Currently, there are 200 retailers with whom Madubunyi is working to shape the “brands of the future”. Her work in bridging the gap has never been done and has resulted in the business being “the fastest growing network of retailers in the world”. During the interview, Madubunyi discussed the “massive disconnect between retail industry and vendors, as well as emerging talent in the industry”. On Friday, October 8, Madubunyi was interviewed with BBBA co-founder and awards chair Sophie Chandauka on Radio Times by veteran journalist Cathy Newman. She spoke of her grand vision of finding innovative ways for designers to secure slices of the proverbial pie: “There's money in fashion it's just moving online.” Her goal is simple: To ensure that deserving designers get to participate and can effectively compete internationally. When she was on The Rock in 2018, the Jamaica Observer hosted a luncheon where she delivered a masterclass in retail strategy to local designers. Whether that's direct to consumers through eCommerce, or wholesale and distribution through global retailers”. Per the corporate website, We are COCO equips “brands and retailers with the tools and talents to drive sustainable sales revenue. In addition to having launched COCONAUTICAL and developed relationships and collaborated with renowned brands that include ASOS, Anthropologie, 10 Corso Como, Harvey Nichols, W Hotel Group and Topshop, in 2018 Madubunyi went on to launch We are COCO - the consultancy arm of the showroom. She's affectionately known as the new “James Bond of Fashion”, a moniker she's earned due to her pioneering “a career in retail consultancy and brand development”.Īnd a pioneer she is. The COCONAUTICAL showroom showcases menswear, womenswear, accessories, swimwear and resort. With fast fashion, cheap-yet-trendy goods, and anyone able to have a private label courtesy of AliExpress, thoughtful fashion brands, especially those headed by entrepreneurial women in the developing world, can get lost in the bedlam of online retail. So, what is COCONAUTICAL? It is a global showroom (HQ is in London with satellite offices in Dubai and Houston) that amplifies “the voices of emerging designers and students by connecting them with resources and tools through a growing team of mentors, buyers and agents”. Before working from home was even a standard. He continued, “The awards highlight the need for more businesses to take action to improve diversity and inclusion within their workplaces - especially at senior level, where not enough progress is being made.”įrom the moment it was introduced to the world in 2016, Madubunyi declared that she and her team would “develop COCONAUTICAL into a platform that enables women around the world to work from home”. “Year after year, the Black British Business Awards shine a light on talented black British individuals who are excelling within their fields and making a positive contribution to our economy,” said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
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There were 39 businesspeople shortlisted, three in Madubunyi's category.
RIHANNA SKIN STEMS PROFESSIONAL
The awards categories comprise six industries - STEM (science, tech, engineering and mathematics) consumer and luxury arts and media financial services start-ups and professional services. It, too, “empowers organisations with the necessary tools to attract, retain and progress their internal BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) talent”. The Black British Business Awards (BBBA) were established eight years ago to highlight “exceptional business talent” in the UK. Being a Christian and a champion of women, especially black women and those of minority backgrounds (remember, she lives in England), is the fulcrum on which her businesses operate. To say that the Jamaican-blooded entrepreneur is political is, in a word, prosaic. We should note that in these countries, the onslaught of COVID-19 has disproportionately affected black communities. A floodlight was shone on it last year by the worldwide Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests.
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In her acceptance speech, Madubunyi noted that being a black woman in business is a “big task,” but was quick to highlight, “I don't think at this point in time, where we are in this generation, I am alone.” Of course, she's referring to the UK (and most predominantly white countries, like the US and Canada) peering through an Overton window of racial injustice. On Thursday, October 7, Madubunyi, founder and director, COCONAUTICAL and We are COCO, was named the Entrepreneur Rising Star category winner at the 2021 Black British Business Awards. In 2012, we listed her as one to watch never let it be said that we aren't prescient and always ahead.
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Alessandra Madubunyi née Bell is no stranger to SO.