Imperial Wardrobe, Showcasing African Value to Suit every Occasion

It is always with great excitement when we share, showcase and celebrate African brands. When I started my journey as a web content manager in one of the greatest PR and Communication firm in Douala, the only social media platform I was acquainted with at the moment was Facebook. As I carried on with my training in that firm, I became familiar with Instagram and the first suggestion made by the platform algorythm was Imperial Wardrobe. As I flipped through the brand’s timeline, I was amazed at the beauty of the attires, the uniqueness of the accessories and what was peculiar about all of them was the grandiloquent and imperial touch they had. Social media magic made e to come across someone who knows the great minds behind this fabulous clothing brand. Read along and discover the journey and interesting story behind the creation of Imperial Wardrobe.

Chez Mona: It is always a pleasure to meet great talents like you and we are honoured to feature your work and brand on our platform. So, tell us, who is the brain behind Imperial Wardrobe?

Imperial Wardrobe: There are two people behind the company Imperial Wardrobe. Kaya Tunde Njikam and Ntani Suh Nsutebu. We are both pharmacists by profession and we have been into fashion and designing since our early days in pharmacy school in Ghana. It will interest you to know that Imperial wardrobe came into existence in 2011, though at the time it was not yet the brand it is today.

CM: I have been following you on social media, especially on IG. Looking at your designs, I can perceive royalty, distinction…. What inspired you to come up with such a brand and why did you choose to name it Imperial Wardrobe?

IW: First of all the materials we use in producing our outfits and accessories are of premium quality, that for a king or a queen. It is also about our experiences and passion for fashion, not just fashion in general but African clothing and fashion.

CM: Now, let us get into the creative process of your collections and accessories. We could determine you use a lot of African fabrics and material such as Batik, Ankara, Bazin, or you use techniques such as embroidery, patches etc. Why do you choose to work with these materials?  And is it easy to have a consistent supply?

IW: there is a quote from Nelson Mandela which says:  « if you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. » Due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of everyone, we wish to speak to them in a fashionable way that would speak to their hearts. We also emphasize a lot on the quality of our works and therefore we always go for fabrics of optimal quality. They say nothing good comes easy and therefore it is sometimes challenging to get the desired fabrics, especially nowadays where many companies in a bid to cut down cost adulterate their raw material with low-quality materials. However, that notwithstanding we always provide premium quality for our clients. Aside from the fabrics mentioned above, we also use kente, Adire, Woodin and Ndop fabric.

CM: The previous question awakens my curiosity and prompts me to inquire on the greatest challenge faced today by most fashionpreneurs: the Covid-19 Pandemic…. How did you continue to source out materials and build customer loyalty? Have you acquired new customers? What have been your challenges in this period of global crisis so far?

IW: hmm where do I start? We launched our first showroom in February 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak so you can imagine how it felt like. This changed the dynamics and more than ever before we had to make optimal use of the internet and social media both for sourcing fabrics and building our customer base. The advantage of this approach is that many people now spend more time on their phones during this period and therefore increases the chances that they view your content. More than 60% of our clients first knew about Imperial Wardrobe via our social media pages on FB and IG. The major challenge has been the lack of confidence by customers in the content they view online. However, we have had very positive feedback from clients who purchase from us as they often confirm that our products meet their expectations.

CM: I have been following your activities for over 2 years now. What is your recipe for consistency in the fashion design in Cameroon and out of Cameroon? Tell us about your proudest and lowest moment as a designer.

IW: Passion, determination, patience and resilience drive everything we do at Imperial. I can say our proudest moment was the launching of our showroom at Makepe, Petit Pays in Douala. Our lowest moment was during the period of lockdown a few weeks after the launching of our showroom when everything seemed so uncertain. Thank God we are here today and still in business

CM: Apart from African attires and regalia for men, women and kids which other accessories or set of attire do you offer to your clients? Do you do ready-made garments or can customers order and come in for measurements?

IW: We also do handmade shoes, sandals and slippers, designer shoes, designer perfumes, necklaces, wrist bands and much more. Aside from our ready-made garments, customers can also order what they want so we sew to their fit. As much as possible we ensure every customer has a unique experience and gets exactly or even more than what they want. Our catalogue is non-exhaustive we always ensure that we modify what we already do or create something new for our clientele

CM: If you had to give a piece of advice to any young entrepreneur willing to get into the fashion industry in Cameroon, what will you wish to tell him/her?

IW: Do not expect it to be a bed of roses. It requires an investment of your time, effort, creativity and resources. Also do not be scared of making mistakes, most of the best lessons are learnt from our mistakes.

CM: Do you have any future plans or projects so far as your brand and company are concerned?

IW: As a company, we have very big plans which we will unfold in due time. Just to mention that eventually we intend to expand by opening a second showroom in the near future so watch our space closely. We also seize this opportunity to invite all our current and to be customers for the celebration of our 1^st anniversary in April (Date still to be confirmed). We shall publicize the exact dates on our social media pages.

CM: We appreciate having you with us. Thank you for your time and we wish you the best in all your projects.

 IW : Thank you so much Chez Mona for inviting us to participate in this interview, we are very much honored.

In case you will love to acquire any of Imperial Wardrobe garments or accessories, just pop in at their showroom located at Makepe, Opposite the International Russian School, Douala or visit their social media Imperial wardrobe on Facebook and Instagram and leave a message. A special thanks to Arah from Arah’s Little Shop without whom this great interview wouldn’t have been possible.