How Cris Njoki Built IKOJN: Fashion, Failure, and Empowering Kenyan Women | The Cre8 Podcast - Video

In this inspiring episode, we chat with Cris Njoki, the founder of IKOJN — a proudly Made in Kenya fashion brand — and a dynamic social media content creator and influencer.

Cris takes us through her incredible journey in the fashion industry, starting with her time at fashion school. She shares how a chance visit to Gikomba, Kenya’s largest second-hand clothing market, sparked the idea for her thrift business. What began as buying clothes for herself quickly turned into a thriving venture when she started selling unique finds on Facebook, earning over 1 Million Kenya Shillings.

With this capital, Cris traveled to China to source vendors for her own brand, but faced a major setback when the products didn’t meet her expectations, resulting in a significant financial loss. Undeterred, she bounced back by designing her own pieces, which gained recognition in fashion shows and pushed her to launch IKOJN.

Today, IKOJN is a powerful platform empowering women, with a team that is 99% female.

If you’re passionate about fashion, entrepreneurship, or women’s empowerment, this episode is packed with valuable lessons and motivation!

???? Topics Covered:
- Cris’s start in fashion school and thrift business
- First visit to Gikomba and thrift selling journey
- The China vendor setback and recovery
--E-commerce and physical store challenges
- Launching and growing IKOJN
- Empowering women through fashion

Find Cris Njoki on
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crisnjoki/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crisnjoki?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/cris-njoki-73334328

Visit IKOJN https://www.ikojn.com

If you want to hear more stories like Cris Njoki’s, please leave a like and subscribe to The Cre8 Podcast. Feel free to comment below which Creative you'd like to see next.

Remember to stay creative, and we'll see you back here on The Cre8 Podcast - where creatives connect!

----
Shop Our Merch: https://www.yaga.co.ke/cre8

Find our host, Cindi Muriuki, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindimuriuki

Connect with us elsewhere:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecre8pod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecre8pod
X: https://x.com/thecre8pod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093659655845

#CrisNjoki #IKOJN #MadeInKenya #KenyanFashion #WomenEntrepreneurs #ThriftBusiness #FashionJourney #EcommerceChallenges #WomenEmpowerment #KenyanCreatives