PURE PURPLE

Pure Purple is a contemporary footwear and accessories brand based in Nairobi, Kenya. We value add to premium quality on local leather. Pure Purple first started off as a side business with an import and retail model. It was only when we took on an intensive market research exercise while undertaking an MBA programme that it became evident that we could not continue to operate on that model. Kenya is one of the top 5 producers of hides in Africa, yet 90% of its hides are exported out in semi-processed raw form. Of the 10% that is retained, and tanned, local industry is yet to develop to a point that it is able to exhaustively consume this. When we looked at shoe consumption per capita and how the local population was meeting its footwear needs, we found that upwards of 80% was through imports, the bulk of which are second-hand shoes or cheaper non-durable variations from Asia. We found these statistics to be troubling and this is how we made the decision to shift our model into a manufacture local model that uses quality leather grains tanned and value added to premium quality locally. We recognize the impact this has on the entire leather value chain and the ecosystem that surrounds it. We build to scale. We are passionate about adding sustainability components into how we build both the product and the brand, and our heart is for community