 As always, it is a pleasure being with you each and every Tuesday. If you are just joining us, you are just in time for the next conversation of the day. Welcome back. This is why in the morning, my name is Ram Aguko and of course it is entrepreneurship Tuesday. Today is all about matters concerning entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship. In this particular conversation, we want to talk about fashion entrepreneurship in Kenya. That's right, fashion entrepreneurship in Kenya. And of course, the hashtag is why in the morning at Ram Aguko and that Y254 channel is where you can be able to find us. Engage with us, let us know where you're watching us from and I shall sample your feedback a bit later on during this morning conversation right here on why in the morning. And joining me in studio to talk about this particular issue is Felix Waro. He is a fashion brand new and founder of Pina call garments. Karibusana Felix. Okay, thank you so much. You're welcome. How are you doing today? I'm good. Looking sharp. Even you. Karibusana. You look like a Pina call. Even you look like a Pina call. Even you look like a Pina call. But even you look like a designer though. You have color blended your outfit very well. They are... Gracias. I should join you in the street. Sure, sure. But you must pass from me. I teach you the norm of fashion. What is Pina call garments all about? Pina call garments all about custom made products. Actually we are dealing with custom made outfits which basically we deal with gents and women's wear. Where we customise our outfits from scratch. Out of what suits? Ya suits. Specifically. Not basically suits. Even new dresses and even some other outfits. That's why we are known as Pina call garments. Pina calls actually is not a limitation of whether it's a suit or a dress. So how diverse are your garments? What are the different types of styles that you do? Actually we got varieties of styles because actually it will depend on our clients. When a client walks in, what it tells us or the way it will depend on the functionality where he is going to. For example he is going on a wedding. You want to give him a suit that suits a corporate image. Or maybe he is a person who is not even a politician. Let me say a musician. You want to give him a corporate suit. So it will depend on the personality of a client. To African way you are still there? Ya even if the client is still there. Okay. What is it so you do not have a particular style what you do you are? We have a major area of specialization. We actually major in suits so much. That's our major main area of specialization. Okay. So let's get to know who Felix is first before we get into the dignity gritties. Who is Felix and how can we picture you as a person? Who is Felix Awaro? Okay Felix Awaro is like Kenyan first of all. He is a fashionpreneur in Kenya. He has actually started fashion and design and actually got an idea of how to craft a piece of an outfit. So I am just like a fashion designer like the normal fashion designers in Kenya. He has actually started it and I know the heart that is being required in fashion. So this is something you have gone to school? Ya I have gone to school. Ya like a career. Ya like a career. But it is more of a passion also. Ya. I began it way back when I was still young. You know someone who got a technician decided you know what? No. I will be a tailor. No. When it comes creativity you must go to school. There are some little bit of details you must learn from school. Ya. Now for someone like me, I am afraid of tailors. Ya. And I am afraid of going to somebody to tell them you know what? This is the picture I want. And many Kenyans have seen this when you go to somebody and then you tell them that this is what I want. But the picture you get is totally different. Ya. How, what is always the problem here? Because it makes someone like me to know how to go pasama. And you are like what? We don't know how it will come out. What is always the problem here? Okay the problem sort of all comes with between the tailor and the client. First of all they are now began about communication. Are we related with your tailor? Are we going to your tailor? So for example when you come to me or when you come to our premise of work, you first of all guide our clients on what will suit them. And how those outfit will work best for them. Ya you can't come to our office and then like you tell us you need a yellow suit. Maybe color scheming may work also with the body size. So you can not just come to us and tell us hey I need a yellow suit. We will first of all advise you. We can go through the way that suit will look to you. Whether it fits your body structure. Ya your body structure. Okay. So where the problems comes in, you go to a tailor. Definitely no one doesn't love money. We need entrepreneurship. You tell me you need a suit. We all love money. Ya we all love money. So what we see is not what we get. So that's what I'm telling you. These people love money but some people love their business. Like a person like me. I love my business. That's why each and every day I keep on guiding my clients on what they should wear and the way their outfit should look like. So let's talk about that aspect of guiding your clients. For those who are watching you today, I want us to get into the mind of a fashion premiumer. What do you look at? When someone enters your store and you see them, what are those things that you pick out from that person that inform the decision that you're going to make about the style and the kind of attire they're going to put on plus the fabric? Okay. First impressions are when a client walks in, we look at the body. I tell you the body of somebody. Like the body structure. How is the body structure is. First of all, it gives us the first impression of what should we dress. After that one, now we look at the occasion. Where are you heading to? Or which type of occupation are you in? Is when we now come to a judgmental that like this outfit a navy blue suit or a gray suit will work for your occasion very nicely. And do you have colors that you don't recommend for certain skin types? It depends. There's some people who are bold. There's some people who are bold. They light skin but they're bold enough to have even more bright colors that even those people are not bold enough. So what do you mean by bold? Bold means somebody who has confidence with himself. Or character. Yeah, character. Okay. So you guess the cart of somebody for you to say, you know what this is, what goes for you, this doesn't? Yeah. Because at the end of the day, if you have gone to a fashion school, you've been taught about body sizes. And then even the plus size, the normal sizes. Because at the end of the day, for you to dress that person, if you give somebody who is more bigger plus size screaming off it, it's going to make him to be much bigger than the way he is. Even there's some fabrics which are like more prince type, brighter prince type. We actually can't recommend to our clients who are much bigger. Okay. How would you say fashion apprenticeship in Kenya is at the moment? Is it a lucrative field? Is this something that someone can go for? And of course you're in there. Even as you talk about that, some of the challenges you faced when it comes to this particular industry. Okay. Actually fashion prenua in Kenya at the moment we are picking. We are getting to those levels that we are looking at. The countries like US, the way fashion designers are in the life that they are living, we are getting into there. But actually the major challenges that at the moment you are still facing are readymade outfits. Readymade outfits because somebody feels like going for a readymade, it's quite time consuming than coming to make a new outfit. Because for you to come to make a new outfit from us, you must first of all book an appointment. Is going to tell us it's time consuming than readymade? Yes. Time consuming actually. So for you to come to us, you must first of all look at what you want. We must take your measurements, guide you, give you a date since that we have some other orders with us. So maybe time consuming. So the challenge that we are actually facing as fashion prenuas is like readymade outfits. Can you pick, is it possible for you to know an outfit that is readymade? Yes. As a person? Yes. Is this one readymade or tailor made? I know I put on this for that. That you are readymade. Is this readymade or tailor made? It's readymade. Sure. You sure? Ya. I'm giving one chance to change your mind. I'm sure. What informs that decision? There's some more details that actually you as a client will never say but me as a tailor I will definitely say. If you look at my suit, there's some more craftsmanship that I've done in it. Like even if you see the lapel, it's kind of broader than yours. It's kind of broader than yours because that means that now my mind is more personal styling. I've styled it for myself. Ya, it's basically precise for me. But your readymade are made in terms of sizes. So you just go there, you tell them your size and then you're being given the one that suits you. Ya. Wow, I love that. You have a keen eye. Thank you. You have a keen eye. What are some of those things that have helped you to jump through the hoops and these challenges that you face as a fashion venue? Okay, number one, I'm not... Actually, I first of all came from another brand. I've worked for some brands. Like if you look like a brand like Bespoke City, I hope majority of you have heard about it. Ya, Bespoke City, I've worked for Bespoke City. So there is where I gain a lot of mileage in terms of the industry. How I should manage my business. I should scale my business in terms of the kind of environment that I am in or that I'm trying to engage in. Ya. So you've been in the industry before? Ya, I've been nurtured by someone. Ya, I've been nurtured by someone. Wow. Other things that have enabled you to jump through these hoops? Basically, the equation. Because the equation is actually the breakthrough of a lot of things. Ya, if you know it right, you'll never go wrong in terms of education. Because education, for you to get into entrepreneurship, you must know the aesthetics of entrepreneurship. The way to maneuver the streets, the way to scale your business, the way to expand your business at which time or at which interval when your business needs that opportunity or when your business average that opportunities of scaling. Ya. Now, let's talk about shopping. Because you mentioned that one challenge is the aspect of having readymade suits and attires, yet at the same time you want people to come and so you can make and customize it for them. When it comes to shopping, because I'm aware that one of those things that you do at Pinnacle is about personal shopping. Ya. You help people when it comes to personal shopping and even doing them, what's it called, wardrobe... Styling. Styling. Ya. And makeover. Ya, makeover. What are some of those tips that you can give just to mention but a few that help in this particular area? Okay, in terms of like shopping, now shopping we have some of our clients that doesn't have that time of going to shop or getting to a mall to buy or purchase an outfit. Mainly they may be having different reason in terms of even styling that doesn't know their taste or they're not good in styling but majority of them doesn't have that time. So we go shopping for them, we look at what they want, where they want to go to in terms of vocation or in terms of occupation, we look at and then guide them in terms of what we can shop for them. So that one is one and then two in terms of personal wardrobe. Personal wardrobe now entails arranging your wardrobe in terms of like a good manner or in a presentable way. For example, like if on Monday to Friday you always at work, how should your wardrobe look like according to your job and then weekend you always like a person who is more outgoing, how should your wardrobe look like? So we arrange for you your wardrobe in terms of like scheming in terms of like where are you going to be in terms of like days or occupation? But then how are you able to counter the challenge of having ready made at the same time you help in doing shopping? Doesn't that coincide with your vision as a pinnacle? Okay basically like pinnacle that's why we are brand actually we are versatile. But most of all our main idea it's all about BISPO, crafted outfit from our clients but we have also clients that we must reach their needs in terms of like the way they put on but even shopping doesn't details that we should go to them all to shop for them. We can shop for them even from our shops. Even that one is also okay because we do make even shots for weekend or even shots even tanik sets which actually right now is common because we are in winter summer season. Is there time that you get ready made clothes for clients? Ya ya ya ya ya I can't like that sometimes you do get ready made for them because maybe they need jeans or because of their time maybe they are our clients that we have built for something like an year so they need something to go for a slightly like over the weekend so even though you know you know what we would like to customise your suits but because of time we can advise you to get this ready made or for example like we want to blend for our clients it's outfit maybe you need something like a smart casual over the weekend so maybe you need our blazers and even our shirts so maybe at the interval time that he has given us we can't be able to produce for him a good khaki pant or a good khaki shirt or even jeans so we decide to go shopping for them someone like me I'm so poor when it comes to casual clothes I don't know how to put them on I don't know how to put them on I really have that kawan jeans in my wardrobe I put on during the weekends when I'm done it's on a Monday and I'm back to my suits so how would you advise me someone like me do a mock someone like me I'm from Monday to Friday I'm in a suit Sunday of course I'm in a suit some Saturdays I'm in a suit so the only day that maybe I am not in a suit is on some particular Saturdays that I'm at home on Saturdays only but are you going out on Saturdays? sometimes yes actually most of the times yes I go out but now the place that I go to some need suits ok so over the weekend mostly the way we always advise our clients it's all about you being you first of all being you it's like everything because at the end of the day are you going to feel if you wear this outfit for example over the weekend we always advise our clients to put on all like two practices the norm of wearing tanik set which are known as Africans tanik sets are quite quite easy quite easy for you to manuva or even flexible in terms of breathing space in terms of even like you feeling comfortable with them or even smart casual smart casual you can crack in your khaki pant or jeans that you want jeans which you believe is the best for you that one jeans is the best yeah sure sure so that one can crack it with a little bit of a penny loafers with a penny loafers with jeans and a good polo shirt with a blazer a casual blazer you do have casual blazer and official blazer aha ok so you get some loafers that jeans and other jeans and other jeans And the shirt? What type of shirt? Apollo shirt? Yeah Apollo shirt, yeah. If you don't want to go with the norm of wearing smart casual wear but you break your tunic set. A shirt, African shirt, a printed shirt with that. You did spant or even you can wear it with jeans. I could always find myself putting on black shoes with jeans. Yeah, black shoes and jeans. Is that a passion disaster? I think you should look for me. Yeah, you should look for me. Definitely you should look for me. What are some of those common mistakes most people who are in fashionpreneurship always make that you've seen so far? Okay, the major mistake that we fashion designers or fashionpreneurs we always make running for money than loving your work. Definitely if you want to be the best fashion designer you must first of all love your work. You must look at the cuts of your shirt, the cuts of your outfit, detail precisely made in terms of like quality assurance. Yeah, so most of us we do love money which are in fashion but he doesn't love to be or pay commitment in fashion. We go for the money. Yeah, you go for the money. Not the customer satisfaction. Yeah sure, not the customer satisfaction. So you'll find somebody promising you that tomorrow you'll get your outfit. Yeah, he definitely knows he won't deliver. So as a spinakul gam, it's our major area of focus. That's why like each and every day we keep on growing is we do focus on our customer satisfaction. Wonderful. Yeah, we give them A1. A1 of our product here. And if you look at Sambure and then you do a great job on that person. See you should be taking like the photos and then you... That will depend with the type of client that you're having. Maybe you have somebody who is like more of a low-key client or first of all, like as immediately you're dealing with a corporate client, corporate client is somebody like after giving him a suit, you'll never see that suit. Even on a picture, you'll never see him posting anywhere after you've given him. He's going to wear it or he'll be going with it to his workplace without even having it. Yeah sure. Now okay, I want us to bring this conversation to a close. I have so many questions about fashion because I love suits. Thank you. But let me come to the women, to the ladies because I know they are also... I don't want to appear to be what I'm thinking about. Let's talk about the ladies. Some of those tips that you like to give that lady out there who is trying to get that attire that best suits them. Because for many ladies or many women they go through that process every single day where they are stuck staring at this wardrobe and they have no idea what to put on. And they take hours and hours trying to figure out what do I put on. One lady told me yesterday that she has to feel... Yes, she must have the feeling. The feeling. I didn't understand that completely. But let's talk about that. Okay, for personal styling what I can advise somebody. Let me say for example that tomorrow you are having an interview. You must get prepared in advance. That will give you at least a confidence of even wearing that outfit. You may be having a feeling but maybe that outfit is not more impressive. You wear it like for example like me. For me to go somewhere or for me to tend my duties over the day. I do put my outfit on check over the night. So the night before you check the outfit? Yes, I check the outfit. Where am I going tomorrow? Is it more of an official meeting? What type of suit should I look at? I should look at the navy colors, the grey colors and even the more or less of the beige, more official colors. Let's talk about the official colors. So don't get stuck at the wardrobe staring at the wardrobe for long. The fashion venue is advising you. Take heed of the event. What event it is? The theme color. Yes, the theme color. No, not the theme color. Actually the occasion where you heading to. If it's more of an official occasion you must put on an official outfit for it to show your confidence and even what you're doing or why have you been invited to such occasion because every day for you to get into an official meeting for the co-operator for anyone to get you serious they must see you looking sharp and even more serious than even them. Do you think Kenyans value this kind of fantasy? Do Kenyans value the work that men and women like you do? Yes, actually at the moment we're getting kind of positive feedback because people now have begun to accept fashion as a job. People have begun accepting fashion as a job and some of the people let me say there is a percentage of people who doesn't believe that fashion or custom made products do exist because of some of their frustration from somewhere or they were frustrated somewhere but I would love to advise them today when they get somebody who is doing his work professionally they will never regret. They will love fashion for the rest of their life. Felix, thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much. I appreciate you so much. Thank you so much. How can people find you on social media? Pinakul garments, it's in all social media platforms. It's pinakul underscore garments. Alright. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it. I wish you the best as I said earlier on. Maybe one day you'll make me also a suit. Thank you, thank you. Your pleasure actually even tomorrow. When you're ready to just let me know. To tapanga. Well, that was the end of this conversation but we still have more coming up your way. This is why in the morning.