Kiyana Wraps London House Of Turbans
Aim
Distinctively Modern London House of Turbans
I have always worn turbans as an expression of my personal style. I would often be stopped by women who were fascinated by the beauty of the headdress, or wanting to know more about it and buy it and know where it came from.
Born in Kinshasa (DRC) in 1983, I grew up in Nantes (France) where I spent most of my childhood until I moved to London (UK) in 1997 where I have been residing ever since. After attending college and university in England, I set out to train as a milliner (hat maker) by embarking on a Millinery course at Kensington and Chelsea College. From this our uniquely developed idea Kiyana Wraps has evolved into a product that is ground-breaking, trend-setting, one of a kind and in good stead to becoming a leader in its market. I come from a family that possesses strong family values thus keeping close ties to my heritage was inevitable. Culture is at the essence of what we try to exude through Kiyana Wraps. Not only is it an expression of who we are, but it permits us to channel those elements to our clients and customers.
Through Kiyana Wraps we aim to promote our Congolese heritage by working closely with fabric suppliers based in the Democratic Republic of Congo and England. Most important to us, is injecting the flair, beauty and versatility of our mother's "Liputas'' (African print fabric) which was the cultural link that kept us intertwined with our native countries while growing up abroad; a unique selling point Kiyana Wraps transmits to its clients. Liputas are more than fabrics; they tell stories and hold deeper meaning to the Congolese woman. Kiyana Wraps has come to fill the gap between the traditional and the contemporary fabric headdress. We have taken a conventional African accessory and re-invented it to make it accessible to the modern day woman. Bold designs, innovative and quirky, Kiyana Wraps are the missing wardrobe accessory for the woman who wants to speak volumes and be unique.
Kiyana Wraps has a global network of clients from the following countries: USA, Japan, China, Australia, Middle East, Nigeria, UK, Canada, France, Brazil, South Africa and more.
As a brand we have worked with Lush Cosmetics, Aduna, Vlisco and are recipients of two European awards for Best Head Wrap Stylists.
Publiclations include: German vogue, Black Beauty Magazine, Pride Magazine - Both the UK'S leading Afro beauty publications Huffington Post and Aljazeera to name a few. We are the 'Next Brand To Watch', and proud to have Hollywood trusted adviser Daphne Wayans as Kiyana Wraps Brand Ambassador and Mentor as of 2018.
We now offer workshops where we teach women how to style their scarf and make fascinators skills being passed on obtained from training as a milliner.
We have been working hard since 2011 consolidating our brand and want to take the business internationally!
Thank you for this opportunity to pitch our work!
Your vote will help us achieve our goals.
This project closed unsuccessfully on 15th May 2018