Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Business of Fashion Podcast
Episode: Kenya’s Katungulu Mwendwa on Building a Made-in-Africa Brand
Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Imran Ahmed
Guest: Katungulu Mwendwa, Founder of the brand “Katush” and member of BoF 500 Class of 2025

Overview:

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Katungulu Mwendwa, a renowned Kenyan fashion designer and founder of the brand Katush. The discussion centers on the journey of building a contemporary fashion brand rooted deeply in Kenyan culture, the importance and challenges of “Made in Africa” production, and what the global fashion industry can learn from African craftsmanship and creativity.
Mwendwa shares her personal background, her brand’s unique mission, and candid insights about scaling a sustainable fashion business in the Kenyan context.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Roots and Upbringing in Nairobi

• A Sense of Place:
  • Katungulu describes Nairobi as warm, unpredictable, and vibrant—“full of joy and confusion and wonderfulness and unpredictability all in one.” (03:08)
  • Nairobi is a melting pot where diverse cultures meet, giving her a profound sense of community and difference, shaping her worldview and creative ethos.
  • “You can find endless inspiration just from what [Kenya] has just within its borders, even within its city.” (05:55)

2. Early Fashion Fascination and Education

• First Encounters with Fashion:
  • Childhood memories of her mother’s treasured pink silk satin wedding gown sparked Katungulu’s desire to create garments at age 10. (07:45)
• Family Influence:
  • Her grandmothers’ and aunts’ closets were a source of inspiration, and the craft traditions in her family—basketry, beadwork, leather, pottery—deeply informed her approach.
• Artisanal Heritage:
  • Participation in local crafts from an early age, including sisal basket weaving and beadwork meant for export from Eastern Kenya.
• Pursuing Formal Education:
  • With strong family support, Katungulu pursued fashion studies in the UK to gain technical skills and insight into the global fashion system. (10:55)

3. Founding the Katush Brand

• Brand Mission:
  • Katush is an extension of Mwendwa’s experiences, aiming to reimagine traditional Kenyan craft in contemporary fashion. (13:34)
  • She seeks to tell untold stories and infuse her work with cultural relevance and meaning, often inspired by traditional garments and motifs reimagined for modern life.
• Commitment to Local Production:
  • “How can I be the change I want to see is why I'm so adamant about working with local resources.” (16:56)
  • Making everything in Africa is a non-negotiable value for her, despite the infrastructure challenges.

4. Challenges of Local Manufacturing

• Supply Chain Hurdles:
  • Kenya’s textile industry declined in the late 1980s, making raw materials and manufacturing expertise scarce.
  • The pervasive local market for secondhand fashion (mitumba) sets consumer expectations for ultra-low prices, complicating the value proposition for new, locally produced garments.
• Perspective on Secondhand Clothing:
  • The influx of used clothing from the West delivers both opportunities (affordable, quality fashion for consumers) and challenges (environmental impact, undervaluing new local products). (19:53)
  • “Sadly a lot of those end up in landfills, which is for me what is also so disappointing because we haven’t found a way of closing that loop yet.” (20:18)

5. Designing for Meaning and Longevity

• Rethinking Consumption:
  • Mwendwa focuses on designing clothing imbued with cultural and personal meaning—garments to cherish, not discard.
  • “I want to meet people particularly like maybe a year later or five years later, even 10 years later, and hear they still have it in their closet and they're hoping to pass it on.” (28:50)
• Everyday Armor for Superheroes:
  • Her creations are meant to be “everyday armor”—clothes that empower people in their daily roles, big and small.
  • “In that activity, I am an everyday superhero… sometimes it's not the things that make the headlines. It's literally just these everyday activities that need to be acknowledged.” (30:29)

6. Go-to-Market Strategies: Local and Global Reach

• Distribution:
  • Katush sells through Nairobi retailers, local lodges catering to tourists, and through select outlets internationally (including New Mexico in the US and Tokyo, Japan). (27:19)
• Audiences:
  • The brand resonates with both Kenyan and global customers who appreciate cultural authenticity and craftsmanship.

7. The Business Climate for African Fashion Entrepreneurs

• Barriers and Resourcefulness:
  • Starting a brand in Kenya means doing “everything”—design, production, sales, marketing—without the support infrastructure common in the West.
  • Early success came from winning a rare local competition and later from incubator programs and international aid organizations. (32:50)
  • “You literally do everything. I was the tailor, the pattern cutter, I was sales and comms.” (34:51)
• Emergence of Kenyan Fashion Infrastructure:
  • New fashion weeks, designer programs, and grassroots support are growing, but resource constraints remain significant.
• Advice for Other Entrepreneurs:
  • Persistence and asking for help are vital; knowledge-sharing within the community is key.

8. Vision for the Future & Advice to Global Buyers

• Expanding Impact:
  • Katush’s future will focus less on traditional retail and more on “experiencing” the brand in diverse spaces and markets. (38:49)
• Call for Buyer Evolution:
  • Mwendwa urges global buyers to shift perspectives:
    • Don’t require massive minimum orders; consider unique, limited-edition capsule collections.
    • Appreciate the unique design thinking and handcraft found in African brands.
    • Recognize the value and potential global appeal of African-made fashion, both in quality and storytelling.
  • “There’s definitely a consumer who does not yet know that they want and want what's on the continent.” (39:46)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Nairobi’s Character:

  • “It’s full of joy and confusion and wonderfulness and unpredictability all in one.” (Katungulu, 03:08)

• On Family Influence and Early Creativity:

  • “I picked [my mother’s wedding dress] up and tried it on… and so I started stapling the dress together to make it fit me. And she was so horrified.” (Katungulu, 08:34)

• On the Value of Local Production:

  • “If we who are in this field don't then work with our local artisans and… skilled workers and resources, why would they grow?” (Katungulu, 16:56)

• On Secondhand Clothing’s Double Edge:

  • “Kenya’s are quite lucky… to have easy access to a lot of brands that maybe don't necessarily yet have an outlet here at quite affordable prices. So it has its pros and it has its cons.” (Katungulu, 20:18)

• On Creating Clothing with Meaning:

  • “Rethinking how I design and creating items that do that for the end consumer… it has cultural relevance or ritualistic aspects.” (Katungulu, 22:31)

• On Longevity and Emotional Value:

  • “This is a piece I'm going to treasure. It's a piece I'm going to care about. It's a piece I'll wear for special occasions—or maybe not, because I just feel special today.” (Katungulu, 28:50)

• On Everyday Superheroes:

  • “Sometimes it’s not the things that make the headlines… it’s literally just these everyday activities that need to be acknowledged.” (Katungulu, 30:29)

• On Entrepreneurship in Kenya:

  • “You literally do everything. I was the tailor, the pattern cutter, I was sales and comms… learning how to communicate to buyers in a language that is not familiar or understandable from here.” (Katungulu, 34:51)

• On Advice to Buyers:

  • “Stop with that thing of we need 250 pieces. Come here and say we are willing to offer a unique capsule batch for a period of time and it is limited and to see what that does.” (Katungulu, 40:26)

Notable Timestamps

• [03:08]: Katungulu describes the atmosphere and influence of growing up in Nairobi
• [07:45]: Childhood story about experimenting with her mother’s wedding dress
• [13:34]: Introduction to the mission and ethos behind the Katush brand
• [16:56]: Deep dive into the philosophy and challenges of local production
• [19:53]: On the impact of secondhand (mitumba) clothing in Kenya
• [27:19]: How Katush takes products to market locally and abroad
• [28:50]: Vision for clothing as treasures passed from generation to generation
• [30:29]: Explanation of “everyday superheroes” and designing everyday armor
• [32:50]: Candid look at the entrepreneurial landscape and resource challenges in Kenya
• [39:46]: Message for global buyers on embracing African fashion’s distinctive value

Tone & Language

The conversation is candid, hopeful, and grounded. Both Imran Ahmed and Katungulu Mwendwa use warm, vivid language, balancing personal anecdote with pointed industry insight. Their exchange is equal parts celebratory and pragmatic—frank about the challenges, optimistic about African fashion’s global future.

Takeaways

• Building a “Made in Africa” brand like Katush is as much about cultural expression as it is about reimagining business models and systems absent in most Western fashion epicenters.
• Katush’s mission spotlights both the richness of Kenyan craft traditions and the resolve required to overcome infrastructure barriers—serving as a blueprint and beacon for Africa’s next generation of fashion entrepreneurs.
• Global buyers and fashion stakeholders are challenged to rethink sourcing, prioritizing unique, handcrafted value over mass-produced volume, and recognizing the power, potential, and global relevance of African design.