — luxury …..not possible”
I could see it — before I saw it — but I have actually just come back from a trip to Kenya — where I met with different factories producing for luxury brands and I did SEE it. I saw the rails of garments, made with care and being quality checked.
I saw the small and medium atelier operations, with 50 individuals all playing a specific and detailed role in the producing garments that would be sold to end consumers with a hefty mark up, I saw factories that produce for LVMH owned brand Edun, and with no shadow of a doubt Luxury is produced in Africa!
The question is why would it not be? Whenever I hear this perspective I think two things:
- Believing that African made luxury is fallacy is almost like the Europeans who went to the Kingdom and Benin some hundreds (300) of years ago — and refused to believe that the ornate and intricate bronze works they saw that now fill the British Museum were made by Africans!!!
- If you have spent a good deal of time in factories you will know that luxury can be made in China , or anywhere where the perspective, management and organisation of the operation is geared toward luxury:
A. Relatively small batches
B. Skilled / experienced and well trained workers
C. Closer relationship with clients
D. More input from clients
E. Better more motivated paid staff
F. High quality materials
G. Good quality control
In summary I was reminded how much work needs to be done to reverse the negative perspectives in regard to African productivity. Made in Kenya, Mauritius or wherever needs to carry more weight, more needs to be done to promote and develop comparative advantage, lest African becomes the new ‘China’.
No offence China.
Chi Atanga is the founder of — Walls of Benin — A Made in Africa fashion brand…(currently raising to match generous grant finance from the Portuguese government : )
(This post reflects events taking place is 2016)
