Today we’d like to introduce you to Aimee Kenemo.
A graduate from the Africa fashion week London (AFWL)cohort,hosted in October 2020 during the world’s pandemic crisis. A congolaise – born, uganda citizen developed a need to birth forth her A-game fabric creativiness and innovative combination of colors, patterns skills into practise by founding a one of kind luxury artisanal brand known as Liputa fabrics. With a vision of being the world’s one stop wardrobe with both traditional + modern fabrics for high fashion , interior designers. With a goal of keeping both traditional + modern fabric design practices and techniques alive by celebrating cultural histories and artisanal craft as she improves their livehoods by creating jobs for them.
Hi Aimee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My passionate for the vibrant unique fabric dynamics when it came to color blends and patterns while growing up triggered the genesis of Liputa. Am an African native, so for me, especially in my culture FABRICS are treasured when it comes to weddings or even community gatherings. So, all these triggered to who (Liputa Fabrics) is today! I recall while in high school around the age of 15yrs till date[hahaha], both old and young ones always consulted me whenever they needed fabrics on their durability’s originalities, etc., and to me, I always took it lightly by just answering since to me I was just helping. So, I recall I could just inform them to call me whenever they had parties, and I would help make for them amazing selections basing on their event themes.
In 2018, I kept going where I could trade in fabric supplies still as a hobby, and in that same year, I was able to secure our first client who means the world to us till date she currently resides in USA, Kansas State. Our sample was sent in early months of 2019, and of which in 2020, even when the world was undergoing all the uncertainties, we were able to secure a huge supply deal. Through all this is that my aim was to make it easy possible for the world to source from Africa and a motherland to many as lives were improved through their support. So, within the same year 2020, in the month of October, I was privileged to further grow my vision to stop from being a hobby but a true business; I was able to study with the AFWL team of fashion gurus of which I received a certificate of completion from them, African fashion week London course where I studied to improve my skills in fashion and especially in what I desired to solve to my clients, fashion designers.
And am glad to say that, due to my consistency and good work, we have been able to extend business already in other parts of the world where our supplies are being done currently, to mention but a few, Newyork, Kansas, Maryland, France, Puerto Rico.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
– Lack of brand awareness hence no visibility within our market
-Lack of having the right network of people with same interest
– Challenge of knowing where to find our audience. (Fashion designer)
– Low sales hence making us unable to hire more competent team
– Lack of brand positioning
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We’re an online business that provides luxury artisanal fabrics that are both handmade and printed fashion and interior designers.
What does success mean to you?
Success for Liputa Fabrics would mean having our fabrics used in collections by famous fashion designers like Studio 189, tongoro studio, Ewa Herzog, Micheal kors And having our fabrics and designs displayed or modeled during big fashion events like Berlin fashion week, Paris fashion week and Newyork fashion week.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
team liputa
