By Pauline Odhiambo
In the fashion business, what you order isn’t always what you get, and when it comes to African fashion, no one can test your patience like a tailor.
Where delays are often the norm in the delivery of custom-made outfits, Kenyan entrepreneur Beverlyn Mawia Muthengi saw an opportunity to fill the gap by creating a collection of ready-made African outfits suitable for any occasion, and delivered right on time.
Her ready-to-wear collection has styled Hollywood star Lupita Nyong’o and several celebrity influencers who have, upon short-notice, worn her off-the-rack designs on-screen and off.
“I realised most people have trust issues when it comes to dealing with tailors. Anyone in Nairobi can tell you their story of being let down by tailors. It’s actually a big problem in many African countries,” Beverlyn tells TRT Afrika.
“Many Kenyans are also last-minute shoppers. We can be aware about an event four months in advance but will start shopping for outfits just a few days to the event, which is how many people end up getting disappointed by tailors,” she adds.
Many online sellers worldwide promise to deliver beautifully-stitched clothing but buyers often end up disappointed when the garments arrive looking like gross caricatures of what was actually promised.
African style
Before starting her business, Beverlyn would save multiple images of Africa-inspired fashion on Pinterest, storing many style ideas on the social platform until finally finding a reliable tailor to execute the designs.
“African Yuva actually started out as a crotchet business called Yarn Yuva. Yuva means ‘home’ in Turkish and ‘yarn’ in Hindi,” she explains. The idea behind the brand was to create an international clothing label conveying the idea of homespun fashion made in Africa.
“I was out buying yarn one day when I met this tailor who was making clothes from African fabric. I asked him to partner with me and make me some maxi skirts from African fabric so that I could pair them with the crotchet tops I was making. That’s how African Yuva was created in 2017.”
Beverlyn posted photos of the finished garments on her social media and woke up to 8000 followers a few weeks later.
“That’s when I knew I was on to something. The fact that 8000 people felt compelled to follow my page proved that there was a demand for Africa-inspired fashion, and that really helped me plan my business better,” she says.
She started sketching outfits inspired by her own fashion sense, putting out her first collection in 2018 despite a limited budget. Beverlyn’s friend modeled all the outfits while another friend took photos of each outfit to post on African Yuva’s social platforms.
For her 2019 collection, Beverly had saved up enough to hire a professional photographer and even a makeup artist for the range.
She remembers her wardrobe breaking in two from the weight of many rolls of African fabric waiting to be transformed into beautiful designs. The finished collection became an instant hit and saw her receive many orders for custom-made outfits.
Plus-size inclusive
“The 2019 collection had a variety of items including a specific dress style that we still sell to date. We took photos of all the outfits made so that clients could see that the product could be delivered to them as is, and not misleading them by false advertising using stock photos from the internet to sell the company,” she says.
The 2019 collection also attracted a new wave of clients from the US and France some of them fashion companies interested in stocking ready-made outfits.
“The biggest consideration that I make to date before releasing a design depends on whether or not it can suit both petite and plus-size women,” she states. “This coupled with consistency in quality and delivery has helped me maintain my clientele.”
Beverlyn has managed to release at least three collections every year since starting her business, but in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic threatened to disrupt her track record.
She held off on releasing her first collection of 2020 until April when it became apparent that quarantine had many people turning to online platforms for retail therapy.
“I did my research and found that many people were keen on buying comfortable clothes to wear during quarantine, so I capatilised on this by designing African print loungewear, face masks and other clothing items which sold out during that period,” she states.
“I actually hired my first full-time employee in October of 2020. I felt it was a blessing to be able hire someone during the Covid period when so many people lost their jobs.”
Beverlyn now boasts a staff of 14 people including six tailors and a production manager who execute her sketches and style ideas.
Hollywood-worthy
“My designs are inspired by wanting to look good and feel great at all times, and so my ultimate goal is to create a brand that can beautifully dress all women for any occasion,” she explains.
In 2021, Lupita Nyong’o wore one of Beverlyn’s jumpsuits during a live interview on a popular TV show broadcast in the United States. Many of Beverlyn’s other designs have been worn by actresses on drama shows broadcast by a worldwide streaming companies.
“I initially wanted to design a crazy outfit for Lupita but settled on a ready-made design that really worked quite well with her style. The validation we got as a company from a global star wearing one of our outfits cemented our presence as a brand.”
“Most brands create for women to be admired by men, but as African Yuva we create for the female-gaze,” she tells TRT Afrika. “It’s all about creating a brand that allows women to admire and complement each other’s style choices while building each other up through fashion.”
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