3 questions for . . . Youssouf Fofana, Maison Château Rouge cofounder
After completing an associate degree in banking, Youssouf Fofana went on to earn a master’s degree in project management and web marketing. His brother and business partner Mamadou also went on to a master’s program after completing a university diploma in technology. Following a variety of professional experiences they decided to create Les Oiseaux Migrateurs association with two friends. The objective? To help African businesses that want to export. Initially, the Maison Château Rouge project was started to finance the association. The first top was created in May 2015. Since then, the adventure built around the multi-coloured wax print fabrics has not stopped moving forward.
What are the specific details of Maison Château Rouge? How do you communicate about your roots? What are the most effective tools for becoming known?
We wanted to pay homage to Château Rouge, a multicultural neighbourhood in Paris’ 18th arrondissement. The area is not very well known by the French or even the Parisians. In fact, the little you do hear about it is not for good reasons. I wanted to promote the area’s qualities by participating in a local economy project.
Our brand presents clothing using traditional African wax print fabrics in contemporary cuts. All the fabrics are bought in the neighbourhood and manufactured in Paris. In the 80s and 90s the African diaspora brought wax print fabrics to Paris, especially the city’s Château Rouge neighbourhood. We’re currently lucky to be developing in a time when wax prints and African fashion are part of the zeitgeist. We wanted to showcase and share African culture by presenting products for everybody.
As far as our communication method, it’s quite simply modern. As Parisians with African roots, we take advantage of our double culture. We want to bring out the best of each culture without being part of a closed community. So we use Instagram, which is how we were discovered. It all started with a slightly improvised photo shoot with friends. The photo was published on Instagram and shared even before we had officially communicated about the image. At the trade show we met the fashion director for Merci who included us in the store’s wax print event. Next, Le Bon Marché carried our collection as part of their event dedicated to Paris. Instagram is based on visuals. That lets us easily communicate an identity but also evolve according to the people who follow us.
What have been the main obstacles and also the main assistance you’ve received since the brand began?
One of the main obstacles is that I don’t have training in fashion. So I discovered manufacturing techniques as I went along. That takes extra time, even when I show my drawings. It’s a big handicap so I need to be surrounded by the right people. The other obstacle, more common for a young brand, is financial. We have a lot of ideas but we’ve learned to stay focused so we don’t move too fast. Six months after starting we collaborated with the Sawa sneakers brand, and founder Medhi Slimani really helped us. Afterwards, our presence at Merci and Le Bon Marché gave us incredible visibility. Persephone Kessanidis, cofounder of the M&K consulting agency and showroom, also saw us on Instagram. Her showroom now represents our brand.
And the Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin has helped us save time. Thanks to our first meeting with them, we asked ourselves the right questions, especially about my organisation habits. I tended to do everything myself and it was essential to be better structured and share responsibilities.
How do you foresee the main steps in your business development, in France and internationally?
In the beginning, online sales were the best way to start doing business. It let us test the product and brand. Once we had successfully passed this step, the collection was chosen by Merci and then Le Bon Marché. Our presence in these prestigious stores reassured professionals. And finally, the M&K showroom got our collection in the Galeries Lafayette starting in March and in around 10 points of sale around the world: Japan, the United States, England, Denmark, and Korea. Seeing the brand in this major Parisian department where I bought my clothes was pretty crazy. It represents a kind of success. But in fact, the website is still our showcase. Today our customers are 50 percent French and 50 percent international.