I embraced aggressive marketing and it paid off

Morine Aringo, Founder of Hando Afrikan Designs wears her customed protective face mask before demonstrating a skit on how keep 'Self Distancing' to the locals after distributing free protective face masks to help fight the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID -19) pandemic to the Kasarani estate residents in Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina,Standard]

When an ambitious girl with great love for style and fashion found herself working in the big city, she knew she had to find a way to bring her passion to life. And so Morine Aringo gathered her savings and bought a sewing machine. She also rented a little space, hired a tailor and got to sketch some designs. That heralded the birth of Hando Designs in 2017. Over the years, Hando Designs has grown from a little shop with one tailor, to a big outfit with two branches; in Nairobi and Kisumu. She shares with Hustle, her business journey 

Are you still in employment? 

Currently no. But I have been in and out of employment over the years. My last employer was Virtual City, we were working on a traceability system used to trace export food from the farm to the supermarkets. I’ve been in the horticultural industry for many years now and I’m a strong champion of food safety and security. But before another project pops up, I’m full-time on Hando Designs.

How did the business idea come about?

I’ve been a creative person since childhood. My late mother loved African clothes and made us tiny pretty outfits whenever she made hers. So my siblings and I grew up loving colourful Ankara clothes. I was also that little girl drawing and sketching little clothes for dolls. When I finished campus and needed a side hustle, it came quite naturally to do dressmaking.

How much was the capital?

A year into employment, I had saved up Sh100,000 that I used to set up everything. The beginning of the business was slow, but I would wear the Hando Designs and splash the pictures all over social media. And slowly, people began noticing, and orders started coming in. I still lean heavily on social media and referrals for marketing. To take care of the volume, I now have 10 employees; three seamstresses, front desk managers and some interns. They are a great team and I consider myself blessed.  

What was your first big break?

That was when I got a year-long contract to dress TV personality Willis Raburu for his regular TV show. That was huge for my young business. 

What is your part in the production process? 

Brenda Onono (left) CEO and Founder Marumara Creations and Morine Aringo, Founder of Hando Afrikan Designs demonstrate a skit on how to keep 'Self Distancing' to the locals after distributing free protective face masks to help fight the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID -19) pandemic to the Kasarani eatstes residents in Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina,Standard]

I sketch the designs. Then we source the fabric and the seamstresses bring the outfits to life. Lately though, most clients come with their own designs from the internet or previous work that we’ve done. So we make exactly what they ask for. To avoid the reputation for tardiness that tailors have, we make the outfits way before the deadline to avoid chaos. We aren’t perfect but we try and so far, so good.

What can you attribute to your success?

Persistence. Even when things are bad and I contemplate closing down, I always get up to push and push some more. It has been quite a journey but running Hando has been the best thing I’ve done with my life so far. 

What has been your greatest business achievement?

Having thousands of clients across the world. Our growth still amazes me. Hando has also won two awards; Creative Industry Award 2019 (Women in Business category) and Fashion-preneur Under 30 2020 - Foya Awards. Opening a second branch in Kisumu was also a big deal for us. 

What marketing strategies have served you well? 

I was extremely shy at the beginning about posting my photos on Facebook. Today, I am everywhere; on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp stories.  Anywhere I can interact with clients, you will find me. I also reach out to local celebrities who then wear and market the brand. So far, I have dressed comedian Oga Obinna, Willis Raburu, Betty Kyallo, Sanaipei Tande and songstress Kambua. I also work with local magazines from time to time where I get to dress the cover girls. I attend fashion events, weddings, fashion showcases and social events just to see what people are wearing. At the events, I showcase my outfit, network and make business. I was supposed to showcase in Netherlands last year, but the pandemic happened and that plan was shot to hell. I don’t hold back when it comes to marketing, and it has been working.