We love our African stories and we proudly bring you the story whenever our African ladies get the global recognition for their hard work. One of them is the awesome Kene Rapu – The Founder of Slippers By Kene. She started ‘Slippers by Kene’, in 2011, as an initiative to promote the development of the local (Nigerian) industry, by using locally sourced materials and workmanship, to provide bespoke handcrafted slippers and sandals. They call themselves the number one Nigerian footwear brand, championing local production.
How did she begin her empire?
“I have always loved fashion, my first-ever internship at the age of 13 was in a hat showroom. From then on, I always managed to squeeze in an internship whenever I could. From working with magazines to working backstage at fashion shows to professional modelling; fashion has always been my passion! Why slippers? Being tall, I’m always on the lookout for nice, affordable, good-quality flats. SlippersbyKene started from me designing a pair of slippers for myself. I wanted something interesting that wasn’t in the stores, and that was incorporated into the popular African fabric – Ankara. I had them made, wore them out and everyone loved them. Family and friends placed orders, the word spread.”
We are not only super proud of Kene Rapu, we are also inspired by her.
Culled from [More Branches]
