“An inheritance, when we take it, we do not sit on it. It is developed and made to bear fruit. These words are from Togolese Marlene Adanlete-Djondo, 38 years old.
In an interview with a pan-African weekly, she dwelt on her vision of the current market for Wax, the “African fabric”.
With the passion that characterizes her, the young woman decides on the state of play of a sector that is said to be in decline. Between strong competition in the market, globalization and counterfeiting, there is no question for the lawyer training to bathe in nostalgia for “Nana Benz” Togo.
Since then, this little girl from “Nana Benz” is the commercial director of the structure. From 2013, she polishes the marketing of a branded loincloth. Three years later, Wina Wax will be born .
She says she has taken her time studying the market to adapt to the new demand and tastes of the new generation of consumers. “We thought about all the issues that affect new users of the loincloth,” she tells the weekly.
Wina Wax does not want to be a brand of loincloth like the others. She wants to stand out. “We chose to work by collection, renew every two years with about fifteen drawings. None of our designs are included in the following collection. We are working on the design of original designs and prints with a local designer team, “she says. The brand is stamped semi-luxury.
“Before the creation of Wina Wax, our clientele was mainly based in the sub-region (Ivory Coast, Benin, Ghana, Burkina Faso). Our strategy today is to go where people do not expect us. Where there is a strong concentration of wax product offerings, “she enthuses.
When asked the question of the crisis that hit the full flea market of the loincloth, it ignites. “To those who no longer believe in the trade of the loincloth, it is after Nana Benz that interests me. There is always a future in the loincloth because people will always wear it. After Nana Benz is not to lock yourself in the textile. The big challenge is to adapt, “she says.