Fashion sisters host event for black creatives

Sisters Adeola and Ronke Jane Adelakun are the founders of African fashion brand Cultureville. The brand was born out of their struggle to find African print clothing in the UK. The sisters told BBC Radio Manchester that they faced a number of challenges in starting their business, including a lack of resources and a lack of support.

Ronke Jane recalls, “I quickly realized that I wasn’t the only one facing these issues and that many creative people struggle to make money from their creations.” After college, Ronke Jane traveled to Nigeria for three and a half years, where she reconnected with her cultural roots and became fascinated by the local fabrics and clothing styles. This became the inspiration for launching their brand.

Upon returning to Manchester, Ronke Jane, along with her sister Adeola, decided to turn this dream into a reality. Together they started Cultureville, however, the biggest challenge they found themselves facing was a lack of knowledge and networking resources, Ronke Jane says: “I didn’t see too many designers who were going through similar experiences to me, and there wasn’t enough support to help us.” She points out that a lot of things can only be done by knowing certain people, which is very difficult for them.

What’s more, this dilemma wasn’t just a personal issue for them; Ronke Jane realized that many black creatives lacked the same platforms, skills, and resources. That’s why they decided to organize “Black Creative Pioneers”, an initiative that aims to help these creatives fill the gap in resources and support that they were missing.

“Black Creative Pioneers is an annual event founded by Adeola and Ronke Jane to raise the profile of black creative entrepreneurs. Last week’s event, held at Aviva Studios in Manchester, featured performances by black musicians, poets and models, as well as showcasing the work of artists and fashion designers.

Adeola said, “We have to do more to really open doors for black creatives, just talking about it won’t do it.” Through this platform, they hope to provide more black creatives with the opportunity to showcase their talents and advance their careers.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)