An interview with maker Cultureville as part of our 'Get to Know...' series.
Tell us a little about yourself and your business…
Our names are Ronke Jane and Adeola Adelakun and we create gorgeous African print clothing and accessories.Where are you based?
Manchester
Tell us a secret about you?
Adeola loves Karaoke and Ronke Jane loves K-dramas!How do you make your work?
All our fabrics are sourced from Nigeria and Ghana where we are proud to work with talented artisans who hand make our products.
Describe your studio…
Our products are made in local markets across Lagos, Abuja, Accra and Kumasi.Tell us about your materials - where do you source them from and are they important to you?
We source our fabrics from Nigeria and Ghana. We do this because it is important to us to support the cultures and countries that inspire our products.
Why is it important to you that your work is made as responsibly and sustainably as possible?
It is important to us to make our work responsibly because we believe our business is a driver for positive change in the world. All our managers are female because we believe in the development of women in West Africa. Through the work they do, they are able to financially uplift themselves and positively contribute to their families and their communities.
How and why did you start your small business?
Growing up, there were no stores on the high street which sold the beautiful African prints we had grown up with. As we grew older, we had a desire to connect with our culture and make it accessible to others. We tested the idea and the response was wonderful. We now sell our African print products to customers through our website and wonderful stockists like Prior Shop, and African print is accessible to customers all over the world.
Any fun facts about your business, or achievements you want to shout about?
We won the award for Young Trader of the Year 2019. Our items have been worn by Alison Hammond, AJ Odudu and Candice Braithwaite. We also host incredible events for the black community including the Black Creative Soirée.
What do you love most about your small business and do you have a favourite piece of work?
The best part of my small business is working with my sister! It was challenging at first but now we absolutely love it. We get to do incredible things in business together and even when its challenging, we have each other for support and encouragement.
What do you think are the benefits of people supporting independent business?
In my opinion, the benefits of customers supporting their local independent shop are that it has a positive impact of the local community, the items are usually unique and handmade and it helps support growth of the local economy.
What are your favourite things about PRIOR - both as a customer and a supplier?
My favourite parts about Prior is how much they care about having positive change in the world. From closing the shop to show support for a cause to ensuring items are responsible, they have a heart that goes well beyond commerce and it is incredible to see.Do you have a goal for where you’d love your business to be in the future?
We would love for African print products to be stocked in multiple stores across the world and to be less of an anomaly. We would like young black boys and girls to see their culture represented in stores and to be proud of it.
View Cultureville's handmade collection at Prior Shop here.