S.A design label AKJP just expanded its store collective

There are two major problems that plague all emerging African brands, manufacturing and retail. Ethical initiatives and partnerships with Asian, American and European partners are slowly solving our manufacturing problems but retail seems a whole different calibre of problem. Selling to foreign markets proves a unique challenge because of financial and logistic barriers and is severely hindered by the overwhelming competition from international brands. The solution it seems, is to look inwards and sell to Africa’s nearly 1 billion citizens. But how do you sell to a market where there are only a handful of independent retail stores and no high street chain of fashion buyers? You start your own store.

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This is what the design duo behind the fashion lable AKJP  did with the opening of it’s flagship store in Capetown. By creating a space where it enjoys creative control, the label was able to truly project what the AKJP brand is.

But in the wake of the store’s success, Adriaan Kuiters and Jody Paulsen weren’t content to rest on their oars, they created the Adrian Kuiters Jody Paulsen collective, inviting other bespoke South African design labels to share their retail space with them.  Originally seven designers made the AKJP collective, but in a new reopening on the 19th of May 2016 the collective introduced several more brands joining the collective. The brands that are currently stocked at the AKJP Collective store include:

Tamara Chérie (2014 ELLE Rising Star award).
Selfi Menswear (Exclusive to AKJP).
House of Gozdawa (Artisan unisex perfumery).
Nicholas Coutts (ELLE Rising Star and maker of beautiful scarves).
Lukhanyo Mdingi (Minimalist and magical).
W35T (Ethically, handmade fashion).
Matblac (Men’s leather goods).
PICHULIK (Number-one designer and maker of statement jewellery in SA).
Feat.Sock Co. (The AKJP Collective is the only Cape Town store to stock Feat.’s Hustle range).
Waif (Jewellery and hair accessories crafted from recycled brass).
Steffany Roup (One of the original seven designers stocked by the AKJP Collective).
Drotsky (Vintage or limited-edition fabrics sourced to create unique designs)
Hannah Collection (Simple, elegant women’s wear).
Amanda Laird Cherry  (One of SA’s most established designers).
The sheer scope and range of designers and aesthetics that will be stocked at the new store is fucking impressive. More brands in a store means that as a whole the store is more likely to convert a visit to a sale as there is more variety and more options. This is a model that Nigerian fashion labels should have already adopted considering the astronomical costs of leasing a store in the country. This would also divvy up the cost of administration and save shoppers the hassle of having to traverse many stores to get what they need. It’s a win all round.
Congratulations to the new AKJP collective, (the store opened officially on May the 19th.)
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