Local clothing brand, Tribe Afrique is a dynamic fusion of African heritage and global trends. From their inspirational origins to their sustainable practices, Creative Director, Junior Adusei lets us into the brand’s innovative approach to reshaping the fashion landscape while empowering communities and celebrating diversity.
Glamour: Can you share the inspiration behind starting Tribe Afrique? What motivated you to launch this clothing label?
Junior: Tribe Afrique was born out of a dire need to create a contemporary international fashion platform that will allow us, young African creatives, to express our bold ideas, using our beautiful culture and heritage as the backbone, with the intention of making it affordable and easily accessible to the world. We aim to transcend the isolation and barriers of African fashion in World Fashion with our products, while making these fashionable in many ways and attracting the younger generation, with the aim of sustaining our cultural heritage in the process.
Glamour: How would you describe Tribe Afrique's unique approach to fashion and design?
Junior: At Tribe Afrique, all our designs are inspired by African patterns and heritage, while the products that we develop are inspired by global fashion trends. We then creatively marry these two to produce outstanding fashion products and accessories that fit current and future global fashion trends, but also proudly and boldy represent our people and our heritage. Once we are finally convinced that we have developed a unique, quality product which is on par with international standards and our expectations, we then release it on both local and international selling platforms to make it easily accessible to our people and the world as a whole. We also employ genius marketing and selling strategies to ensure that we do not incur unnecessary costs, making sure that our products are created, developed and delivered to our people at the best possible pricing.
Glamour: What values or principles guide your brand in creating its collections?
Junior: At Tribe Afrique, our brand is guided by four main values that shape our ideas, decisions and actions: Innovation, Inclusivity, Authenticity and Quality craftsmanship. Since most of the products we create are a first of its kind in these African patterns, we are constantly in learning mode to understand the diverse cultures on the continent, as well as the materials and technologies that we can tap into to impress our people. There is no week that goes by without us testing contemporary fabrics and techniques that can be employed to create unique and timeless fashion products that will bring pride to our people.
In our quest to showcase African heritage, we also intentionally reach out to minority cultures to ensure there is inclusivity in our products and presentations, while also offering them a voice on the global fashion stage. The Quality!! Anybody that has ordered our products twice or more will bear testimony that there is always a level of increased improvement that comes with every order you receive from Tribe Afrique. As artisans, we are constantly improving our game with the resources we have around us, while focusing on the detailing, quality and the designs that we bring out to represent our people. We represent Africa, A bold Africa and we therefore need to guarantee that each product from Tribe Afrique carries with it that confidence that emboldens any one that chooses to style with us.
Glamour: Could you walk us through your creative process when developing a new collection?
Junior: I always say the choices of our designs come from up above. A simple word in a conversation with the woman that sells pap and steak to us at lunch time could easily be the inspiration for our next collection. But once we decide that this is our next collection, we embark on research to understand the various patterns, and the context in which they exist and how they need to be used. We then scout the current forms of the products we are interested in and what improvements we can add without increasing the cost to our people.There after, we digitise and translate these designs and patterns into products that have never been seen in these African designs, such as gym wear, sling bags, golf shirts, golfer dresses amongst others.
These contemporary products then attract the younger, more fancy generation as well as the older generation that already have affinity to these patterns, thereby encouraging their use in their everyday lives. This process also safeguard the sustainability of these African patterns and heritage across various generations.
Glamour: Where do you draw inspiration from for your designs?
Junior: Every new design and their names come from my life experiences; what I am currently experiencing within me, what is happening around me and the kind of people I have around me.There is a story behind every single product on our website, and their corresponding names. I see this as my pen, and that is how I share the story of my life and my ideas. As I sit here now, I have zero idea on what I will be coming up with in the next two months, but I have learnt to trust the process and protect the process. As a creative, I believe there always need be a personal affinity between your ideas and the products that are born out of your ideas. My reward is the platform to express myself while enjoying every bit of the process.
Glamour: How does Tribe Afrique use fashion to tell a story or convey a message?
Junior: One of our aims as a brand is to use fashion as a platform to showcase African creativity and ingenuity. Another side of our story that people who have followed us for a while can bear witness to, is the individual growth of each and everyone that has been a part of the Tribe Afrique family; from our photographers to our models. I am sure everyone of us has a funny story we will always hold dear to our hearts. We have grown from looking like people that did not know what they were doing, to being featured on billboards in Times Square, New York amongst other achievements. We can also proudly say we still work with most of the people that We started with, and we always make sure we share our ideas, platforms and opportunities with them to also impact on their personal growth.
We use our ideas and the heritage around us to create products that correspond to the current needs of this generation, making it easier for this new generation to also embrace our heritage and not perceive our heritage as only useful for traditional events. You wearing our Sotho waterproof sling bag while hiking is a testimony to how we have transcended into areas formerly untapped into by African heritage and fashion. We use each collection we launch as a medium to convey that African patterns are very versatile, and there is no limit to the beautiful products that can be developed from our heritage.
Glamour: Are there specific themes or narratives that you often explore through your clothing?
Junior: We always seek to debunk the limitations on where and how African patterns, and African fashion businesses can and should be used or seen. We have an underlying understanding as a brand that if it does not harm anyone or anything,then we must boldly represent it. This has led to us introducing our products and our business into grey areas where it was once frowned upon to have African fashion, specifically on TV shows, contemporary music videos and business summits. We are proud to say we have represented and made very positive strides by representing as an African fashion business in various International business summits such as The BRICS summit and the AGOA summit.
Glamour: In what ways does South African culture or heritage influence Tribe Afrique's designs?
Junior: South African culture plays an immense role in our designs at Tribe Afrique. Our quest to digitise as many cultural patterns as possible, and translate these into everyday products inspire us to develop new designs and products every week.The diverse nature of the South African heritage is a joy to work with, as it has provided us with so many ideas and creative opportunities to play around with.The positive reception to our products across the country and internationally is something I can never get used to! I get emotional every time I see any of our products on a platform, bump into someone rocking our products, or see a highly respected individual in our society wearing any of our ideas. Week in and week out we receive affirmations about our work and our products, and this is what gives us the strength to keep going.
Glamour: Do you collaborate with local artisans or communities in your creative process?
Junior: We are a brand that listens. Any individual that approaches us, wherever, will definitely be given an ear. These are our people and these are the people we have chosen to represent (although not politically). We have done quite a number of collaborations with other great talents such as the global icon Moonchild Sanelly, and we still have a lot coming up. Africa's biggest podcast, Podcast & Chill with MacG also tasked us to design their winter jackets merchandise, and till date, that is one of the most sold merchandise of the Podcast.
Currently, we have styled about 35 music videos and we have used these platforms to promote the use of African fashion amongst the younger generation. We are also currently working on a national sports show - Fut Afrique which is shown every Saturday on SABC 1. This is a definite win for us, as sports broadcasting was also a grey area that African fashion was once frowned upon.
South African celebrities have shown us tremendous love and support and we are eternally grateful to them. Public figures like Busiswa, Mawhoo, Joe Nina, Mlindo the Vocalist, Vusi Nova, Munya Chanetsa, Taylor Jaye, Mduduzi Ncube and many more, are individuals that we have worked with, and have also shared their platforms to promote our brand and vision, and there is no way we could have reached where we are now without them. National media channels such as Moja Love, Soweto TV, eNCA, Trace Africa, Glamour SA, Sunday Times, Power FM, Kofifi FM are all media platforms that have also provided their platforms to us to share our vision and promote our products at no cost to our brand. If we cannot boast of this tremendous support from our people, then we are unappreciative.
Glamour: What steps does Tribe Afrique take to ensure sustainability and ethical practices in its production and sourcing?
Junior: We go great lengths and invest so much in our brand to ensure that our materials are sourced locally from local suppliers, creating a chain of transactions that all empower the local economy while creating opportunities for our people. With these businesses and our staff at the back of our minds, we always seek to adapt to market changes and consumer preferences to enhance our competitiveness. Our team is always looking for various opportunities in diversification of revenue streams so as to ensure our long-term viability. We are currently available on 4 out of the top 5 online selling platforms and we aim to gradually increase this.
We also research our designs to understand their importance to the ethnic group and always seek guidance on how best to apply our designs in our proposed products.This ensures that our designs and products align with the community’s cultural norms and values, thereby fostering trust and long-term relationships, while paying respect to the ethic practices of the tribe. Our creative processes which involve the translation and digitising of these African patterns contribute to the sustainability of our African heritage while promoting our identity amongst our younger generation.
Lastly, we are always developing new products that make use of our excess materials to cut down on our waste at our production sites. This has led us to the development of accessories and African journals that make use of our leftover fabrics. We have also fully migrated to an e-commerce business to cut down on our carbon footprints that our stores were generating. We are now available on major online shopping platforms such as Amazon, Takealot, Zando & Makro and this provides convenience to our customers who may have had to drive to our shops to make purchases.
Glamour: How important are these values to your brand?
Junior: These are not just values we must adhere to during our design and production; but are also ingrained in our business structure, ensuring that these are the blueprints by which we grow our business. In the long run, these values and measures ensure that we are able to develop contemporary African products of high quality and beauty, which are conveniently available worldwide, at the best possible price.
Glamour: How do you engage with your customers to understand their preferences and incorporate feedback into your designs?
Junior: Our first point of research on our existing products are the numbers we obtain from our website visits and other online platforms. We are able to translate these numbers to understand what they mean and make certain business decisions based on these numbers. Our other point of reference is the feedback we get from our customers, and the feedback they also get from wearing our products. We always maintain communication channels with new and existing customers, to the best of our ability, so they can also share their ideas and experiences with us. This really contributes to making us a better brand that is always ready to listen and adapt to our customers.
Glamour: What role do your customers play in shaping the direction of Tribe Afrique?
Junior: Our existing customers are our immediate family that gets to see our upcoming products before the rest of the world does. We at times also share samples of our upcoming products with our existing customers, typically our whatsapp community, so they can provide us with feedback on these products before we launch them. This nature of interactions and feedback provided us with one of our biggest breakthroughs during the unfortunate era of Covid. The immense support and feedback from our whatsapp community led to the development of The Country's first 3 ply African Cloth Mask by Tribe Afrique which made headline news across all major channels and was even featured on Sunday Times.
Glamour: What are your future aspirations for Tribe Afrique? Any upcoming projects or collections you're excited about?
Junior: Our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (long-term) is to be able to list our business on major stock exchanges on the continent and on international markets so we can give our people a share of our success story, while allowing our people to own our heritage in various forms. We want Tribe Afrique to belong to the people and represent the people, and we believe we can only do this and feel this way once our people are fully involved in the direction, growth and spoils of our business.
Glamour: How do you see the brand evolving in the next few years?
Junior: Our immediate plans currently are to roll out our fashion brand in other markets to increase the accessibility of our products. We are currently available in South Africa, USA, Canada and Mexico (on Amazon) and we hope to double this number in the next year. We believe that growing our markets in new territories will bring to us new experiences that will sharpen our brand, and also build us to compete more internationally.
Glamour: Beyond fashion, does Tribe Afrique engage in any community initiatives or support local causes?
Junior: We do engage in various community initiatives from time to time to also support the people that have supported our dreams since our inception. An example of this is the 1000 nose masks that were distributed with renowned broadcaster DJ Sbu during the covid era in the Alexandra township. We also embarked on free masks distribution with Actress Zonke Mchunu of Muvhango & Resident Evil fame in Maphumulo in the KZN during that same period
Glamour: How does the brand contribute positively to the fashion industry and broader community?
Junior: Tribe Afrique seeks to always engage in discourse that addresses how fashion can be used as a tool to create employment, foster unity, and preserve our identity and heritage as a people. It is therefore incumbent upon us, young people and creatives in Africa. to find innovative ways to achieve this, while breaking down the stereotype and limitations surrounding the use of African Fashion. Tribe Afrique is ever ready to champion this course.
Glamour: What advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers, particularly those interested in starting their own sustainable and culturally-inspired label?
Junior: The first thing is to dream; it is free and no one can take it from you. Thereafter, make sure that no day passes by without you doing something to move you closer to your dream, no matter how little it is. Before you go to bed at night, ask yourself what you did today to get you closer to your dream. Do that daily and it becomes your lifestyle. It is not an easy journey and you will make a lot of mistakes, it does not mean you are a failure, you will eventually get it right. Even a dead clock is still right twice in a day. Do not beat yourself up for making mistakes, but rather try to understand how you made these mistakes to prevent them from happening again. Unfortunately most of us also come from impoverished backgrounds with very limited resources, so please make the best out of what you have access to. Use the internet to your advantage, if possible make it your best friend, and learn the qualities and skills you do not have; there will always be a video on how to solve the problem you are facing on Youtube for free.
Also, be humble and kind to everyone; these characteristics have opened doors that riches could not even knock on. Lastly, the world is your oyster, there is no limit to what you can achieve. You will fail at times and you do not owe anyone an explanation for that. The strength that sets you apart is your ability to rise again. Enjoy every bit of the process, take pictures and make videos of the memories. Get started now and watch yourself flourish!
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