Closet Exchange Kenya: The New Fashion Project in Nairobi

Everybody goes through fashion saturation, when your closet is filled to the brim with items you can’t stand to wear again. Sometimes you even feel guilty staring at all the clothes, bags and shoes that you haven’t worn in years. Closet Exchange is a new online fashion project that provides you with the option of decluttering your wardrobe in style.

 

 

Launched early this year by Caroline Kagendo Mbui, the project hopes to help you regain control of your closet. She explains to UP about what inspired her to begin this concept.

“When I moved houses last year, our new place had a third of the closet space I used to have. I had nowhere to store most of my clothes, bags or shoes and I was forced to go through all my items and consider what I wanted to keep or get rid of”.

 

 

Caroline further states that the founding principle of Closet Exchange Kenya is to help people keep a capsule wardrobe that speaks elegance, sophistication and meets the demands of their lifestyle, while giving others access to the same at an affordable cost.

 

So how does it work? Closet Exchange takes the best pieces from your closet that you no longer use and sells them for you. This includes wedding dresses, among other valuable items. If you think it’s a raw deal, worry not, because they will actually offer you 40% of the selling price. Ethical fashion also has a role to play- they will donate clothes to charity in case they are not purchased after six months.

 

 

The next step is called ‘Closet Edit’ and styling, which involves cleaning out your closet, as a stylist provides you with styling tips to guide your sartorial choices for a lifetime.

 

The personal styling tips are also extended to busy men and women to fit their taste, budget and lifestyle as they keep their closets classy and fabulous.

 

 

 

 

As milestones are part and parcel of every startup, Kagendo reveals that their greatest challenge has been getting the right store space to ensure that their customers’ needs are served conveniently and also arriving at a pricing point that is fair both to their ‘Resale Consignment Clients’ (the sellers) and customers.

 

 

With tenacity and resilience, Closet Exchange program could just be the greatest change-maker in Kenya’s fashion industry!