Startup Story
Many people dream of wearing clothes that are unique to them, designed to reflect their tastes and personalities. Brigette Mashile, founder of Roka Roko is a South African fashion design entrepreneur who understands how to take a client idea for an outfit and turn it into a wonderful reality.
LoA chatted with the irrepressible and talented Brigette Mashile to find out more about her entrepreneurial journey and her vision for the future.
What does your company do?
At Roka Roko, we create dreams by custom making your dream outfit to your measurements and to your preferences at your chosen time. We are also going online to accommodate all our clients who are far from us and also to comply with COVID regulations.
“At Roka Roko, we create dreams by custom making your dream outfit to your measurements and to your preferences at your chosen time.”
“Our biggest asset is our creativity, the love we have for our work, and the skill with which we perfect each project.”
What inspired you to start your company?
I have a great passion for fashion, specifically making clothes; and I have an understanding of what the industry can do for our unemployment crisis. Retail has gaps which fashion designers can fill, whilst serving people and hiring people.
Why should anyone use your service or product?
Roka Roko has invested time into understanding our clients well; we have also collected enough data to be able to create clothes which fit our clients well and serve their needs.
Tell us a little about your team
I work every day with Vanessa Lecogo, a 27 year old female from the west of Johannesburg. Ms. Lecogo holds a diploma in fashion. I myself have a diploma in fashion from Studio Zero Five and a B.Com degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. But our biggest asset is our creativity, the love we have for our work, and the skill with which we perfect each project.
“Roka Roko has invested time into understanding our clients well; we have also collected enough data to be able to create clothes which fit our clients well and serve their needs.”
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I had an informal fashion business while studying; and only formalized it in 2014. We have done custom, online, market pop ups and fashion training within Roka Roko. All my grandparents ran their own informal businesses, my father runs a business and my sister too. You can say we are a family that loves business.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
I would like to hire more people, produce more clothing and reach a bigger market beyond SA. We are doing this by aggressively going online in 2022.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
Seeing clients happy in with my work.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
Be sure of what you want to do, research and plan; be ready for anything and everything; and never lose passion for your work.
Contact or follow Roka Roko
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | EMAIL rokarokosa@gmail.com
Why LoA loves it…
Any entrepreneur who works in the custom fashion design or creation space knows that it’s not enough to simply have lots of creative talent. It’s also essential to be able to interpret client ideas, often with little to go on, and turn them into dream clothes that clients will love. Brigette has mastered this art over the years she has built her business, and today her reputation for creating beautiful and unique outfits is known far and wide. Her happy clients and the quality of her work are her best sources of referral, which is at the heart of success for anyone in the custom design business. — Melanie Hawken, founder & ceo, Lionesses of Africa