Kenyan startup promoting Chinese designer wear in high-end market

NAIROBI, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Unaku, a Kenyan startup, whose parent company is ThreeGun Clothing Manufacturing Factory Company based in Shanghai, China, is at the frontline of promoting designer outfits from the Asian nation, targeting high net-worth clientele, executives said recently.

Cindy He, general manager at Unaku Kenya, said that Chinese fashion has gained a foothold in the local market amid growing demand from middle-income clients drawn to quality, affordability, and uniqueness.

As a time-honored Chinese brand with a history of more than 80 years, ThreeGun continues to expand its international influence and made its debut in Africa in 2024. Kenya, one of the largest economies in East Africa, is experiencing a promising market development. It takes the Kenyan market as a breakthrough to promote the brand to go global.

ThreeGun in February opened its Kenyan brand "Unaku" warehouse at the Inland Container Depot, located in the industrial heartland of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, to help serve wholesale and retail customers.

As a Kenyan franchise of clothing factory, Unaku serves as a link between Chinese manufacturers of designer clothing, shoes and handbags and local retailers based at Nairobi's high-end shopping malls, according to He.

Currently, Unaku warehouse stocks women's clothes, shoes and handbags sourced from China for distribution to upscale stores frequented by endowed working-class ladies aged between 30 and 55, she said.

"One shop can order more than 100 pieces. For production orders, I have like four shops and each time they order 100 pieces," He said, adding that she has sold more than 2,000 pieces since opening the warehouse early this year.

The price for dresses made from Chinese fabric ranges from 10,000 shillings (about 78 U.S. dollars) to 30,000 shillings and sleek marketing using social media platforms has raised their visibility, said He.

Kenyan female celebrities including television stars, radio presenters and entertainers have also been promoting Unaku brands through their social media handles, according to the general manager. She said the future outlook for Chinese fashion in Kenya is bright given the country's advanced economy and a sizable, educated and exposed middle-class population keen on sartorial elegance.

Moses Ngatia, one of Unaku's biggest clients and owner of TG collection, Kenya's well-known fashion collection shop, believed Chinese fashion is good in the whole world and the Chinese are leading in the fashion industry. "I was studying how they do the manufacturing of the design because every day China has a new design coming out, so you can't do fashion without China," Ngatia declared.

Debbie Odhiambo, the sales manager at Unaku, said it has endeavored to import quality but affordable Chinese designer wear for supplying to Kenyan high-end stores.

"When you come here, you choose your design, color, the fabric that you want," Odhiambo said, adding that through Unaku's platform, local retailers do not have to endure cumbersome and costly importation of Chinese-made fabric and ready-made clothes. Market research, clients' feedback and targeted outreach have informed Unaku's gradual penetration in the Kenyan market, weathering stiff competition from Western brands.