Why we're more than just a footwear brand
A note from our Founder:
Hey Kahmunity!
As June rolls on and July looms right around the corner I thought It'd be a good idea to reflect on the incredible year we've had so far as well as give you all some insight into all that's to come!
Last March I quit my job in FinTech sales with no idea what my next move would be. I loved my coworkers, but I've never truly enjoyed being an employee. Long story short-I've always known I wanted to be my own boss. Having completed my Masters in Accounting and Finance I figured there was no time like the present to not pursue a career as an Accountant (much to the delight of my African father.) There nothing's like some late-night Instagram browsing to fuel your dreams. When I searched the nude shoes hashtag only to find that they were all beige or tan, and thus would not be nude on me, the idea for Kahmune was born.
Throughout this journey I've been asked on multiple occasions about my love for shoes and my background in footwear design. In all honesty, I have neither! With that said, what woman doesn't love a good pair of shoes? And a well designed pair at that. I'd be lying if I said it's never been solely about the shoes. My passion for the brand comes from not only what our 10 shades has done for you all thus far, but the symbolism that they will continue to have for years to come. If you're reading this, it's likely because you yourself have acknowledged the problem we have with the word "nude" within the fashion industry. A lot of you have likely spent years searching for your true nude. Others may simply just be fed-up with the industry dictating who and what gets acknowledged. More importantly, I hope you're here because you resonate with our sense of community- you, your sisters, cousins, mothers,friends, daughters, and granddaughters all get your own nude when it comes to us. 10 shades, 1 mission.
One of my favorite quotes is an old African proverb that translates to "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." I was asked by a journalist if the brand was originally only intended to cater to women with darker skin tones or if I had always planned on having shades that would be for everyone. The answer is the latter. As stated in our brand mission, Representation Matters, Diversity Matters, and Inclusion Matters. Yes, this brand was born out my need for a nude shoe for my dark skin tone. I also strongly believe in the importance of giving each other a seat at the table. In this case i'm not referencing a copy of Solange's smash album, but rather the idea of making space for others so that we ALL get to experience the privilege of being at the table-doesn't matter what they're serving! The future is female and there is nothing more powerful than women taking the time to lift each other up.
This year has been absolutely amazing! I'm truly humbled by every single article, mention, comment, DM, tweet, repost, etc. Reading all of your comments has made this whole journey more than worth it. It's been truly inspiring to see how much the brand has resonated with you all. As triumphant as this year has been, however, it's been equally trying. Until recently, I've been running this whole operation as a one man show. Emails? Me. Social Media? Me. Creative Direction? You guessed it, Me. All of you fempreneurs out there know just how strenuous and stressful this process can be. As proud of I am of my progress, I've finally come to realize I can't do it all on my own. I've given a lot of thought to how far we've come since the beginning of the year as well as where I see the brand being going into 2018. After careful consideration, I've decided to take some time to re-position the brand.
To stick with tradition, I'll give you the bad news first. For the time being,we will be taking a bit of a break from filling orders. Don't worry! I assure you Kahmune is just getting started. As things stand now, we are in the midst of shipping out pre-orders having just finished our first round of production. We were fortunate enough to be able to manufacture a few extra pairs of both the Lucy Sandal and Becky Pump in Gaborone, Enugu, and Kumasi. The remaining pairs will be available to order through our website and will ship right away! Unfortunately, that means that once our stock is gone, it's gone, and we are unable to take any new orders for the time being.
THE GOOD NEWS IS........ WE WILL BE LAUNCHING A KICK-STARTER CAMPAIGN IN JULY!! We are hoping to crowdfund in order to cover upcoming production costs and most importantly because WE WILL BE OFFERING 8 NEW STYLES FOR FALL/WINTER! Anyone who can guess all 8 styles gets a free pair on me! I will be releasing the images of our new styles in the coming weeks and will be offering them exclusively through the crowdfunding campaign. Our goal is to be a full-fledged e-commerce brand by fall by ensuring we have stock available to you in all 10 of our shades, and all 10 of our styles. If you plan on joining the nude shoe revolution this year I highly suggest you put a note in your calendar now. You don't want to miss out. To keep track of our launch make sure you're following us on our social media channels for updates. (@kahmune on facebook, twitter, and instagram) If you've been planning on purchasing a pair of shoes and/or would like to support the brand I really hope that you will choose to help us move into this next phase of growth.
If you couldn't tell already we're starting a blog! I know I've been a bit M.I.A so far but it is my goal to put more of my face on the brand, both figuratively and literally. They say behind every bomb brand is an amazing founder but I promise to bringing more of myself to the forefront.
Lastly, I just want to say THANK YOU all for the continued support and encouragement. It's all of your likes and expressions of love that have kept me going through some of the toughest weeks of this process. As we forge ahead, I know you may have other options when it comes to a nude shoe but,choose Kahmune. Choose Kahmunity. Let's start a revolution ladies!
Much Love,
Jamela A Acheampong
Founder and Brand Director
twitter: @kahmunefounder
Instagram: @carmenjamdiego