Simone McKay is Afrosentrik
She fell in love with the Nigerian culture the first time she visited the country and their diverse selection of printed fabric was the genesis to what was to be her passion.
“After a shopping trip in the markets of Lagos, I fell in love with the prints. The printed fabrics were just absolutely amazing. The vibrant colours, the texture, there was just no end to it,” Simone McKay gushed.
On visits to her mother, a fashion designer who lives in London, McKay would make trendy clothes using the many pieces of fabric she would buy.
“Nigerians don’t waste a thing. They use every ounce of fabric,” she said, explaining that it was on another trip to central Nigeria that she saw how the fabric was used not only for head wraps, but to adorn footwear as well.
“I literally had a lightbulb moment right there in the market. I thought, surely I could do this for myself also. And once I was back at home I decided to actually try. Soon my mind was already saying I could start a business from this.”
Many of the sandals McKay makes, though made from Nigerian printed fabric, emphasise the Jamaican gold, green and black, as well as red in their design.
“I find that women gravitate to my sandals. Children find my designs cute. And men will buy items for their girlfriends,” she said.
The business, Afrosentrik, was originally meant to be a clothing line and not footwear only.
“And so I actually did a course online but I couldn’t sew and my mum lived all the way in London. And so I abandoned my clothing line idea and decided to launch my footwear idea instead.”
Her entire family is extremely supportive of her business especially when it comes to fabric hunting.
“My husband for one goes to great lengths to find the various printed fabrics for me. I really do appreciate this as sometimes I have a particular design in my head and the right material is usually what holds me back when it comes to bringing this idea into reality,” she said.
With fabrics being bought from as far as Abeokuta in southwest Nigeria, great lengths, not to mention great expense, comes with bringing in the specially tie-dyed prints for her pieces.
McKay also receives help from her sister, Tanique McKay-Hinds, who is also her business partner.
“Tanique has been invaluable to my business. First I thought that I couldn’t actually design the sandals myself and so I was set on recruiting someone. She quickly showed me how easy it could be and now she and I do everything ourselves (with my mum’s hand occasionally). She also handles the social media aspect of our business.”
She has plans to expand the brand to include female tops as well as dresses made from the Nigerian printed fabric.
“I also want to do accessories to further accentuate my pieces,” she said.
“And not to forget the men; I want to have a line for them as well.”
McKay is a Wolmer’s old girl who taught French to high school students. She also taught English as a second language to non-speakers.
