Pepper Row: A Neo-Luxury Sustainable Fashion Brand Crafting African Stories

Introduction?

It was a pleasure to mentor Omafume “Mafu” Niemogha on the African Future Fashion Incubation (AFFI) programme in March and April this year. She was open to learning, engaged and committed. With each session, I saw how she was embracing the mindset of building a business. Let me share her story, and I hope you will be as inspired as I am by this dynamic young African fashion entrepreneur.

?

Omafume Niemogha , the founder and creative director of Pepper Row , has carved a unique path in the fashion industry with her neo-luxury sustainable fashion brand. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and educated between Lagos and Bristol, her journey from engineering to fashion is driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact by showcasing indigenous craftsmanship, empowering small communities and promoting African stories.

Early Inspiration and Education

Growing up with an art-loving father who worked in advertising, Mafu was exposed to and involved in trade fairs, pop-up events, ad shoots, and styling ad campaigns - her early introduction to arts and her creativity. Despite pursuing studies in Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering, Mafu soon realised she had more to offer the world through fashion, as it offers a way for her to be impactful: “I felt like I had something unique to say in fashion whilst being impactful, whilst telling African stories from my own point of view, whilst promoting the crafts and empowering small communities”.

?

The Birth of Pepper Row

After completing her degree, Mafu embarked on the journey of establishing Pepper Row. In her words, 2016 was a learning year: she registered her business name, did market research, and a lot of experimentation, including briefly running a now-defunct bridal line. She credits her start to the British Council’s creative classes, for providing valuable insights that helped shape her business perspective. In 2018, Pepper Row made its debut as a neo-luxury sustainable fashion brand.?

Distinctive Brand Philosophy

Pepper Row is renowned for its modern and futuristic designs that incorporate indigenous materials and local, artisanal craftsmanship. The brand’s name reflects its customer base – spicy, cool people who span Nigeria, Africa, Europe, and the United States. Mafu describes Pepper Row customers, regardless of where they come from, as “bold, sophisticated, playful, art enthusiasts, culture custodians, and well-travelled people who love to stand out and dress with intention and are conscious consumers”.

?

?Crafting with Purpose

Every Pepper Row piece is meticulously crafted by a team of in-house tailors and collaborations with artisans from small communities around Nigeria, from Lagos to Abeokuta, Ibadan, and Kano. Embracing sustainability, all pieces are handmade and created with care. For example, the One For The Row Smart Lounge set , from the Summer Spring 2022 collection which showcases sustainably sourced hypoallergic silk cotton. The fabric undergoes freehand batiking and stamping by master batikers, while local wood carvers handcraft wooden beads for added embellishment. Another popular piece is the cheerful, colour-blocked Love Bustier mini-dress made from aso òkè hand-woven by artisans in Ibadan, Nigeria, and fringed with raffia fibres hand-dyed with plant-based dyes. Each piece tells a story and is a testament to Pepper Row’s commitment to supporting artisans and preserving traditional craftsmanship.?

Growth and Impact

Since its inception, Pepper Row has sold approximately a thousand pieces. The brand's core team consists of Mafu, a creative assistant, and a social media manager, alongside five in-house tailors, and a network of up to a hundred artisans. Pepper Row understands the importance of financial management and works with an external auditor, as all their finances are tracked, and end-of-year auditing is done. Artisans are paid on a case-by-case basis, but as Pepper Row works year-round, their team of artisans are always kept employed. Pepper Row operates a brand-to-brand and brand-to-consumer model, creating pieces on demand for stockists and customer orders. As a sustainable brand, Pepper Row prioritises limited inventory to avoid excess waste.

Collections and Collaborations

Pepper Row’s collections are inspired by diverse elements: African stories, people, culture, music, dance literature, and folk tales, all viewed through Omafume’s own personal lens to create a signature brand style.

For instance, the Spring Summer 2023 collection draws inspiration from flora and fauna, and the interactions between humans and nature, and highlights the need for man and animals to respect each other’s habitat. It was also inspired by the mountains of Jos, Nigeria, where Mafu’s grandfather worked as a miner in the 70s. The collection uses materials like batik and raffia, and features accessories with hand-painted animals. The Autumn Winter 2023 Collection, “Oroma in Marrakech”, features artist Oroma Elewa as a muse, with colours inspired by Marrakech, Morocco, and features wood accessories made from upcycled materials, handcrafted by the sixth generation of local wood carvers, and hand-painted by Mafu in Pepper Row’s studio in Lagos.

?

Pepper Row has participated in numerous collaborations and runway shows, including a partnership with Vlisco&co to create a ten-piece collection with their African wax print, and featured in this year’s edition of Homecoming , the annual festival of African culture and creativity. Pepper Row has been featured in pop-ups at ABY Concepts and Alara, and has been featured on runways at Lagos Fashion Week, Arise Fashion Show, GT Fashion Week, Rwandan Fashion Week at the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, African Fashion Night, Switzerland, and much more. Pepper Row has also collaborated with tech businesses to pivot into Web3 and the metaverse and looks forward to sharing more on that in time.

Pepper Row’s Bushman Silk Embellished Set was worn by Nigerian afrobeat artiste, Burna Boy, in the second half of the music video for his 2022 track, Common Person . Part of Pepper Row’s Spring Summer 2022 collection, the piece is a silk set hand-beaded by local artisans, all women from Makoko, Lagos. Interestingly, the piece had been inspired by Burna Boy: “when I was designing the piece, I thought to myself, ‘how would Burna Boy move in this piece?’ Burna was my muse whilst designing that piece”. Omafume says that when Burna’s stylists reached out to Pepper Row about Burna wearing it for the video, it felt like a “full circle moment”, and that the artiste really embodied the essence of the set in the music video. Other notable Nigerians, like A?a , Temi Otedola , Eku Edewor , and some international influencers have dressed in Pepper Row, further emphasizing the brand's influence and recognition.

Social Enterprise and Sustainability

Driven by her desire to make a positive impact, Mafu is developing the “Makoko Magic” project, as part of Pepper Row’s social enterprise initiatives. The project aims to empower women and youth in Nigeria by providing training in various crafts such as batiking, hand weaving, hand dyeing, fabric beading, sewing, basketry, and painting. The project currently has 20 women enrolled, and the goal is to increase that number to 100, to eventually build an industry that can empower women and young people. The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable and ethical garment production industry, connect artisans with fashion producers, and contribute to the circular economy. ?Mafu hopes to play a part in mitigating the current effects of fast fashion, as it is a major contributor to landfills and pollution. The end goal is to preserve life and preserve land, and to consider the lifecycle of clothes and the people who wear them. Mafu envisions a responsible fashion business that considers the lifecycle of clothes and prioritises the well-being of both people and the environment.

?

Future Vision and Growth

Under the AFFI programme, Mafu notes that it has been a learning curve and a revelation and that having the opportunity to connect with other designers in her industry made her feel like a part of a beautiful community. She describes how she has been able to focus and learn more about the business aspects of running Pepper Row - creating a business structure, working with a business plan, effective branding, marketing, and financial management. She now has a greater understanding of the principles necessary for building a successful business. ?With all this knowledge, she also sees all the avenues for growth for Pepper Row.

?

Pepper Row’s journey to becoming a neo-luxury sustainable fashion brand is a testament to Mafu’s passion for African stories, culture and craftsmanship. Through her vision, Pepper Row is making a significant impact by empowering artisans, promoting sustainability, and offering a unique African perspective in the global fashion landscape. With its growth and commitment to authenticity and impact, Pepper Row is set to leave an indelible mark on the African fashion industry. Let us support entrepreneurs like Mafu and Pepper Row who are contributing to the economic transformation of Africa, creating jobs and generating revenues.

To explore the latest Pepper Row pieces, visit the online stores Industrie Africa , Clothia , and ABY CONCEPT , and also via their social media pages and website .

?

?

About Parminder Vir OBE

Over a 40-year distinguished career, Parminder Vir OBE has passionately devoted her life to amplifying untold narratives and resourcing the skills and imagination of underserved communities. At the core of her mission lies an unshakable faith in the transformative potential of ideas and stories to ignite profound change. Her diverse expertise spans African entrepreneurship, an impressive portfolio as an award-winning film and television producer, and unwavering advocacy for the arts and culture.

Currently, Parminder Vir serves as the Executive Director of Wazima Health , lends her strategic insights as an Advisory Board Member of Mamamoni Limited and HelpMum Africa , and contributes as a Narrative Advisor at Mustard Venture Agency. She is also a director of ZIKORA Media & Arts African Cultural Heritage Initiative , an inspirational cultural institution for Africa.

In her prior role as CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Advisory Board Member, she masterminded and executed a comprehensive entrepreneurship programme, impacting over 10,000 African entrepreneurs across 54 African nations from 2014 to 2021. Her tireless commitment to championing entrepreneurship as the keystone for Africa's social and economic advancement continues to be a resounding call to action.