"Becoming a fashion designer was never a part of my vision board. When I founded Elisamama, I was still working a corporate job. I felt like I wanted to live a life of more meaning and purpose. My family is from Nigeria, and I spent time there growing up. I got the idea to start a brand that supports women artisans in the country."
"In the fall of 2020, someone found us on Instagram and, unbeknownst to me, dropped our name with a Saks buyer. Whenthe department store initially reached out, I thought it was a scam, and I didn't respond. Then, a vice president from the company DM'd me on Instagram. I freaked out andwas very scared. I thought: How are we going"
Fisayo Che founded Elisamama to support women artisans in Nigeria, growing the brand from flea markets to Etsy and social media. The brand landed placement at Saks Fifth Avenue after a buyer discovered it via Instagram. Saks Global later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and owes Che six figures for inventory. Saks stated that bankruptcy funding will facilitate go-forward payments to brand partners while it reorganizes. Che faces lost revenue, damaged trust in a longtime retail partner, and the challenge of rebuilding cash flow and relationships to sustain her business.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]