Hello hello hello! Welcome to my proper return to blogging/journaling my journey as CMO (chief creative & marketing officer) at AKELLOMOLO Designs!! It has truly been a minute, but guys if I told you my schedule since the last time we spoke you would be shocked. What was once a slower, preparatory season is now shaping up to be the busiest season of my life and whewww - it’s looking stretching. But first things first, allow me to re-introduce myself.
My name is Cydneii Lung’aho and my aunt is the lead designer of AKELLOMOLO. I’m a final year fashion marketing and journalism student using her creative project dissertation as a way to practically apply her studies and platform her aunt’s wonderful designs into a business she wants to sustain and properly create.
This project is due in May and over the next several months I’ve got a MASSIVE schedule to follow - filled with campaigns, planning, shoots, website design, research and development, check ins, and the final submission day: 22 May, 2026. In some ways, I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life - I was a freshman in high school ready to graduate. In other ways, I can’t actually believe I’m here - I was 5 years old like an hour ago??? Why are we still trusting me with such responsibility?!
But in all seriousness, this entry, alongside a series of others, will be documenting my process building the brand out loud and behind the scenes. Where the brand ’s and (bits of) my Instagram show you some of the front facing pieces, this will have the background areas: the conversations, the decision making, the debates, in (somewhat) real time.
If you’ve read this far already, I appreciate your attention! I really do love you for even clicking the site to begin with - Welcome to the family!
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BLOG STYLES
Sooo… I decided to split my blogs into three major sections:
- the branding and social media bits
- the shoot days
- the website creation
This will be dedicated to the branding and marketing bits and bobs, where a lot of my brainstorming and I guess day to day thinking will go. I’ve only recently gotten into journaling (the last two years or so), and I’ve found myself to really enjoy it, but also be easily thrown off of it. Where I can certainly be consistent for months on end (even up to a year), I often find myself needing a break from writing my thoughts down and prefer to say them out loud via prayer or podcast. So, I for one am interested to see how this will go.
(*Spoiler alert from current Cydneii - we’re fine-tuning the WRITTEN blogs at the last week because we did not in fact remain consistent in real-life written entry times…)
NOVEMBER
This month was about planning more than anything else. For context here’s the scheduled plan:
Week 1 – 10: Research
Key Notes: Individual Plan due in Week 8, Research key for Context Review due in Week 15
· Weeks 1-3 - Social Media Trends, Insights, & Tangibility
· Weeks 4-6 - Africa’s Influence across Industry
· Weeks 7-10 - Fashion Brands, their journey, & their campaigns
o Potential Phase 1 Recap via Akello’s Archives via Substack (?)
Week 1 is the week of October 6th and Week 10 is the week of December 8th. I wish I could tell you, I’ve been perfectly on schedule… but in all honesty? I’ve not been - at least not the way I thought I’d be. My schedule with work and uni has been pretty busy and I started this Inside LVMH certification that is taking up a chunk of my time, but I’ve been finding moments in the quiet to dedicate to building the brand.
In Week 6, I had the pleasure of chatting with Edmound Eldridge, founder and creative director at PE$OS Nairobi. I didn’t necessarily go into our chat thinking branding and marketing tips, but I find when someone’s passionate about something, it just sort of flows out of them in all ways. Our ‘get to know each other’ chat ended up giving me insight on the reality of branding and marketing in a practical way. Where he started creating and expressing himself through Pesos for fun, a community saw him and grew. With that, the right people and connections followed suit. Now, the reality is that the atmosphere around streetwear and creative economies is changing in Africa, so the opportunity to grow and expand is tangible. But, it all takes time and patience. And a complete dedication to one’s brand and vision. I also noted some of the evolution the brand had over the years: growth in production quality, collaborations, and themed shoots that all told a story resonant with the brands underlying purpose: to break the culture free from societal norms and pressures.
In the interview about the brand’s current trajectory and values for another assessment, Edmound spoke really candidly about the community he’s built through the brand, which I found admirable. He said, “The ideas are first birthed by real life experiences with people in Nairobi everyday. I don’t look to copy or be influenced by anyone else as I design or create. We create a product for our community. After the vision takes shape, then the storytelling begins. After the storytelling, we hold pop up events to connect with our community and drop limited collections. ….They exhibit our culture through how they dress and connect with themselves. They are pushing our culture by sharing our work worldwide with their individual communities.”
I would love to bring that same approach to AKELLOMOLO - a community that’s at the heart of everything we do and championed through every facet of the brand. Community events, partnerships that honour our heritage, products that speak to the people we make them for. I’d like to think I got everything I need from that.
With Inside LVMH, I’m taking the Creation and Branding, Retail and Customer Experience course which is honestly preparing me for a lot more than I thought. I wouldn’t say I thought of AKELLOMOLO as a luxury brand at first, but I can certainly say I had a moment of consideration for it. The current luggage or accessory brands in Kenya, like Sandstorm Kenya, haven’t marketed themselves as what I would consider luxury, but they do have their audience.
What it all keeps going back to in the branding course is knowing your audience and knowing yourself. That’s the only way to truly connect with the customer in any meaningful way. And I want to do that but I’m wary of time and commitments. At this point, I think the beauty of this project is to get me started, rather than constantly being plagued with seeking perfectionism or fear. Here’s hoping, anyway.
Proverbs 13:10
DECEMBER + JANUARY
So here’s the scheduled plan:
Week 11 – 20: Administration | 15 December - 16 January
Key Notes: Weeks 11 & 12 Off for Christmas & New Year’s, Context Review due in Week 15
Beginning weekly or bi-weekly Akello’s Archive posts
Beginning Social Media Posts and Analysis
· Weeks 11-13 - Market Research – Casual advert & brand analysis | Campaign planning, Branding, and Website Design
· Weeks 14-17 - Context Review Due! Website branding finalised, Campaign finalisation | Strategy, Scheduling, and Personnel research
o Casual social media rollout according to social schedule: archival photos, previous content, client content
· Weeks 18-20 - Final run through schedule, campaign, and desired personnel | Pitching and reaching out – adjusting schedule if necessary
Let me tell you what I did: NOTHING!
Ok… kidding, I did something but it was very minimal, particularly in comparison to the list drawn up here.
This phase was all administration. From the research points to the context review, I really needed to focus on the opportunity to get the nitty gritty of what the next five months was going to be. To start with, this phase welcomed me back to the States, where my family and the Christmas holidays were waiting for me. This is the latest I’ve been back home since leaving, which gave me a bit of cabin fever, but it also gave me some time to really analyse some branding.
Brands I looked at: Freja NYC, Heaven Mayhem, PESOS Nairobi, Lila Bare, Kilentar, Hanifa, Yoshita 1967, NDG Paris, and Kai Collective
Takeaways:
- Your brands vote must be evident in the world you build | i.e Freja tells me they’re simple yet elevated, dependable and chic through their design, photography, and campaign. They also tell me they value their community through the featuring of customers in their feeds and the brand-to-consumer content present across their platform
- There is room for African voices in the market | Representation matters. It always has, but until recently it was not prioritised. Truth be told, it still isn’t. Regardless, it is nice to know that there are people who look like you in rooms you want to inhabit.
- Find your Unique Selling Point (USP) and sell it! | I.e Lila Bare is a brand that champions Indian and Kenyan heritage in an authentic, intentional way. From the designs to the models to the world they’ve built through visuals, it all comes back to this.
- Building out loud can be one of the easiest ways to build community and hone your skills, but don’t make it a one man band | I.e Kai Collective founder Fisayo Longe has been wearing her own designs for years as she scales her brand. I listened to her appearance on the Ladies who Launch podcast back in July and vividly remember her speaking about how building out loud both helped her business, but also changed her stake in it. Some products wouldn’t sell just because she didn’t post in it. Don’t be the end all be all behind the brand - be its guiding light.
I also celebrated my birthday in this phase! I hoped to have the opportunity to flaunt the bags in some birthday photos, but didn’t get the chance to. It did, however, get me thinking about the campaign mood boards and the vibes I want to go for.
Here’s what I have so far:
For the Moo Moo Purse, the marketing plan is to highlight the capacity and effortlessness of the bag. Leaning on a working woman in the city vibe, the campaign will include:
· A still shot of the bag on the arm of someone as they walk, similar to images of Birkin bags as they are used.
· A aerial view video of someone packing their bag for the day - “what’s in my bag” style
· A carousel with a collection of photos depicting a model’s use of the bag throughout the day – essentially screen grabs of a video campaign
The Ndo Bag marketing plan will highlight the more relaxed look and feel of the bag, while still accentuating the chic design and elevation the bag brings. I’d love to have a more casual approach to this bag as it’s the least structured of the bunch. The campaign will include:
· A still shot of the bag on a storage hanger in a house - potential for a day in the life style video with this as the teasing visual
· A landscape view video of someone carrying bag like a bucket - very Jane Birkin-esque
· A carousel with a collection of photos - picnic bag, day in the life style, pack my bag with me style?
For the Kazini Clutches, the marketing plan will highlight the bold colours, size, and functionality of the clutches. The campaign will include:
· A still shot of the clutch staged somewhere
· A video concept - club night or y2k party aesthetic, perhaps
· A carousel with a collection of photos - stills from the early 2000 party vibes, very Work by Rihanna x Bills Bills Bills by Destiny’s Child x Tyla’s Instagram
Lastly, the Safari Travel Bag will consist of a marketing plan highlighting its durability, price point, and reliability.
· A still shot of the bag TBD
· A front view video of someone packing their bag
· A carousel with a collection of photos of the bag being travelled with – i.e in an airport security container, in an overhead bin, in someone’s hand, etc
Realistically, I don’t think I’ll be able to shoot all four bags and their campaigns the way I want to by May, so I’ll likely choose two of them and go from there. The video campaigns are definitely the most daunting and perhaps the most costly… but I guess that’s what this stage is for.
I’m up in the air about where to shoot all of this, especially since I haven’t narrowed down the bags I’d like to focus on. I’m leaning towards the Moo Moo Purse and the Safari because they’re the two I use the most and have teased already, but the Kazini holds a special place in my heart! I have a feeling time will make the decision for me, so I’ll start planning for those three first.
Until next time - when I’m back in London Town :)
Oh and happy New Year!
Numbers 6:24-26
FEBRUARY + MARCH
I wish I were joking… but I went viral. Yes, you read that right. And not just some “small” 10-20k viral (which for the record isn’t actually small at all to me), I’m talking 1 Million views in the last several days viral. ONE MILLION! That means two million eyes on me.
HA!
If that’s not divine intervention, I don’t know what is.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to mention that my friend, Te’lyah, who was with me on the day went viral too!!! If and when she reads this she’ll try to deny it, but it’s important that you all know that it’s true. Visit Bermuda ;)
Anyway, remember last phase when I was supposed to (and I quote) “begin social media posts + analysis via casual social media rollout according to social schedule: archival photos, previous content, client content?” Yeah, I didn’t. Then I had the audacity to ask God to help me be seen. He’s got a sense of humour, that’s for sure.
The real reason I didn’t start with any feed posts just yet was because I’ve been scared into inaction by the voice in my head that says “I don’t know what I’m doing.” She’s a real party starter that one. I’ve seen concepts and saved TikTok and Instagram posts for a few months now, but I just didn’t know where to start. Now, I have the perfect launching pad.
Incidentally, I went viral for talking about Kenya - three things people don’t know about it to be exact. Cue the fourth here: that we have fabulous fashion brands and accessories, including this bag that I’m wearing now! The only thing that would’ve made the day better is if I had been wearing one of my AKELLOMOLO bags. But you know what they say, lightning never strikes twice in the same spot. My win of the day was the visibility/platform.
This new phase coincided pretty perfectly with the start of the new term:
Week 21 – 30: Production | 19 January - 27 March
Key Notes: Weeks 26 & 27 Off for Easter
Maintaining weekly or bi-weekly Akello’s Archive posts
Social media posts according to schedule & performance analysis
· Weeks 21-23 - Website updating and campaign shooting | location & administrative check and finalisation, creative direction for editorial and casual shooting
· Weeks 24-27 – Casual shooting & social posting
· Weeks 28-30 – Website launch for interest and email notification | Campaign look through + potential reshoots, social posts & analysis
The beauty here is that this video has literally spurred me into action at the perfect time - it was week 23 when the video went live. It’s Week 28 which means I have five more weeks to get everything done. Not too bad, but not exactly according to plan. In the weeks that we haven’t spoken, there’s been a lot going on: I went viral, I decided on which bags to shoot, finalised the campaign mood boards, roped my friends in to help me out, and started a new job while I’m at it. Queen of multitasking = me!
The exciting part so far is that with the shoots planned out I can really focus on backend things like the website and getting outside insight. My workmate, Luke, has been helping me with all things content strategy as the queen of going viral. It was their advice to post a follow up video to my ‘on-the-street’ interview and though it was 13 days later, the effects have been pretty great.
Since then, I’ve posted once a week with a vlog style video or post to ensure engagement and community building on the page.
The first screenshot I have of the Instagram is from 13 August 2025 and at the point we had 24 followers - without any consistent strategy or positing.
As we go into the campaigns properly now I can’t wait to see how that changes!
I had a really impactful meeting with Omar Mansoor right before leaving for break, too. He gave me insight into the profit margins we have set up at our current pricing and the logistics we need to use going forward - especially since longevity is at the heart of this project. Where we previously priced lower for the products, the tariffs caused by the blockage at the Strait of Hormuz and general taxes on imported goods from the East to West has presented a certain level of entrepreneurial thinking I didn’t know I possessed/need to possess at this stage. Taking that in, there’s a bit of admin to do at the back end of this month and the next phase as the website becomes finalised and official in about a month!
Psalm 37:5
APRIL + MAY
The final stretch - Thank God.
To say I’m tired would be an understatement. To say I’m proud would be a failure to express myself fully.
I’m writing this on the day before the deadline with a lot of emotions flowing through me. I’ve cried four times this week alone and I’m pretty sure it has to do with submitting this.
The fact that we’re at this point is incomprehensible to me in almost every way. From the plan that I set out in December/January to the actual execution of it all, this journey has been insane.
Last week, we hit 100 followers on the page. After the first campaign was rolled out for the Moo Moo Purse, the third post pushed us into 100 people following the page. I recognise that to some that may feel insignificant, but for a girl who has literally never built anything of this nature before, the thought of 200 eyes seeing something that means so much to me and my family blows me away.
The second campaign got posted this week and pushed us up to 12.2 thousand views in the last 30 days. Over 30 new followers, 895 interactions, and 5 countries consuming our content now.
We got an order placed before even opening the online store officially, which literally blew me away!
The final campaigns were shot for the Kazini Clutches and the Moo Moo Purse, which worked out perfectly. It gives me time to continue advertising for both of them with a lively summer ahead and to play around with different forms of content as we continue to grow our community.
I had the chance to pick the brains of two amazing businesswomen: Temi Akande and Ivy Winfrey. Temi, founder of Temi’s Closet, spoke to me about the realities of African fashion export for a piece I did and was gracious enough to share with me her tips on shipping and handling as we look to scale. Ivy, founder of Two Bags by Ivy and a fellow Luhya-Luo girl, sat down with me for a story on Kenya’s national sports teams, then gisted with me about all things bags and entrepreneurship - basically solidifying herself as a new mentor.
The both of them gave me such useful understanding of the need for African voices in the market and the hurdles that are stopping us from showing up at our fullest capacity. For those pieces and others, I had the privilege of meeting the likes of Olive, founder of Sauvryn Co. - Africa’s Revolve, and Shannon, founder of OmaHub - a curator of African designers, jewellers, and accessories. Seeing the desire for brands like ours and the platforms and spaces available for us to inhabit gives me courage to expand.
I also spent some of this month hosting focus groups online and in-person by sharing our Instagram page, campaign visuals, and prospective plans with different people around me. I did some outreach to creators on Instagram looking to feature African or Kenyan brands in their wardrobes and found success with quite a few. I spoke to some of the gentlemen in my life about the kind of leather goods they use (whether it be wallets, duffle bags, card holders, backpacks, etc.) and how AKELLOMOLO could capitalise on their needs as much as the girls (thanks boys <3)! And a lot of the posting the process online led friends and prospective clients to message me directly with questions, thoughts, or insights that I hadn't yet thought of. This has 100% changed the content coming soon and for future drops - thank you to each person for their beautiful minds!
I also had the chance to really sit down and analyse the performance of the posts over the last few months and their performance. Our highest performing post is the initial Moo Moo Purse Campaign post, with the initial introduction reel post-viral video coming in at a close second. The other three posts in top spot include the third Moo Moo Purse campaign post, the initial Kazini Clutch campaign post, and the Kazini Clutch teaser. What this taught me is our short teaser reels perform well, alongside vlogs where I speak to the camera.
Our insights also show that over 60 percent of the interactions we had over the last 90 days (the general span of our strategy being enacted) has been by non-followers. This makes me eager to create content that focuses on engaging them in a meaningful way - whether that’s through polls, interactive style posts like vlogs, or creating one of those channels via Instagram to have access to more exclusive content before it drops live? The same thought crossed my mind while analysing our reach during this time, too. With one 2,500 accounts reached, how can I convert that to follows and, most importantly, sales? With over 46 percent in profile visits, the interest is clearly there. Now it’s about execution.
I think in future, I’d like to become more consistent with vlogging. Talking to the camera and bringing our community along with me through the different trials and steps that we take. I often try and consider what I would want to see in a brand or its owners and team, and I think the process always fascinates me. How they got to what I’m buying, why they made the decisions they did. It all ties in to their livelihood and that’s what I want to buy into.
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As I close this out it’s 4 AM on the day of the website launch meaning you’ll all see this relatively soon. I want to thank you SO SO SO much for your engagement, your care, your presence. For supporting in a like or a follow. For inquiring or cheering me on from near and far.
(this sounds like an acceptance speech but please stay with me)
I want to thank my friends and family for listening to me go on and on and on about this for longer than they’d probably care to admit. You all anchor me and make me better. All that I am and all that I’ve done is because of you.
And lastly I have to thank God. Because I would’ve quit this by now, if I’m being honest. Or at the very least screwed it up somewhere, somehow. But, it’s not by my strength or might that this site is going live today and a piece of my heart is going out into the world. I pray nothing but Your will to be done and Your favour over this, Lord. Work where I could not and cannot.
It is done!!!!
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Thank you for reading this far! Seriously, I would’ve click off and shopped by now lol.
That being said, the site is now officially live!
We look forward to living life with you - happy shopping x
Job 42:2 & Psalm 23
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