Kene Rapu: Leveraging Afro-centric styles
She has always had a fervent passion for fashion and the growth of the Nigerian fashion industry. She would always look forward to coming home for the holidays during which she could undergo internships at fashion houses and work closely with some of the pioneers of the Nigerian fashion industry. Little did she envisage that she would become an entrepreneur majoring in slippers design and manufacture. There is always a need to fulfill! Going with the crowd will give you a crowded result but carving a niche for yourself will give you outstanding results! Kene Rapu holds an LLB Law degree from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Prior to that, she spent her secondary school years at the Lagoon Secondary School, Lagos and Cheltenham Ladies College, United Kingdom. She moved back to Nigeria in July 2011 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in November 2013. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Fashion Entrepreneurship, at the renowned London College of Fashion, UK, whilst also running this business. In addition to her academic background, she has always had a fervent passion for fashion and the growth of the Nigerian fashion industry.
Her story: This love for fashion, eye for detail and creative nature inspired me to start my own company– Kene Rapu Enterprise. ‘Slippers by Kene’ is a footwear line from the eponymous fashion accessories label ‘Kene Rapu’ which was introduced in October 2011. It is an initiative to promote the development of the local (Nigerian) industry by providing employment and support for indigenous producers. Due to the fragmented nature of the manufacturing, retailing and shoe making industry, it is difficult for talented local craftsmen, with meager funds to manufacture on their own. Against this back drop, ‘Kene Rapu’ aims to play a role in the empowerment of these craftsmen, by using locally sourced materials and workmanship to produce its bespoke handcrafted footwear. Furthermore, one of our value propositions is to leverage the current growing interest in Afro-centric styles.
Sourcing for raw materials: Currently we produce using the finest quality of materials available in the local Nigerian market, like; Adire, Print, leather and other such fabrics as requested by our clients. Clients who like their bling also have the added option of bedazzling their slippers.
Packaging: Our products, which are the slippers are unique, we take care in the finishing, paying great attention to details. Part of the production process involves sourcing for high quality and durable materials, to ensure clients are given value for their money. We package our finished products in bags bearing our brand name. Packaging is a vital part of building your brand because it matters to a lot of people. Your product may be wonderful but if you are shoddy with the packaging, then you have placed a limitation on the number of clientele you can attract.
Factory or workshop: Presently we do not have a factory yet. Our production is outsourced to individual craftsmen across Nigeria. As we are an SME our work force is relatively low but we are working to change that in the soonest time possible.
Production capacity: We are constantly expanding as a brand and business, and as our clientele increases we make the necessary adjustments to increase our production capacity.
Marketing strategy: Our footwear is currently stocked online on Jumia, Konga and our official website kenerapu. Our present physical retailer is the Grey Velvet store in Centro Mall, Lekki phase 1, Lagos. Thankfully, we have had a lot of positive press in Nigeria and also we were recently featured on the Moodie report in the UK in an article titled ‘Nigerian entrepreneur Kene Rapu brings slippers to the fashion world’. Furthermore, in terms of strategy and marketing, we also make good use of social media because we understand the value of building personal relationships and networking. It is also important to note that a satisfied customer is the best advert you can get as he or she will definitely broadcast you to their family and friends. Also any good product sells itself but again, customer relationship Is key, without which that good product will remain on the shelf.
Patronage: We aim to ensure that all our customers are 100 percent happy with their slippers. By constantly putting our customers and their needs above all else we have been able to build a strong customer base. This is evident in the fact that most of our new clients are referrals from active clients who were impressed with our product.
Projection: We hope to have built a factory and developed an assembly line of shoe-makers. In this way, we would be positioning ourselves as an integral part of the value chain in the Nigerian fashion industry, because there will be more people employed, more materials and accessories used, etc the list is endless. We are here to stay!
Most important personal skill in business: Being yourself, understanding your brand, as well as the importance of building relationships.
Mabel Dimma