WHO: Amira Rasool, Founder of The Folklore
For those who aren’t familiar with your work, what do you do? And how did you break into the fashion industry?
I am the Founder and CEO of The Folklore, the leading commerce platform for discovering African designer brands. I broke into the industry in college, interning for WWD, Marie Claire, The Fader, and V Magazine. After college, I began working full-time at V Magazine as the Fashion Coordinator before launching The Folklore.
As a buyer and curator, much of your role is about discovering new talent. How do you find new brands? And is there one thing you think makes a rising fashion brand worth following?
I mostly find new brands online since I don’t live in Africa full time, and 85% of our brands are sourced from there. I typically find brands on Instagram by following accounts that feature Black or African brands like Retail Noire and Manju. I also browse through galleries from the various fashion weeks happening in Africa; Lagos Fashion Week is my favorite one to follow. When I am actually in Africa, I always spend a day or two in whatever city I am in, visiting local multibrand concept stores that support emerging designers. One thing that makes a rising fashion brand worth following is consistency. I love a brand that has a story and an aesthetic that they continue to build upon and remix each season.
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