Nike Kondakis, Out of Africa

Writer – Justin Howard @jthnomad

Fashion Designer – Nike Kondakis

“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery – air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, “This is what it is to be happy.” – Sylvia Plath

Based out of Nairobi Kenya, designer Nike Kondakis takes her European roots and mixes in traditional Maasai elements to create fashion with a truly global flair. Nike’s latest collection is made out of recycled parachutes, and peace silk – silk gathered without killing the silk worm with all pieces being a mixture of ready-to-wear and couture. As her flagship store is in Nairobi, Nike donates a percentage of each sale to the education of Maasai girls, something that is not prioritized in the Kenyan bush.

Nike Kondakis, Out of Africa

Justin Howard for Black Chalk – Tell me about your background and how do you feel it prepared you for a career in design?

NK – I went to a number of art and design schools in Copenhagen. Then I joined the KaosPilot social entrepreneurship program in Aarhus (the 2nd largest city in Denmark). The KaosPilots has helped me understand how to do business in a sustainable and balanced way and has given me the skills to start up by myself.

BC – What advice would you give a fashion newbie or student, looking to become a designer?

NK – It’s not the same to be a designer and to be an entrepreneur. You need to look yourself in the mirror and determine whether you have what it takes to run your own company. Maybe it suits your style better to become a designer for an already established fashion brand.

BC – What is the most difficult aspect in launching your own label from design to production?

NK – The most difficult aspect is to manage your team and meet the deadlines – especially when you work in a different culture to your own like a Dane working in Kenya.

BC – Your label has a very strong ecological conscience, how did that develop?

NK – I have always been very focussed on being good to our planet both in my private and professional life. It is a normal thing for me to recycle where I can and so I think I have just brought that into my business. The KaosPilots also teach the students to have a social aspect in everything that they do.

BC – You are particularly fond of using sustainable and reused fabrics. Can you give us some more details on this?

NK – I find it interesting to look at fabrics in a new way and imagine what they can be used for. Parachutes which I have made many collections from have a certain lifespan and after a couple of years they can no longer be used to jump in – even though they have never been opened or used. I find this a shame and a waste and would like to contribute to ways of using what has already been produced. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world and I think it’s important that the consumers have ethical and sustainable alternatives.

BC – What advice would you give other brands and designers who are interested in making a step towards going green, where should they start?

NK – They should start looking for ethical and green materials and ways of producing. It’s not only about being green “on the outside”. You should also look behind the scenes of your brand and try to make it green all the way through. From the cotton farm to the consumer’s closet.

BC – Besides being environmentally friendly you also promote domestic production and support your local fashion production community, what does that translate to in Nairobi?

NK – It is inspiring for other design companies here in Nairobi to see how things can be done differently and more ethical. My team is being paid fair and well for their work and each tailor produces one garment from beginning to end which gives him/her a fuller understanding of the process, motivates more and teaches all the different skills from cutting the fabric to finishing the details. Furthermore a percentage of everything we sell goes towards educating Maasai girls in the Kenyan bush where they are being very under prioritized.

BC – What do you wish you had known before entering the fashion industry?

NK – How superficial it can be quite often.

BC – What are you excited about for style and trend going forward for (your brand)?

NK – I’m working on some beautiful peace silk knit wear these days. Peace silk is a silk that is produced in a peaceful way without killing the silk worms. The yarn is hand spun by a group of women in “Kibera” on of Kenya’s largest slums, then hand dyed in organic dyes like coffee, tea and turmeric and then in the end knitted by hand into beautiful dresses and sweaters. Furthermore I’m working on a new collection from my “dead wood” (mostly wild olive tree) where I am including a lot of bark from the trees.