Founding story September 2022 - TogoColor
© JJK Photography
With the fashion brand TogoColor, founder Mehimede Hempel-Tchonda not only brings colorful, unusual, elegant and sustainable patchwork-style clothing to the market, she also creates jobs and apprenticeships in Togo. Every single item of clothing is sewn by hand by young, talented designers in the founder's home country. Here, patchwork pieces are created from fabric remnants that are collected from local tailors and assembled into new, artistic unique pieces. TogoColor combines two cultures: European-style fashion is tailored from West African fabrics. The Hanover-based founder donates five percent of sales to improve career prospects for young people in her old homeland.
TogoColor was founded in July 2021 and the fashion is available in the online store and now again at trade fairs and festivals. The 36-year-old mother of two came to Germany as an au pair after leaving school, studied business administration and worked for an international company in Hanover.
Mehimede, how did the idea of TogoColor come about?
I want to give young people in my home country prospects. Many of them want to emigrate to get better jobs. With TogoColor, they can stay and also finance their education. I also want to get people in my new home country excited about my culture. The best way to do that is through fashion.
Andreas OhrdorfWhat makes your fashion so special?
Each piece is unique. The West African cotton fabrics used are known for their unique, friendly and vibrant colors and patterns. You won't find anything like it here. We also offer made-to-measure orders so that we only produce what is really needed. We recycle leftovers and give second-hand clothing a new lease of life. We also work without plastic packaging. We now not only have women's and men's styles, but also accessories and batik work, which of course all come from Togo. Our bestseller is the blouson, which everyone loves to wear.
What are your goals?
I want to work even more closely with local organizations in Togo to find the people who need help the most. That's why I'm looking for partners here and in Togo to support my idea. I want not only me to be able to make a living from TogoColor, but above all the people in my home country who work for TogoColor.
What tips do you have for other founders?
Courage and energy in the implementation - and you have to believe in your own idea. Get support from hannoverimpuls and use the networks. The exchange is fun and very helpful. Gain experience and learn from it!
Contact details:
TogoColor
Mehimede Hempel-Tchonda
0176 63460922
www.togocolor.com
mehi@togocolor.com
Mehimede on the cooperation with hannoverimpuls:
It was difficult to start up during Corona. You couldn't deal with formalities in person and there were fewer customers in the stores and no trade fairs. So I did a lot online. Here hannoverimpuls has good offers such as "Gründung intensiv". The course helped me to formulate my idea professionally and to optimize my business and financial plan. Taking part in the Startup-Impuls competition was also great. I was very pleased to be nominated and it motivated me even more.
Stephanie Kwoll, Project Manager Start-up and Entrepreneurship at hannoverimpuls, on the collaboration with Mehimede Hempel-Tchonda:
Your idea connects cultures. It's great that we can help her with this, whether online or in direct consultation. Mehimede has used many of our services. She is passionate about her idea - and her fashion is just as cheerful as the founder herself.