myashoMy Asho, an online store based in the United Kingdom, which sells local merchandise and clothing from designers, has been booming since its start in 2008 by Dolapo Shobanjo. The hardworking team at My Asho did a brief Q&A with me. I was extrememly excited to learn about its motivation and how it got started.

How did My Asho get started?

 Getting access to African designers has always been a challenge – for both Africans and non-Africans. There was never a one-stop-shop where you could find your favourite African designers. As an African, you always had to ask someone back home to go to a specific flagship store if you wanted particular items. 

The idea was born in 2008 and we followed it up immediately and began researching the industry.  The response to international shows such as the This Day/ARISE music and fashion festivals and also the African Fashion Collective at NY fashion week 2009 was motivating and validated our work.

Do you get a lot of business and traffic?

 We have visitors from all over the world visiting the Site and purchasing items which is great. However, there’s definitely still more room to grow and we are focused on attracting new customers to the site.

How do you market your business?

We have various ways of marketing the business. Our most effective is word of mouth. However, we have had a few press features and also standard methods such as Google and Facebook ads have worked quite well.

Do you use Search Engine Optimization?

Of course! We are an online business and SEO is key.

How did you garner designers to allow you to sell their clothing?

Dealing with designers was actually a lot more difficult than expected.  Every designer is protective of their brand and because myasho.com is a new concept, there was a fair amount of scepticism. These designers work very hard and have to overcome many challenges – lack of cash flow, inconsistencies in government policy, lack of infrastructure, high operating costs etc.

They work tirelessly and really deserve much more international recognition for their efforts. It has been great to learn this, and we’re now even more determined to help each designer as best as we can.

Another difficulty was locating designers across Africa, as very few have websites or are featured in magazines. You tend to hear of these designers through word of mouth which made it challenging for us to locate and approach them.

Who is the most successful designer you have had?

It depends how success is defined. Some designers have had a lot of press attention and some have had a lot of sales. I think the question is a bit premature as we only launched in June and haven’t had a full season yet. Ask me again this time next year.

Photo by My Asho