As increasing globalization has promoted greater awareness of fashion trends from distant places, one part of the world that still struggles to attract attention is Africa. One person aiming to change the story is Amira Rasool, founder of The Folklore, an online marketplace for African luxury fashion goods. In addition to creating a sales channel for African goods, The Folklore affords African creatives a platform on which to exchange ideas and to gain recognition. As a company that sells luxury designer apparel and accessories from African designers that previously were unable to penetrate the global market, being able to have direct contact with customers is essential. Rasool used to have physical events, installations and pop-ups shops that allowed the team to connect with people to understand the brands, often explaining what individual designers do or how they’ve witnessed the artist(s) create. People want to know about the brands they are supporting, particularly when they spend a lot of money. Nowadays, there’s a more social conscious customer, so during Covid-19, we’ve had to rely on our editorial content, and our video content to achieve that same engagement level. Even just me not being able to go to events, wearing the clothes and promoting the artists, has been a challenge.
SOURCE: CREATIVE BOOM