[Music]
my name is Nelly 1g I was born and
raised in Cameroon and 14 years ago I
moved to France I’ve been living in
France and basically Paris for the last
ten years I had an education in
international trade and I was
specialized in luxury management after
my graduation I started working for an
international cooperation with 18 brands
from top luxury brands in watches and
jewelry to access brand while working
for this company
I was also discovering the French
culture
the Swiss culture the French culture and
most international brand in the watch
industry culture as well and this is
pretty much that was my environment I
was diving between brands understanding
the way of thinking of the Americans the
way of thinking and the way of doing
things from the German and it just
happened to me to realize that in
nowadays from when you wake up in the
morning opting up to when you sleep
you’re surrounded by brands and brand is
your way of telling the world who you
are what you believe and what is your
core you otherwise you cannot really
matter about by yourself when I realized
this I also understood that most
countries in the world have brands they
have their brand their brand is the way
of telling people who they are what they
believe in what they know they know how
and what is the heritage as well and I’m
at some point in my career I find myself
as a
at a crossroad wondering who am I really
when I have to tell my story when I have
to share my stories from my continent
with people it’s not visual it’s not
concrete they don’t quite understand
what I mean
but if you have a French friend coming
from Paris
you’ll probably bring your ladder a and
next time you go to Paris you you will
say okay I love this brand because
because because because but when I tell
my African story
what can I share with people that think
will actually fit connected to me in
terms of value and that’s when I
realized that when you take a country
for example like let’s say Switzerland
this brand kind of hit me 200 years more
than 200 years consistently doing the
same thing and telling the world that
they are the best if I take my country
my continent who did that so that was it
that was that I had to do something
about that because otherwise it’s just
like I don’t exist if I cannot tell my
story with consistency and something
very strong it’s not going to stick it’s
just like in this world of consumerism
of capitalism I don’t exist I’m no way
so I have to be some way so now like
let’s make a little something together
can you name a European brand
somebody else what are you wearing
okay now can you name an African brand
one only one
wow this is amazing I’m pretty impressed
it means some of us have been doing
great work so when I realized that me
myself I could name 100 brands from
everywhere in the world but I couldn’t
name ten brands from Africa
I mean Africa is a continent 54
countries 1 billion people how come I
cannot name one two three four five ten
brands and basically that’s how I
started I started looking for stories
from the continent looking for people
doing things looking for extraordinary
things you know those emotion brand can
give you those exceptional way of doing
things
those storytellers who actually can you
know share a part of who they are
through a little product through a way
of seeing things through a new campaign
those inspiring brand we can actually
build up your mind about the way you see
the world so basically that was it I
started doing that so for the last four
years I was doing that I was just doing
that researching online getting
traveling going to Accra that was my
first stop then going to Lagos going to
South Africa going to places and looking
for those people who do things so now I
can introduce to you a few of them so
next time when you think about Africa
you have to think about those people who
do things and I have to fight harder to
bring them to you as well
because when you go out you can see
Patek Phillipe so my challenge is to get
you to know I said yan who has been
working with the MS who have been
working with Lou Bhutan as well but
still she’s not that close to you that
you can actually relate to Africa
through her I can introduce you as well
to echo SWA now she’s been around the
world selling her little raffia bags
she’s retail in ten countries around the
globe
on all the five continents I can
introduce you
Ladue ma who’s been doing great things
with in South Africa I can introduce you
as well to salir I began two years ago
she actually got to dress Beyonce I mean
man she dressed Beyonce this is this is
a real deal I can introduce you as well
to swathi Martin she’s been travelling
across the continent selecting refined
tea from the continent all those brands
are they helped me actually find a way
through the call me barthélémy Togo is
an artist and he’s an activist as well
because he’s all about connecting the
world to his story and through his art
so when I discovered all those brand
they were there but still they’re
wearing out there you know doramin in
Paris they’re wearing they’re not in him
kong-kong so I was like okay am I gonna
still working for this top international
brand and selling this stuff around the
world but do I have to start now
building up other brands we can actually
challenge the status quo you know bring
you give you another perception of the
world and share what they are with you
so basically that’s it
I started importing African stories
African creatives African brands I
started online because it was the
easiest ways it way to start and after a
few years online I realized I was only
tapping into 10 percent of the potential
and I was wandering in Paris going to an
exhibition and I was working all that
day on foot box Taunton away
and I was like Ted you see all those
international brands you know they all
they’re all international auction houses
and I’m like where are we I mean it’s
like I mean I live here but I’m not seen
so I started I called I don’t remember
how you see i joined mobe year in
english exactly a real estate agent and
I started looking in Paris for places
and I start
to people I start talking to my bank and
I say yeah we can make it happen so I
found that address I’d open the gallery
on focus on turn or a so if you don’t
know the street maybe get them on a poly
game you will notice right because the
motor pulley game and the goal is there
to put African creative on a global map
because it’s not only about doing things
in Africa is actually bridging the gap
and bringing it everywhere for Africa to
be part of the world you know so we
create find the finest product and item
and art from Africa and we showcase
those designer in a very different way
because the goal is not to kind of start
up a new a new way of doing it’s also to
show different product in an
international environment so we have
books so if you want to get inspiration
we have boots we have shoes we have
fashion design art and you know all this
brand working and redefining a new I
static of Africa I really challenged by
also other international brands inspired
by Africa but most of the time they just
give you 1% of what it is actually
sometimes it comes with stereotyping
people and their heritage sometimes they
get it wrong as well sometimes they
don’t name who did it first so they
appear to be the first one to do it but
I think that it doesn’t even matter
because I really believe that culture is
meant to be shared if I have my culture
you have your culture and if we do not
interact it’s not possible you know
we’re living on the same earth we’re
gonna live on the same earth for a long
time because now for but at this time we
cannot yet live every anywhere else so
we have to share this space so to share
this space we have to connect to each
other and share what we are and share
what we believe in so for me Africans
brands and creative already doing that
you know they’re the real ambassador of
what Africa really is and for you if
you’re interested by my story by their
story by going on the continent the best
way to connect to the continent is true
it’s people to those brands forget about
what you see on TV forget about what the
media is telling you because they’re not
telling you the real story because if me
I was to tell you the real story of
Paris I’ll tell you my passion what I
found in Paris discovering all these
brands
that’s what’s matter and anytime you
come to Paris now you know you have me
you can visit me you can visit me and
discover all the created creativity I’ve
been finding on the continent because at
the end of the day what matters is to
share her culture to be open to each
other and to know that we’re all the
same we value the finest thing we want
the best for ourselves and for the
people we care about so opening to each
other through this for me is the chicest
way to do it
so let’s do it that way thank you very
much
[Applause]
you
my name is Nelly 1g I was born and
raised in Cameroon and 14 years ago I
moved to France I’ve been living in
France and basically Paris for the last
ten years I had an education in
international trade and I was
specialized in luxury management after
my graduation I started working for an
international cooperation with 18 brands
from top luxury brands in watches and
jewelry to access brand while working
for this company
I was also discovering the French
culture
the Swiss culture the French culture and
most international brand in the watch
industry culture as well and this is
pretty much that was my environment I
was diving between brands understanding
the way of thinking of the Americans the
way of thinking and the way of doing
things from the German and it just
happened to me to realize that in
nowadays from when you wake up in the
morning opting up to when you sleep
you’re surrounded by brands and brand is
your way of telling the world who you
are what you believe and what is your
core you otherwise you cannot really
matter about by yourself when I realized
this I also understood that most
countries in the world have brands they
have their brand their brand is the way
of telling people who they are what they
believe in what they know they know how
and what is the heritage as well and I’m
at some point in my career I find myself
as a
at a crossroad wondering who am I really
when I have to tell my story when I have
to share my stories from my continent
with people it’s not visual it’s not
concrete they don’t quite understand
what I mean
but if you have a French friend coming
from Paris
you’ll probably bring your ladder a and
next time you go to Paris you you will
say okay I love this brand because
because because because but when I tell
my African story
what can I share with people that think
will actually fit connected to me in
terms of value and that’s when I
realized that when you take a country
for example like let’s say Switzerland
this brand kind of hit me 200 years more
than 200 years consistently doing the
same thing and telling the world that
they are the best if I take my country
my continent who did that so that was it
that was that I had to do something
about that because otherwise it’s just
like I don’t exist if I cannot tell my
story with consistency and something
very strong it’s not going to stick it’s
just like in this world of consumerism
of capitalism I don’t exist I’m no way
so I have to be some way so now like
let’s make a little something together
can you name a European brand
somebody else what are you wearing
okay now can you name an African brand
one only one
wow this is amazing I’m pretty impressed
it means some of us have been doing
great work so when I realized that me
myself I could name 100 brands from
everywhere in the world but I couldn’t
name ten brands from Africa
I mean Africa is a continent 54
countries 1 billion people how come I
cannot name one two three four five ten
brands and basically that’s how I
started I started looking for stories
from the continent looking for people
doing things looking for extraordinary
things you know those emotion brand can
give you those exceptional way of doing
things
those storytellers who actually can you
know share a part of who they are
through a little product through a way
of seeing things through a new campaign
those inspiring brand we can actually
build up your mind about the way you see
the world so basically that was it I
started doing that so for the last four
years I was doing that I was just doing
that researching online getting
traveling going to Accra that was my
first stop then going to Lagos going to
South Africa going to places and looking
for those people who do things so now I
can introduce to you a few of them so
next time when you think about Africa
you have to think about those people who
do things and I have to fight harder to
bring them to you as well
because when you go out you can see
Patek Phillipe so my challenge is to get
you to know I said yan who has been
working with the MS who have been
working with Lou Bhutan as well but
still she’s not that close to you that
you can actually relate to Africa
through her I can introduce you as well
to echo SWA now she’s been around the
world selling her little raffia bags
she’s retail in ten countries around the
globe
on all the five continents I can
introduce you
Ladue ma who’s been doing great things
with in South Africa I can introduce you
as well to salir I began two years ago
she actually got to dress Beyonce I mean
man she dressed Beyonce this is this is
a real deal I can introduce you as well
to swathi Martin she’s been travelling
across the continent selecting refined
tea from the continent all those brands
are they helped me actually find a way
through the call me barthélémy Togo is
an artist and he’s an activist as well
because he’s all about connecting the
world to his story and through his art
so when I discovered all those brand
they were there but still they’re
wearing out there you know doramin in
Paris they’re wearing they’re not in him
kong-kong so I was like okay am I gonna
still working for this top international
brand and selling this stuff around the
world but do I have to start now
building up other brands we can actually
challenge the status quo you know bring
you give you another perception of the
world and share what they are with you
so basically that’s it
I started importing African stories
African creatives African brands I
started online because it was the
easiest ways it way to start and after a
few years online I realized I was only
tapping into 10 percent of the potential
and I was wandering in Paris going to an
exhibition and I was working all that
day on foot box Taunton away
and I was like Ted you see all those
international brands you know they all
they’re all international auction houses
and I’m like where are we I mean it’s
like I mean I live here but I’m not seen
so I started I called I don’t remember
how you see i joined mobe year in
english exactly a real estate agent and
I started looking in Paris for places
and I start
to people I start talking to my bank and
I say yeah we can make it happen so I
found that address I’d open the gallery
on focus on turn or a so if you don’t
know the street maybe get them on a poly
game you will notice right because the
motor pulley game and the goal is there
to put African creative on a global map
because it’s not only about doing things
in Africa is actually bridging the gap
and bringing it everywhere for Africa to
be part of the world you know so we
create find the finest product and item
and art from Africa and we showcase
those designer in a very different way
because the goal is not to kind of start
up a new a new way of doing it’s also to
show different product in an
international environment so we have
books so if you want to get inspiration
we have boots we have shoes we have
fashion design art and you know all this
brand working and redefining a new I
static of Africa I really challenged by
also other international brands inspired
by Africa but most of the time they just
give you 1% of what it is actually
sometimes it comes with stereotyping
people and their heritage sometimes they
get it wrong as well sometimes they
don’t name who did it first so they
appear to be the first one to do it but
I think that it doesn’t even matter
because I really believe that culture is
meant to be shared if I have my culture
you have your culture and if we do not
interact it’s not possible you know
we’re living on the same earth we’re
gonna live on the same earth for a long
time because now for but at this time we
cannot yet live every anywhere else so
we have to share this space so to share
this space we have to connect to each
other and share what we are and share
what we believe in so for me Africans
brands and creative already doing that
you know they’re the real ambassador of
what Africa really is and for you if
you’re interested by my story by their
story by going on the continent the best
way to connect to the continent is true
it’s people to those brands forget about
what you see on TV forget about what the
media is telling you because they’re not
telling you the real story because if me
I was to tell you the real story of
Paris I’ll tell you my passion what I
found in Paris discovering all these
brands
that’s what’s matter and anytime you
come to Paris now you know you have me
you can visit me you can visit me and
discover all the created creativity I’ve
been finding on the continent because at
the end of the day what matters is to
share her culture to be open to each
other and to know that we’re all the
same we value the finest thing we want
the best for ourselves and for the
people we care about so opening to each
other through this for me is the chicest
way to do it
so let’s do it that way thank you very
much
[Applause]
you
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