March 4, 2024 • 36 mins
Melaney Oldenhoff, Founder and Creative Director of WhatWeCherish, a curated market place for handmade accessories and home décor from the African continent. Melaney shares how she pivoted from New York-based fashion stylist to joining the vanguard of African design in Johannesburg. Her story is a testament to endurance and vision, championing artisans while navigating the intricacies of e-commerce and forging a new path for women-owned and black-owned brands.
In our conversation, Melaney outlines her amazing journey from inspiration to launch and discusses the importance of knowing when to pivot. Melaney recently transitioned WhatWeCherish from direct-to-customer to a business-to-business model, which has been instrumental in her mission to amplify the voices of African creators in the world's creative economy. Melaney's journey is bigger than just selling products; it's a vision that centers new narratives about African creators and reinforcing Africa's leadership in sustainably designed products.
Melaney's journey will inspire you to be curious about what the rest of the African continent has to offer.
LINKS AND MENTIONS
WhatWeCherish is on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whatwecherish/
Melaney will be happy to hear directly from you too - https://www.instagram.com/melaneyoldenhof/
Visit the company website and see the beautiful designs - https://whatwecherish.com/
Thebe Magugu - https://www.thebemagugu.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (00:03):
Hello and welcome to Shades and Layers
.
I'm your host, Kutloano SkosanaRicci, and on this episode we
are talking curated, sustainableAfrican luxury.
My guest is Melaney Oldenhoff,founder and creative director of
what we Cherish, a curatedmarketplace for handcrafted
design from the Africancontinent.
(00:24):
After a decade of working as afashion stylist in New York City
, Melaney is no stranger tobeing her own boss, except this
time around.
She is leveraging her work asan outside consultant and
applying it, as she worksdirectly with brands and
presents them to the world.
What we Cherish features brandsthat Melanie feels are never
(00:46):
presented in the world'screative economy.
They are well designed, womenowned mostly black owned and
sustainability focused brandsfrom the African continent.
In our conversation, Melaneyoutlines her amazing journey
from inspiration to launch anddiscusses the importance of
knowing when to pivot.
Let's start at the verybeginning of Melaney Oldenhoff's
(01:10):
career.
Melaney Oldenhof (01:11):
I would like to go a little bit back in there
.
I mean, I spent the majority ofmy career as a fashion editor
and wardrobe stylist, you know,being surrounded in the world of
luxury and you know, eventhough this was very creative
and I really really love all theexperience that I did, I was
for a decade in New York City.
I was 10 years in New York andbefore that I was in Amsterdam.
(01:34):
I studied in Amsterdam.
I felt like something waslacking and for me, that really
was like kind of the fastfashion sector that, in a way,
was still kind of likeincomplete for me personally and
because I always worked as aconsultant, I landed in 2019
literally in South Africa.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (01:54):
Okay, oh , that's recent.
Melaney Oldenhof (01:57):
Yeah, that's not that long ago, I was
pregnant, seven months pregnant.
At that time I did most of mypregnancy in New York.
My partner is from South Africaand I landed here and I saw
like so much creativity and somuch beautiful products and I
was literally, like you know,fresh from New York.
I didn't know much about Africain general and I was like, okay
(02:17):
, wow, like why are we nothaving any of these products
overseas, because I'm sure thatany of the people in my network
will definitely love theseproducts.
So that's kind of like where Ithink it started brewing a
little bit and I basically waslooking also for kind of a new
journey.
I mean, I thought I said I'vebeen a fashion editor and
(02:39):
working in fashion basically mywhole career and I was kind of
had a little bit of the feelingof like, been there, done that,
I want something new I wantsomething different, and so I
started the idea of building ane-commerce store and now selling
these products overseas toEurope and to the UK.
(02:59):
So I started working and thenCOVID hit us very badly, you
know, in 2020.
So I had the time for like avery long maternity leave and
also the time to start likewriting on my business plan and
my ideas that I had.
And that's kind of like thebeginning of what we cherish,
that I had this idea of likeokay, I moved to the other side
(03:20):
of the world.
How can I stay also in contact,you know, with the US and with
Europe, and I see all thesebeautiful products and I'm going
to try this, you know.
So it was coming from a veryyeah.
I mean, I don't know if it wasnaive.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (03:35):
That's great.
No, no, yeah, but you tell me,was it naive?
Melaney Oldenhof (03:40):
I mean I learned a lot.
I mean I worked on the, alwayson the back end of, like
creating imagery for e-commerce,but I've never worked.
I was always a consultant, so Iwas always a third party, but I
never worked inside thecorporate Right that thing,
knowing every single detail of,like different departments and
what is needed.
So I definitely have to say,like switching to
(04:02):
entrepreneurship in the last twoyears I call it my personal MBA
.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:06):
I learned a lot Absolutely.
Melaney Oldenhof (04:09):
I mean, I'm not sure if, like you, know what
is needed and probably likebeginner's mistakes, but also
the things that I just didn'thave, the knowledge of right,
and you just learn it.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:18):
As you go along.
Yes, yes, what were some of themistakes that stood out for you
?
Melaney Oldenhof (04:23):
Well, I feel like I'm still in the middle of
it.
I mean like, for instance Idon't know if it really mistakes
, but more like a learningjourney where you know starting
an e-commerce website I guess ifit's just your own website,
like something simple, it'squite easy.
But being in South Africa,where you're dealing with like a
(04:44):
lot of import taxes and high,high logistic costs If you want
to ship things overseas, youknow everything that comes with
that import tax.
And how do you implement thesecosts now into your product?
Because your product is maybe,let's say, I don't know 20 US
dollars and your shipping costis 60 US dollars, just to give
(05:04):
an example.
Like nobody's going to buy yourproduct, you know.
So I needed a lot of time ofactually becoming now a
financial person, like divinginto the numbers and speaking to
people like how do you do thisPricing?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (05:18):
strategy yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (05:20):
Yeah, pricing strategy.
But also, like, how do Iimplement this into a e-commerce
website that I've never.
I didn't even know WordPress.
I mean, I had to teach myselfWordPress.
I had to teach like everythingfrom scratch.
So what is SEO?
What is technical SEO?
What are all the things thatcome with e-commerce, digital
marketing?
So I learned a lot.
(05:41):
I'm not saying I'm there yet,I'm still learning but for me,
the journey was also part ofwhat I'm really enjoying.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (05:50):
Right, so you're still enjoying it.
Melaney Oldenhof (05:52):
But what is?
I am, I am, but your questionis like what is what we chair?
So what we chair is basicallystarted off as an e-commerce
platform that was celebratingAfrican contemporary design and
arts and crafts in a more likeluxurious way, bringing like a
curated, contemporary luxuryproducts to you or to the
(06:16):
customer, with a sustainableangle in it of like supporting
small businesses.
Most of my friends are femaleowned, half of them are black
female owned, so there's a lotof that involved in the whole
package that I'm.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (06:33):
Why was that important to you?
Melaney Oldenhof (06:36):
Why is it important to me?
Well, I mean for me.
I mean, even though I'm verylight-skinned, like I'm coming
from a mixed race family, soit's not just.
It's not just.
You know, I grew up in theNetherlands but I've experienced
both sides, so I don't identifymyself as only like as a white
(06:56):
person, even though maybe,depending on where you are,
Exactly it depends Exactly.
I know that's true, but for me Iwas always seen like I grew up
in a very white environmentwhere I was seen as exotic or as
like different, because I hadvery curly hair and, like you
know, bigger lips, but then Istill have blue eyes, so it's
(07:17):
like what's going on there.
So I think that is definitely,if you go back to like the core,
core, I think that's like partof it.
I think also I grew up with amother that was it's always been
very involved in.
You know, she worked in like arefugee center.
She's like Hypno-terapist.
So I come from quite an oldhippie background.
(07:38):
Right, right.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (07:40):
I didn't want to use the word yes.
Melaney Oldenhof (07:42):
Yes, I didn't know the other way to describe
it, but so I've always been verymuch in touch.
Like you know, my mother used tobring me to ashrams and, like
you know, alternativeunconventional yes yes, and like
other cultures, and I think Ialways felt very, also attracted
to that and I guess, coming toSouth Africa from the luxury
(08:04):
industry in New York City in theUS, I just saw that there's
quite a lot of my experiencethat I can bring to the table
here as well, right, that I canuse in a positive way.
And what I was mentioningbefore is like I definitely had
that feeling of like.
I don't know, it was almost afeeling of like.
I'm not giving back it anyway,I just make people make look
(08:25):
good and make them consume, butwhat can I do?
That also fills me more as aperson myself.
So I'm not stepping out of theluxury industry.
I'm not stepping out, you know,of the fashion and lifestyle,
but I'm just doing more approachto it, yeah different approach
of like conscious consumerism.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (08:44):
Yeah, so yeah so I see that there are
quite a few, not e-commerce only, but you know a lot of small
brands like you have on yourwebsite.
You know, with this approach ofhandmade, there's a whole
movement of made in Africa.
What do you think is happeningthere?
What's this trajectory?
Melaney Oldenhof (09:04):
Well, I think that the influence of African
design, like internationally,has always been there.
I think in the past designersborrowed or maybe stealing just
how you call it from Africancultural heritage, depending on
how you look at it.
And I think now we are more at apoint, I mean, if I read
(09:27):
articles and if I see what'shappening that African fashion
or an Africa, you know, hasgained more global recognition,
I think, and the influence ismore recognized and seen, I
think, now worldwide in thefashion industry.
You know where I think it wasalways there, where you know,
like lots of designs would go toAfrica, would go to Morocco, I
(09:49):
mean, think even back at like,if they're Saint Laurent, he was
super inspired by, you know,north Africa.
It was one of the firstdesigners to use black models on
his runway, maybe he was eventhe first, if I'm correct.
And the use of like bold colorsand patterns and, yeah, all
this reflection of like Africanlandscape, I think.
So you know, if you look atAnkara and Kente cloth, how it
(10:13):
became like, so popular and yeah, I just think that it's more
like globally recognized now.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (10:18):
Yeah, it's kind of like a natural
development of and just also,you know, acknowledging where
things come from.
Melaney Oldenhof (10:26):
Yes, exactly, exactly that whole movement.
What you're saying, even if you, you know, if you look now at,
like, folk business, you seethat there's much more attention
of like writing articles aboutAfrican designers and like,
obviously, like with the table,my Google that won, like the
LVMH price, and like, yeah, yousee more and you see, just, you
(10:49):
see it just more everywhere.
What you're saying, like it'sdefinitely more on the surface,
which is, which is beautiful,because I think that recognition
is so deserved.
I feel like I'm still so new ina country I haven't even
traveled Africa yet like I can'tsay like I'm a speaker for,
like you know, Pan-African, butI do love, I do love artisanal
(11:11):
work, I love craft, I lovedesign and I just see a lot of
it here.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (11:16):
So I'm just working with what I which
much.
Melaney Oldenhof (11:20):
I love yeah.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (11:25):
Today's guest on Shades and Layers is
Melaney Oldenhof, founder andcreative director of WhatWe
Cherish, a curated digitalmarketplace for sustainable
African luxury.
There is no doubt that therehas been a proliferation of
e-commerce platforms for Africangoods online, particularly
handcrafted fashion andaccessories, and in the next
(11:45):
part of our conversation wediscuss Melanie's take on the
drivers behind this development.
We also discuss how sherecently transformed her
business model and added moreservices for her clients, as
well as why she considers whatwe cherish a collective.
So the artisanal side of things.
(12:06):
I see that a lot of Africanbrands are focused on.
I would say, then, maybe slowdesign, yes, and you know, of
course, that brings with it itsown challenges, because you can
scale maybe as quickly, and thenyou have to charge a lot more
for your goods, but then theyend up getting consumed overseas
(12:26):
instead of locally.
I mean, how's that interplayworking?
Interplay working in terms of,maybe, the brands that are on
your website as well.
Melaney Oldenhof (12:35):
So to give you a little bit of insight.
So what I said, the originalvision that I had, was like
creating the e-commerce websiteand direct to consumer and then
realizing also like how muchmoney is needed in order to
become high in the Googleranking and competing with all
(12:56):
these big e-commerce websites.
I realized when I was talkingto the vendors and to the brands
that there was actually just alot of requests of like help
needed for visibility overseas.
So it didn't have to bespecifically like an e-commerce
brand, but an e-commerce websitethat could also be like help of
(13:18):
like how do you photographthings for e-commerce purposes
or for marketing purposes, right, pr, marketing, all the aspects
that come with it.
So I decided just at the end oflast year, while I was looking
at the website and everything,how things were going, that I
decided to go more business tobusiness Instead of like
(13:41):
business to consumer, becausewith business to consumer, you
also only sell like one item ata time.
Now this item has to be made,this item has to be shipped and
what you say, there's very highcost that comes with it.
So, again, part of theentrepreneurial journey of like
feel an error, I guess, or notfeel, but understanding better.
Yeah, just trying things outwhat you can do.
(14:04):
Yeah, trying things out.
So I've decided to go morebusiness to business because I
work, because also I met morenew people in the meantime and
I'm really loving, like you know, the African contemporary
design and like furniture andlike what's happening out here
is just amazing.
So, yeah, so I'm working onthat, like one of the brands
(14:25):
from Ghana they I mean, I'mtalking with them to becoming
like a sales agency for themalso.
So just to push more volume tobreak and more to stores, for
instance, instead of just thedirect to consumer.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (14:36):
Yes, oh, wow, ok, that's fantastic.
So then that means you'regetting into the whole sales
space.
Melaney Oldenhof (14:43):
Basically, yes yes, yeah, which is a whole new
.
It's a new, a new part of thebusiness plan.
Like that wasn't I mean I had Ihad in my mind when I started
the e-commerce site.
I remember I had a talk withone of the vendors that does
furniture and I was like itwould be nice to have like kind
of an agency aspect of what wecherish as well, so that it's
(15:04):
really like a platform and notjust a shop, you know, and
really being able to like tellthe stories of these brands and
like why it's so beautiful.
And yeah, I think what I wastalking with her.
I already had a conversation,but now it's coming more
actively on my path.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:22):
So I'm taking that.
Melaney Oldenhof (15:23):
That's exciting.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:24):
Really, really exciting.
Melaney Oldenhof (15:26):
Yeah, yeah.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:28):
You called yourself a collective.
Can you tell me what that meansin real life?
Melaney Oldenhof (15:35):
Well, well, I see I see a collective also as
like collaboration, right, and Ifeel like it's not, like it's
me, and then I am selling thesebrands.
So it's about me, I feel likeit's about us and I think that's
the the collective part of likehow I experience it, like, I
really think that like alsochanging the perception of, like
(15:57):
African goods, that one, onebrand is not going to be enough
to showcase or push or show whatis out there.
So I think as, yeah, so I thinkas a collective or as like a
group, you can show much,showcase much better all the
beautiful products that arebeing made here and that people
don't know about yet, yeah, sowhat's their?
(16:19):
reception and also in theworking, yeah, and also in the
like working together withpeople, right, I mean, it's what
I said.
It's not like a one man showwhere it's like I'm telling you
what to do with this, what we'regoing to do, it's a collective,
it's like I'm working with you,you.
I also see I don't say vendors,normally as a partners, because
I feel like we do it alltogether to to work on this, you
(16:40):
know, to work on thisshowcasing all these beautiful
goods from from Africa.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (16:46):
So how did you land your first client?
Melaney Oldenhof (16:48):
Oh, Well, how did I land them?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (16:51):
Yeah, Like did you decide?
Okay, these are the companiesthat need to be showcased.
I'm going to approach them, oryeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (17:01):
It's actually kind of a cute story if I have
the time.
So when I met my partner in2018, I was still living in New
York City I was visiting SouthAfrica because I was here for a
job I was working at the time atthe OTR2 tour for Beyonce and
Jaycee and I came to SouthAfrica basically just for that.
(17:21):
So we met and, okay, we startedspending time together and then
he came to New York Citybecause he was working for
Afropunk at the time and he cameto New York City because the
Brooklyn Afropunk was coming upand he brought me a little
wooden top with shea butter fromGhana and I was like.
(17:46):
and I was like, oh, this is sobeautiful.
And he's like, yeah, a friendof mine gave it to me, Maria
McClory, of course.
How did I know?
So he brought it and I wasobsessed with the look of that.
I was obsessed with the look ofthe product.
It was like a bamboo top and itwas all in gray.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (18:04):
Yeah, I've seen it, it was so pretty,
yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (18:07):
And at the time I thought by myself and
this was before I even knew thatI was going to move to South
Africa I was like, oh, maybe Ishould start an Amazon shop,
because we don't sell this here.
This would do so well.
So already these thoughts werethere.
And then when I started doingresearch way further I fast
forward in the story when I wasin South Africa, I started doing
(18:30):
research and I went back tothat brand as well to look at
them and I wrote them.
I created a presentation of howI wanted the website to look
like and what my vision and mymission was for my e-commerce
platform.
And they said yes, and so theywere actually the first also to
sign on with me and yeah, so theresponse was positive.
(18:55):
But then the real work started.
What I said I basically startedreaching out with a concept to
defenders and they said yes, andthey loved the presentation and
everything.
And then it was like okay.
Then I thought, oh, maybe I needlike eight months to put this
together, and that became closerto two years to get it all
(19:17):
sorted.
But we're up and running now.
The website is online, it'sthere and I think it's something
that people can order.
But what I said like the focusfrom my entrepreneurial journey
is going more towards businessto business, which means that I
am basically switching over moreto like a wholesale agency and
(19:40):
also reaching out to likeinterior designers and
architects to showcase theproducts that are here and they
are often longer they are longer, and it's just a fact.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (19:57):
It's just infrastructure also yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (20:00):
Yeah, it's just infrastructure and like I
can't.
You know, I know a lot ofpeople are working on this to
make changes, but like I can'tchange this overnight, so you
also have to roll with what youhave, and I think architects and
interior designers that there'sa lot of them that don't know
how many amazing stuff there ishere and by reaching out to them
(20:21):
, I started working from thisyear on like a big digital
lookbook that I will start likesending out so that if people
have projects that they work onwith lead time, we can actually
produce these products and it'sstill slow fashion then in a way
, exactly, yeah, oh that'sreally really great.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (20:42):
Yeah, and you know how have you been
received in Europe and the UK,your target market.
Melaney Oldenhof (20:48):
Well, it's funny, I got to.
I think the US is, I thinkEurope is quite open to it, but
I also do everything by myselfwith a couple of people, but not
like you know, it's not.
I'm still in the startup phase,that's not.
Let's just be real right.
So I mean, wwd wrote a littlementioning article and there was
(21:10):
another website from yeah, theywrote a little article when I
launched which I was like oh mygosh.
And then I'm like this is realnow.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (21:19):
Right yeah, the fashion Bible has
written about working cherished.
Melaney Oldenhof (21:26):
And then there was a website in LA that also
gave me some attention, and nowyou so you know, I mean, I think
I also, yes, but I also reallybelieve in like organic growth.
I don't think there is such athing as like overnight success.
I mean unless maybe I don't know, some big investor is now like,
(21:48):
okay, let's invest in this,then you maybe see some suddenly
like a big visibility.
But I really believe in likeorganic growth and I still
myself have to get to know a lotof vendors, reaching out to a
lot of vendors.
You know portfolio growth.
There's so much to do and whatis interesting is like that I
thought originally that I wouldonly go to the US and Europe and
(22:12):
then I also partnered up with abrand from Mozambique that does
amazing like social,responsible work and also asked
me, like Mel, like you know,you're so good in talking to
people and like can you not justlike sell me in South Africa?
And I did a pop-up shop just totry it out and it sold actually
quite well and I was like, ohwow, there is also maybe a
(22:33):
market here as well, Like why amI only looking at the other
side?
You know, the grass is alwaysgreener at the neighbors right,
so I was like wait, wait, thereis also possibility here.
So again, this all happenedkind of last year, because I was
only online for like a year.
This all happened last year.
(22:54):
So this is a switch happeningwhere, like now, I also start
talking to people here, to startcreating things for here as
well, which is very, very nice.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:08):
That things go like that.
I would think it's probablybetter than international
shipping, because it's so hardto you know all the brands.
Melaney Oldenhof (23:15):
I speak to it's man, you know.
Right, but I still believe that.
I really believe that if it'sthe right person listening, I
really believe that there is,you know, a growing popularity
in.
You know there's a growingpopularity in African arts and
aesthetics.
There's a growing popularity insustainability.
(23:37):
After COVID, there's a rise inwhat you say in consumer demand
for, like artisanal and handmadegoods.
I really believe there's anunder curated market.
You know, if you look atmarketplaces that that are the
leading ones, like Etsy andAmazon, they're not curated.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:55):
You know it's all like, if you, I
remember yeah, everybody andanybody.
Melaney Oldenhof (23:59):
So that was also my thing, I think.
Coming more from like a fashionbackground, I was like I see so
many beautiful things like whyare they not curated in the same
space?
You know, why are they likekind of getting lost, maybe on
an Etsy because they don't knowwhere else to to showcase their
products?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (24:18):
so yeah, yeah, so what are your
ambitions for this platform?
Melaney Oldenhof (24:25):
Oh, they're big Good let's hear it.
I mean, I will be honest withyou, I really would love to to
become like the best you knowsustainable platform in the B2B
for African contemporary luxuryproducts.
So that is in, that is, inrelationship to.
(24:49):
That can be furniture and home,like lifestyle, but also for
clean, beauty and accessories.
I stepped out of fashion, Ileave that to other people.
But yeah, within the, withinthe home and lifestyle group,
there's a lot there.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (25:04):
That's amazing.
I'm so excited for you.
Melaney Oldenhof (25:08):
Yeah, I have big, big, big plans, but you
know, I know it will take time.
It's nice, but it's nice tohave dreams.
You know, without dreams who'sgonna?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (25:18):
oh, gonna make them right.
It's not worthwhile.
Yeah, absolutely.
This is Shades and Lears, andit's now time to get into
Melanie Oldenhoff's personalstory and we will expand on how
her experiences as a young womangrowing up in the Netherlands
have shaped her entrepreneurialjourney.
(25:39):
We will get into the Shades andLears rapid fire and finally
discuss Melanie's big dreams forwhat we cherish.
You mentioned that you hadquite an unconventional
upbringing.
Is there anything else from wayback then that you can remember
that pointed to how you know,like your career choice and how
(26:02):
you ended up where you are today?
Melaney Oldenhof (26:04):
Well, when I was young, young, I want to
become a doctor, a surgeon, andwhich is funny, I remember as a
child I was even watching youknow like operations and stuff,
but I didn't make it to what doyou?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (26:22):
mean you were watching operations and
stuff.
Melaney Oldenhof (26:24):
Like when I was younger, I liked all those
kind of things, like things thatwere related to like doctor and
and surgeons, and my mother mymother told me that, yeah, I
wasn't, but now I'm even afraidof getting a needle in my.
So I don't think I would havebeen the best doctor, but I
think I was always veryindividual, quite, I guess I
(26:47):
mean collected.
I remember when I was around 14that I was in a quite preppy
school, but then I would wear DrMartens with with with flowers
and rip port pens and and aleather, vintage salmon color
coat, like like this crazyoutfit.
So I think I always had likethis sense of yeah, how do you
(27:09):
say aesthetics, or like beingattractive to aesthetics and to,
you know, to beautiful thingsyeah to the beautiful things
that I found beautiful right ofcourse, at the time.
Yeah, and very independent.
I mean I was a very independentchild and you know I biked to
(27:29):
school and I don't know it'shard.
I almost have to ask my friend.
It's hard to tell about myself,but I definitely.
It's funny what I just did.
Last year I did anentrepreneurship course here in
South Africa and one of the theone of the things that they made
you do was you had to do acouple of personality tests to
(27:52):
see what kind of entrepreneuryou are, and so what came out of
there is that I'm more like ahard-minded entrepreneur, so
which, if I look at that, it'sfunny, because it came out of
the personality test that itjust basically fits with what
I'm actually doing right now.
Right, like, like collaboration.
(28:12):
I like to collaborate withpeople.
I don't like to work alone.
I'm empathetic, yeah, like allthese like elements that that
comes to like more hard-mindedor hard driven personality.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (28:25):
So I think I'm in the right space
yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah, yeah, the reason I ask is because of
my next question, and it's todo with if you had to write a
memoir right, you mentioned thatyour mixed race.
You were something of an exotickid when you were growing up,
(28:46):
but you know, if you had tosummarize your life and give it
a title, what would you call itand why?
Melaney Oldenhof (28:51):
ooh, I didn't look at it from a childhood
point of view.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (28:55):
Oh, you can look at it from career,
leisure career.
Melaney Oldenhof (28:57):
Yes, yeah, yeah like maybe from from from
from career, I would say likesomething like fashion with
purpose, a journey fromAmsterdam to Africa, oh nice, um
, because you know it startedthere.
I mean, I studied fashion, uh,management and technology, um,
so that's where I have abachelor degree in and then I
(29:20):
obviously moved to New York andfrom New York to Africa, so I
can call it fashion with apurpose, like it's a journey,
right, a journey of, of learningeverything and yeah, yeah, fun.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (29:32):
That's what I, what would come to mind,
yeah and if you had to turn thebook into a film, who would you
pick to be the lead actress in?
Melaney Oldenhof (29:40):
that.
Um well, I really love TracyEllis Ross.
Um, I think she's verycharismatic, she's confident,
she's funny.
She seems also like kind of anintuitive person similar spirit
to yours, yeah yeah, and I meanthis is just.
This is not talking for myself,but I think she's a beautiful
woman, so I would be veryhonored if she would come to me
(30:04):
and then maybe if it was myyounger me when I was younger,
maybe we'll be then Beesendayaor something.
It's fashionable, funny, alittle bit quirky.
So yeah, but that's a questionalso, you started saying I love
that.
(30:24):
You are a local A local now, yes, Five years, so it goes fast.
I mean I'm already half of thetime.
I was a decade in New York andI'm half a decade here.
So it's crazy how the timeflies.
Yeah, but people will say thatwhen they get older.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (30:42):
Yeah, of course I mean, and then once
kids arrive, that's it, it'sover, like your sense of time is
just it's gone, yeah, yeah.
Great.
Is there anything that youwould like to mention about what
we cherish that you think maybewe didn't touch on?
Melaney Oldenhof (30:59):
I mean, I definitely think for people that
listen to a podcast aboutentrepreneurship that it's nice
to hear that it's not alwaysroses and roses and lavender.
Yeah yeah, I feel like often onthe podcast and especially, as
I can say, like often, theAmerican ones.
It's very much about what is it?
(31:19):
The school of greatness?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (31:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Overnight success yeah, yeah,yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (31:25):
Like what's fair, what you see a lot or what
you hear a lot, but it's not.
And I'm like in the middle ofthe journey, you know, to make
things happen.
And as far as I enjoy thejourney, I'm also very blessed
and grateful that I have apartner that completely supports
me, because, thankfully, he hasa nine to five job, because I
(31:48):
don't you know.
And so, yeah, I think there's alot of things that come with it
.
That is really not that easy and, for instance, what I said,
like when I launched thee-commerce shop, like in my head
I was like, ah, I'm going tobuy a BMW next week, you know.
But like you know, for instance, you just think you launched it
(32:09):
, you're like, oh enthusiastic.
You think like, and now it'sgoing to happen, and then it's
just quiet, right, yeah.
And now, like, how do you dealwith the fact that things are
not exactly as they are going byyour plan?
And I think, with mypersonality and the luck I guess
that I have, that I've alwaysbeen a freelancer is that I know
(32:31):
how to hustle.
Yeah, I hustle like no one else.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (32:36):
Well, new York will do too right.
Melaney Oldenhof (32:37):
Yeah, new York will do too.
So, no for sure.
And especially as a freelancer,if you don't have like a full
time job, you know, like youknow getting clients continuing,
continuing those relationships,like all of that, it's like
it's so important.
So so, yeah, I want to say likeit's not always everything is
not always how it looks like onInstagram, for sure, but I
(33:00):
definitely, really, really stillbelieve in what I'm doing
Otherwise I wouldn't do it.
I really believe that there isa lot of growth possible and,
yeah, I have big visions.
I have big still big dreams ofwhere it can go, like you know
someone, someone like Amira Rasu, who's doing the folklore.
Connect, yeah, amira, if youhear this, answer my LinkedIn
(33:24):
emails, please.
But you know, like someone likeher, she's like a real example
for me of like you know how tobring product overseas, how to
bring it to the US, and but also, you know, when I look at those
stories, it's like she also gotlike 1.7 million US dollar in
like pre seeding funds.
(33:44):
Right, I don't have that, Ihave been doing it all from
scratch.
So it's like it's those thingsalso make a big difference.
So I think, with with, we say,we say in Dutch like we roll
with with what we got right, wewrote about what we got.
So I think, as where I'm at now, I still feel very confident
that there's definitely a lot ofpossibilities.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's lots of
possibilities.
That's why I wanted to speak toyou.
It's very exciting.
I mean, it's always thesethings that you're looking for
but can never find, and yeah,well, I hope, I really, really,
really hope that someonelistening will approach you with
big funds, you know finances.
Melaney Oldenhof (34:28):
I mean, is that a desire?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (34:29):
Yes, or you're just fine going
organically.
Melaney Oldenhof (34:32):
I'm fine going organically.
I mean, if I also, when I saidlisten to podcasts, I sometimes
hear like stay away from the bigmoney because it's not all like
bring, bring always.
Yeah, they want shares and theywant all these things from you
as well.
So can you still do yourcreative vision or your
sustainable vision, what youenvisioned originally?
Can you hold on to that whenyou get, like, the big money?
(34:54):
So I am actually happy to tostart small and and start
building and building a trustingplace, and I really believe in
like the right people come onyour path when it's the right
time.
Absolutely, and yeah, that'sthat's my belief and I'm working
with with that and all the allthe vendors and businesses and
(35:15):
the partners that I'm workingwith and they really believe in
it too, and so I think that'swhat you need as a collective is
that you have the same beliefthat what you're doing is the
right thing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (35:26):
Great yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (35:28):
Wonderful.
I love that.
Thank you, and where can peoplefind you?
Well, they can go to what wecherish dot com.
They can go to the Instagram,which is at what we cherish.
They can probably find me,melanie Oldenhoff, if they want
to DM me directly.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (35:44):
Why?
That's it from me.
Thank you so much for your time.
I'm glad we could get thistogether, given the current
challenges.
Melaney Oldenhof (35:54):
It is actually right now, no load shedding.
Your morning, my earlyafternoon, so it's perfect.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (36:02):
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much, yeah,
and that is all from me thistime around.
All socials and other links areincluded in the show notes.
Thank you for listening and foryour ongoing support.
If you found value in thisepisode, please share it with a
friend.
Thank you and until next time.
(36:22):
Please do take good care.
Hello and welcome to Shades and Layers
.
I'm your host, Kutloano SkosanaRicci, and on this episode we
are talking curated, sustainableAfrican luxury.
My guest is Melaney Oldenhoff,founder and creative director of
what we Cherish, a curatedmarketplace for handcrafted
design from the Africancontinent.
(00:24):
After a decade of working as afashion stylist in New York City
, Melaney is no stranger tobeing her own boss, except this
time around.
She is leveraging her work asan outside consultant and
applying it, as she worksdirectly with brands and
presents them to the world.
What we Cherish features brandsthat Melanie feels are never
(00:46):
presented in the world'screative economy.
They are well designed, womenowned mostly black owned and
sustainability focused brandsfrom the African continent.
In our conversation, Melaneyoutlines her amazing journey
from inspiration to launch anddiscusses the importance of
knowing when to pivot.
Let's start at the verybeginning of Melaney Oldenhoff's
(01:10):
career.
Melaney Oldenhof (01:11):
I would like to go a little bit back in there
.
I mean, I spent the majority ofmy career as a fashion editor
and wardrobe stylist, you know,being surrounded in the world of
luxury and you know, eventhough this was very creative
and I really really love all theexperience that I did, I was
for a decade in New York City.
I was 10 years in New York andbefore that I was in Amsterdam.
(01:34):
I studied in Amsterdam.
I felt like something waslacking and for me, that really
was like kind of the fastfashion sector that, in a way,
was still kind of likeincomplete for me personally and
because I always worked as aconsultant, I landed in 2019
literally in South Africa.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (01:54):
Okay, oh , that's recent.
Melaney Oldenhof (01:57):
Yeah, that's not that long ago, I was
pregnant, seven months pregnant.
At that time I did most of mypregnancy in New York.
My partner is from South Africaand I landed here and I saw
like so much creativity and somuch beautiful products and I
was literally, like you know,fresh from New York.
I didn't know much about Africain general and I was like, okay
(02:17):
, wow, like why are we nothaving any of these products
overseas, because I'm sure thatany of the people in my network
will definitely love theseproducts.
So that's kind of like where Ithink it started brewing a
little bit and I basically waslooking also for kind of a new
journey.
I mean, I thought I said I'vebeen a fashion editor and
(02:39):
working in fashion basically mywhole career and I was kind of
had a little bit of the feelingof like, been there, done that,
I want something new I wantsomething different, and so I
started the idea of building ane-commerce store and now selling
these products overseas toEurope and to the UK.
(02:59):
So I started working and thenCOVID hit us very badly, you
know, in 2020.
So I had the time for like avery long maternity leave and
also the time to start likewriting on my business plan and
my ideas that I had.
And that's kind of like thebeginning of what we cherish,
that I had this idea of likeokay, I moved to the other side
(03:20):
of the world.
How can I stay also in contact,you know, with the US and with
Europe, and I see all thesebeautiful products and I'm going
to try this, you know.
So it was coming from a veryyeah.
I mean, I don't know if it wasnaive.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (03:35):
That's great.
No, no, yeah, but you tell me,was it naive?
Melaney Oldenhof (03:40):
I mean I learned a lot.
I mean I worked on the, alwayson the back end of, like
creating imagery for e-commerce,but I've never worked.
I was always a consultant, so Iwas always a third party, but I
never worked inside thecorporate Right that thing,
knowing every single detail of,like different departments and
what is needed.
So I definitely have to say,like switching to
(04:02):
entrepreneurship in the last twoyears I call it my personal MBA
.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:06):
I learned a lot Absolutely.
Melaney Oldenhof (04:09):
I mean, I'm not sure if, like you, know what
is needed and probably likebeginner's mistakes, but also
the things that I just didn'thave, the knowledge of right,
and you just learn it.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:18):
As you go along.
Yes, yes, what were some of themistakes that stood out for you
?
Melaney Oldenhof (04:23):
Well, I feel like I'm still in the middle of
it.
I mean like, for instance Idon't know if it really mistakes
, but more like a learningjourney where you know starting
an e-commerce website I guess ifit's just your own website,
like something simple, it'squite easy.
But being in South Africa,where you're dealing with like a
(04:44):
lot of import taxes and high,high logistic costs If you want
to ship things overseas, youknow everything that comes with
that import tax.
And how do you implement thesecosts now into your product?
Because your product is maybe,let's say, I don't know 20 US
dollars and your shipping costis 60 US dollars, just to give
(05:04):
an example.
Like nobody's going to buy yourproduct, you know.
So I needed a lot of time ofactually becoming now a
financial person, like divinginto the numbers and speaking to
people like how do you do thisPricing?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (05:18):
strategy yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (05:20):
Yeah, pricing strategy.
But also, like, how do Iimplement this into a e-commerce
website that I've never.
I didn't even know WordPress.
I mean, I had to teach myselfWordPress.
I had to teach like everythingfrom scratch.
So what is SEO?
What is technical SEO?
What are all the things thatcome with e-commerce, digital
marketing?
So I learned a lot.
(05:41):
I'm not saying I'm there yet,I'm still learning but for me,
the journey was also part ofwhat I'm really enjoying.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (05:50):
Right, so you're still enjoying it.
Melaney Oldenhof (05:52):
But what is?
I am, I am, but your questionis like what is what we chair?
So what we chair is basicallystarted off as an e-commerce
platform that was celebratingAfrican contemporary design and
arts and crafts in a more likeluxurious way, bringing like a
curated, contemporary luxuryproducts to you or to the
(06:16):
customer, with a sustainableangle in it of like supporting
small businesses.
Most of my friends are femaleowned, half of them are black
female owned, so there's a lotof that involved in the whole
package that I'm.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (06:33):
Why was that important to you?
Melaney Oldenhof (06:36):
Why is it important to me?
Well, I mean for me.
I mean, even though I'm verylight-skinned, like I'm coming
from a mixed race family, soit's not just.
It's not just.
You know, I grew up in theNetherlands but I've experienced
both sides, so I don't identifymyself as only like as a white
(06:56):
person, even though maybe,depending on where you are,
Exactly it depends Exactly.
I know that's true, but for me Iwas always seen like I grew up
in a very white environmentwhere I was seen as exotic or as
like different, because I hadvery curly hair and, like you
know, bigger lips, but then Istill have blue eyes, so it's
(07:17):
like what's going on there.
So I think that is definitely,if you go back to like the core,
core, I think that's like partof it.
I think also I grew up with amother that was it's always been
very involved in.
You know, she worked in like arefugee center.
She's like Hypno-terapist.
So I come from quite an oldhippie background.
(07:38):
Right, right.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (07:40):
I didn't want to use the word yes.
Melaney Oldenhof (07:42):
Yes, I didn't know the other way to describe
it, but so I've always been verymuch in touch.
Like you know, my mother used tobring me to ashrams and, like
you know, alternativeunconventional yes yes, and like
other cultures, and I think Ialways felt very, also attracted
to that and I guess, coming toSouth Africa from the luxury
(08:04):
industry in New York City in theUS, I just saw that there's
quite a lot of my experiencethat I can bring to the table
here as well, right, that I canuse in a positive way.
And what I was mentioningbefore is like I definitely had
that feeling of like.
I don't know, it was almost afeeling of like.
I'm not giving back it anyway,I just make people make look
(08:25):
good and make them consume, butwhat can I do?
That also fills me more as aperson myself.
So I'm not stepping out of theluxury industry.
I'm not stepping out, you know,of the fashion and lifestyle,
but I'm just doing more approachto it, yeah different approach
of like conscious consumerism.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (08:44):
Yeah, so yeah so I see that there are
quite a few, not e-commerce only, but you know a lot of small
brands like you have on yourwebsite.
You know, with this approach ofhandmade, there's a whole
movement of made in Africa.
What do you think is happeningthere?
What's this trajectory?
Melaney Oldenhof (09:04):
Well, I think that the influence of African
design, like internationally,has always been there.
I think in the past designersborrowed or maybe stealing just
how you call it from Africancultural heritage, depending on
how you look at it.
And I think now we are more at apoint, I mean, if I read
(09:27):
articles and if I see what'shappening that African fashion
or an Africa, you know, hasgained more global recognition,
I think, and the influence ismore recognized and seen, I
think, now worldwide in thefashion industry.
You know where I think it wasalways there, where you know,
like lots of designs would go toAfrica, would go to Morocco, I
(09:49):
mean, think even back at like,if they're Saint Laurent, he was
super inspired by, you know,north Africa.
It was one of the firstdesigners to use black models on
his runway, maybe he was eventhe first, if I'm correct.
And the use of like bold colorsand patterns and, yeah, all
this reflection of like Africanlandscape, I think.
So you know, if you look atAnkara and Kente cloth, how it
(10:13):
became like, so popular and yeah, I just think that it's more
like globally recognized now.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (10:18):
Yeah, it's kind of like a natural
development of and just also,you know, acknowledging where
things come from.
Melaney Oldenhof (10:26):
Yes, exactly, exactly that whole movement.
What you're saying, even if you, you know, if you look now at,
like, folk business, you seethat there's much more attention
of like writing articles aboutAfrican designers and like,
obviously, like with the table,my Google that won, like the
LVMH price, and like, yeah, yousee more and you see, just, you
(10:49):
see it just more everywhere.
What you're saying, like it'sdefinitely more on the surface,
which is, which is beautiful,because I think that recognition
is so deserved.
I feel like I'm still so new ina country I haven't even
traveled Africa yet like I can'tsay like I'm a speaker for,
like you know, Pan-African, butI do love, I do love artisanal
(11:11):
work, I love craft, I lovedesign and I just see a lot of
it here.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (11:16):
So I'm just working with what I which
much.
Melaney Oldenhof (11:20):
I love yeah.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (11:25):
Today's guest on Shades and Layers is
Melaney Oldenhof, founder andcreative director of WhatWe
Cherish, a curated digitalmarketplace for sustainable
African luxury.
There is no doubt that therehas been a proliferation of
e-commerce platforms for Africangoods online, particularly
handcrafted fashion andaccessories, and in the next
(11:45):
part of our conversation wediscuss Melanie's take on the
drivers behind this development.
We also discuss how sherecently transformed her
business model and added moreservices for her clients, as
well as why she considers whatwe cherish a collective.
So the artisanal side of things.
(12:06):
I see that a lot of Africanbrands are focused on.
I would say, then, maybe slowdesign, yes, and you know, of
course, that brings with it itsown challenges, because you can
scale maybe as quickly, and thenyou have to charge a lot more
for your goods, but then theyend up getting consumed overseas
(12:26):
instead of locally.
I mean, how's that interplayworking?
Interplay working in terms of,maybe, the brands that are on
your website as well.
Melaney Oldenhof (12:35):
So to give you a little bit of insight.
So what I said, the originalvision that I had, was like
creating the e-commerce websiteand direct to consumer and then
realizing also like how muchmoney is needed in order to
become high in the Googleranking and competing with all
(12:56):
these big e-commerce websites.
I realized when I was talkingto the vendors and to the brands
that there was actually just alot of requests of like help
needed for visibility overseas.
So it didn't have to bespecifically like an e-commerce
brand, but an e-commerce websitethat could also be like help of
(13:18):
like how do you photographthings for e-commerce purposes
or for marketing purposes, right, pr, marketing, all the aspects
that come with it.
So I decided just at the end oflast year, while I was looking
at the website and everything,how things were going, that I
decided to go more business tobusiness Instead of like
(13:41):
business to consumer, becausewith business to consumer, you
also only sell like one item ata time.
Now this item has to be made,this item has to be shipped and
what you say, there's very highcost that comes with it.
So, again, part of theentrepreneurial journey of like
feel an error, I guess, or notfeel, but understanding better.
Yeah, just trying things outwhat you can do.
(14:04):
Yeah, trying things out.
So I've decided to go morebusiness to business because I
work, because also I met morenew people in the meantime and
I'm really loving, like you know, the African contemporary
design and like furniture andlike what's happening out here
is just amazing.
So, yeah, so I'm working onthat, like one of the brands
(14:25):
from Ghana they I mean, I'mtalking with them to becoming
like a sales agency for themalso.
So just to push more volume tobreak and more to stores, for
instance, instead of just thedirect to consumer.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (14:36):
Yes, oh, wow, ok, that's fantastic.
So then that means you'regetting into the whole sales
space.
Melaney Oldenhof (14:43):
Basically, yes yes, yeah, which is a whole new
.
It's a new, a new part of thebusiness plan.
Like that wasn't I mean I had Ihad in my mind when I started
the e-commerce site.
I remember I had a talk withone of the vendors that does
furniture and I was like itwould be nice to have like kind
of an agency aspect of what wecherish as well, so that it's
(15:04):
really like a platform and notjust a shop, you know, and
really being able to like tellthe stories of these brands and
like why it's so beautiful.
And yeah, I think what I wastalking with her.
I already had a conversation,but now it's coming more
actively on my path.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:22):
So I'm taking that.
Melaney Oldenhof (15:23):
That's exciting.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:24):
Really, really exciting.
Melaney Oldenhof (15:26):
Yeah, yeah.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:28):
You called yourself a collective.
Can you tell me what that meansin real life?
Melaney Oldenhof (15:35):
Well, well, I see I see a collective also as
like collaboration, right, and Ifeel like it's not, like it's
me, and then I am selling thesebrands.
So it's about me, I feel likeit's about us and I think that's
the the collective part of likehow I experience it, like, I
really think that like alsochanging the perception of, like
(15:57):
African goods, that one, onebrand is not going to be enough
to showcase or push or show whatis out there.
So I think as, yeah, so I thinkas a collective or as like a
group, you can show much,showcase much better all the
beautiful products that arebeing made here and that people
don't know about yet, yeah, sowhat's their?
(16:19):
reception and also in theworking, yeah, and also in the
like working together withpeople, right, I mean, it's what
I said.
It's not like a one man showwhere it's like I'm telling you
what to do with this, what we'regoing to do, it's a collective,
it's like I'm working with you,you.
I also see I don't say vendors,normally as a partners, because
I feel like we do it alltogether to to work on this, you
(16:40):
know, to work on thisshowcasing all these beautiful
goods from from Africa.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (16:46):
So how did you land your first client?
Melaney Oldenhof (16:48):
Oh, Well, how did I land them?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (16:51):
Yeah, Like did you decide?
Okay, these are the companiesthat need to be showcased.
I'm going to approach them, oryeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (17:01):
It's actually kind of a cute story if I have
the time.
So when I met my partner in2018, I was still living in New
York City I was visiting SouthAfrica because I was here for a
job I was working at the time atthe OTR2 tour for Beyonce and
Jaycee and I came to SouthAfrica basically just for that.
(17:21):
So we met and, okay, we startedspending time together and then
he came to New York Citybecause he was working for
Afropunk at the time and he cameto New York City because the
Brooklyn Afropunk was coming upand he brought me a little
wooden top with shea butter fromGhana and I was like.
(17:46):
and I was like, oh, this is sobeautiful.
And he's like, yeah, a friendof mine gave it to me, Maria
McClory, of course.
How did I know?
So he brought it and I wasobsessed with the look of that.
I was obsessed with the look ofthe product.
It was like a bamboo top and itwas all in gray.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (18:04):
Yeah, I've seen it, it was so pretty,
yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (18:07):
And at the time I thought by myself and
this was before I even knew thatI was going to move to South
Africa I was like, oh, maybe Ishould start an Amazon shop,
because we don't sell this here.
This would do so well.
So already these thoughts werethere.
And then when I started doingresearch way further I fast
forward in the story when I wasin South Africa, I started doing
(18:30):
research and I went back tothat brand as well to look at
them and I wrote them.
I created a presentation of howI wanted the website to look
like and what my vision and mymission was for my e-commerce
platform.
And they said yes, and so theywere actually the first also to
sign on with me and yeah, so theresponse was positive.
(18:55):
But then the real work started.
What I said I basically startedreaching out with a concept to
defenders and they said yes, andthey loved the presentation and
everything.
And then it was like okay.
Then I thought, oh, maybe I needlike eight months to put this
together, and that became closerto two years to get it all
(19:17):
sorted.
But we're up and running now.
The website is online, it'sthere and I think it's something
that people can order.
But what I said like the focusfrom my entrepreneurial journey
is going more towards businessto business, which means that I
am basically switching over moreto like a wholesale agency and
(19:40):
also reaching out to likeinterior designers and
architects to showcase theproducts that are here and they
are often longer they are longer, and it's just a fact.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (19:57):
It's just infrastructure also yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (20:00):
Yeah, it's just infrastructure and like I
can't.
You know, I know a lot ofpeople are working on this to
make changes, but like I can'tchange this overnight, so you
also have to roll with what youhave, and I think architects and
interior designers that there'sa lot of them that don't know
how many amazing stuff there ishere and by reaching out to them
(20:21):
, I started working from thisyear on like a big digital
lookbook that I will start likesending out so that if people
have projects that they work onwith lead time, we can actually
produce these products and it'sstill slow fashion then in a way
, exactly, yeah, oh that'sreally really great.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (20:42):
Yeah, and you know how have you been
received in Europe and the UK,your target market.
Melaney Oldenhof (20:48):
Well, it's funny, I got to.
I think the US is, I thinkEurope is quite open to it, but
I also do everything by myselfwith a couple of people, but not
like you know, it's not.
I'm still in the startup phase,that's not.
Let's just be real right.
So I mean, wwd wrote a littlementioning article and there was
(21:10):
another website from yeah, theywrote a little article when I
launched which I was like oh mygosh.
And then I'm like this is realnow.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (21:19):
Right yeah, the fashion Bible has
written about working cherished.
Melaney Oldenhof (21:26):
And then there was a website in LA that also
gave me some attention, and nowyou so you know, I mean, I think
I also, yes, but I also reallybelieve in like organic growth.
I don't think there is such athing as like overnight success.
I mean unless maybe I don't know, some big investor is now like,
(21:48):
okay, let's invest in this,then you maybe see some suddenly
like a big visibility.
But I really believe in likeorganic growth and I still
myself have to get to know a lotof vendors, reaching out to a
lot of vendors.
You know portfolio growth.
There's so much to do and whatis interesting is like that I
thought originally that I wouldonly go to the US and Europe and
(22:12):
then I also partnered up with abrand from Mozambique that does
amazing like social,responsible work and also asked
me, like Mel, like you know,you're so good in talking to
people and like can you not justlike sell me in South Africa?
And I did a pop-up shop just totry it out and it sold actually
quite well and I was like, ohwow, there is also maybe a
(22:33):
market here as well, Like why amI only looking at the other
side?
You know, the grass is alwaysgreener at the neighbors right,
so I was like wait, wait, thereis also possibility here.
So again, this all happenedkind of last year, because I was
only online for like a year.
This all happened last year.
(22:54):
So this is a switch happeningwhere, like now, I also start
talking to people here, to startcreating things for here as
well, which is very, very nice.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:08):
That things go like that.
I would think it's probablybetter than international
shipping, because it's so hardto you know all the brands.
Melaney Oldenhof (23:15):
I speak to it's man, you know.
Right, but I still believe that.
I really believe that if it'sthe right person listening, I
really believe that there is,you know, a growing popularity
in.
You know there's a growingpopularity in African arts and
aesthetics.
There's a growing popularity insustainability.
(23:37):
After COVID, there's a rise inwhat you say in consumer demand
for, like artisanal and handmadegoods.
I really believe there's anunder curated market.
You know, if you look atmarketplaces that that are the
leading ones, like Etsy andAmazon, they're not curated.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:55):
You know it's all like, if you, I
remember yeah, everybody andanybody.
Melaney Oldenhof (23:59):
So that was also my thing, I think.
Coming more from like a fashionbackground, I was like I see so
many beautiful things like whyare they not curated in the same
space?
You know, why are they likekind of getting lost, maybe on
an Etsy because they don't knowwhere else to to showcase their
products?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (24:18):
so yeah, yeah, so what are your
ambitions for this platform?
Melaney Oldenhof (24:25):
Oh, they're big Good let's hear it.
I mean, I will be honest withyou, I really would love to to
become like the best you knowsustainable platform in the B2B
for African contemporary luxuryproducts.
So that is in, that is, inrelationship to.
(24:49):
That can be furniture and home,like lifestyle, but also for
clean, beauty and accessories.
I stepped out of fashion, Ileave that to other people.
But yeah, within the, withinthe home and lifestyle group,
there's a lot there.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (25:04):
That's amazing.
I'm so excited for you.
Melaney Oldenhof (25:08):
Yeah, I have big, big, big plans, but you
know, I know it will take time.
It's nice, but it's nice tohave dreams.
You know, without dreams who'sgonna?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (25:18):
oh, gonna make them right.
It's not worthwhile.
Yeah, absolutely.
This is Shades and Lears, andit's now time to get into
Melanie Oldenhoff's personalstory and we will expand on how
her experiences as a young womangrowing up in the Netherlands
have shaped her entrepreneurialjourney.
(25:39):
We will get into the Shades andLears rapid fire and finally
discuss Melanie's big dreams forwhat we cherish.
You mentioned that you hadquite an unconventional
upbringing.
Is there anything else from wayback then that you can remember
that pointed to how you know,like your career choice and how
(26:02):
you ended up where you are today?
Melaney Oldenhof (26:04):
Well, when I was young, young, I want to
become a doctor, a surgeon, andwhich is funny, I remember as a
child I was even watching youknow like operations and stuff,
but I didn't make it to what doyou?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (26:22):
mean you were watching operations and
stuff.
Melaney Oldenhof (26:24):
Like when I was younger, I liked all those
kind of things, like things thatwere related to like doctor and
and surgeons, and my mother mymother told me that, yeah, I
wasn't, but now I'm even afraidof getting a needle in my.
So I don't think I would havebeen the best doctor, but I
think I was always veryindividual, quite, I guess I
(26:47):
mean collected.
I remember when I was around 14that I was in a quite preppy
school, but then I would wear DrMartens with with with flowers
and rip port pens and and aleather, vintage salmon color
coat, like like this crazyoutfit.
So I think I always had likethis sense of yeah, how do you
(27:09):
say aesthetics, or like beingattractive to aesthetics and to,
you know, to beautiful thingsyeah to the beautiful things
that I found beautiful right ofcourse, at the time.
Yeah, and very independent.
I mean I was a very independentchild and you know I biked to
(27:29):
school and I don't know it'shard.
I almost have to ask my friend.
It's hard to tell about myself,but I definitely.
It's funny what I just did.
Last year I did anentrepreneurship course here in
South Africa and one of the theone of the things that they made
you do was you had to do acouple of personality tests to
(27:52):
see what kind of entrepreneuryou are, and so what came out of
there is that I'm more like ahard-minded entrepreneur, so
which, if I look at that, it'sfunny, because it came out of
the personality test that itjust basically fits with what
I'm actually doing right now.
Right, like, like collaboration.
(28:12):
I like to collaborate withpeople.
I don't like to work alone.
I'm empathetic, yeah, like allthese like elements that that
comes to like more hard-mindedor hard driven personality.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (28:25):
So I think I'm in the right space
yeah, yeah, yeah yeah yeah, yeah, the reason I ask is because of
my next question, and it's todo with if you had to write a
memoir right, you mentioned thatyour mixed race.
You were something of an exotickid when you were growing up,
(28:46):
but you know, if you had tosummarize your life and give it
a title, what would you call itand why?
Melaney Oldenhof (28:51):
ooh, I didn't look at it from a childhood
point of view.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (28:55):
Oh, you can look at it from career,
leisure career.
Melaney Oldenhof (28:57):
Yes, yeah, yeah like maybe from from from
from career, I would say likesomething like fashion with
purpose, a journey fromAmsterdam to Africa, oh nice, um
, because you know it startedthere.
I mean, I studied fashion, uh,management and technology, um,
so that's where I have abachelor degree in and then I
(29:20):
obviously moved to New York andfrom New York to Africa, so I
can call it fashion with apurpose, like it's a journey,
right, a journey of, of learningeverything and yeah, yeah, fun.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (29:32):
That's what I, what would come to mind,
yeah and if you had to turn thebook into a film, who would you
pick to be the lead actress in?
Melaney Oldenhof (29:40):
that.
Um well, I really love TracyEllis Ross.
Um, I think she's verycharismatic, she's confident,
she's funny.
She seems also like kind of anintuitive person similar spirit
to yours, yeah yeah, and I meanthis is just.
This is not talking for myself,but I think she's a beautiful
woman, so I would be veryhonored if she would come to me
(30:04):
and then maybe if it was myyounger me when I was younger,
maybe we'll be then Beesendayaor something.
It's fashionable, funny, alittle bit quirky.
So yeah, but that's a questionalso, you started saying I love
that.
(30:24):
You are a local A local now, yes, Five years, so it goes fast.
I mean I'm already half of thetime.
I was a decade in New York andI'm half a decade here.
So it's crazy how the timeflies.
Yeah, but people will say thatwhen they get older.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (30:42):
Yeah, of course I mean, and then once
kids arrive, that's it, it'sover, like your sense of time is
just it's gone, yeah, yeah.
Great.
Is there anything that youwould like to mention about what
we cherish that you think maybewe didn't touch on?
Melaney Oldenhof (30:59):
I mean, I definitely think for people that
listen to a podcast aboutentrepreneurship that it's nice
to hear that it's not alwaysroses and roses and lavender.
Yeah yeah, I feel like often onthe podcast and especially, as
I can say, like often, theAmerican ones.
It's very much about what is it?
(31:19):
The school of greatness?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (31:21):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Overnight success yeah, yeah,yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (31:25):
Like what's fair, what you see a lot or what
you hear a lot, but it's not.
And I'm like in the middle ofthe journey, you know, to make
things happen.
And as far as I enjoy thejourney, I'm also very blessed
and grateful that I have apartner that completely supports
me, because, thankfully, he hasa nine to five job, because I
(31:48):
don't you know.
And so, yeah, I think there's alot of things that come with it
.
That is really not that easy and, for instance, what I said,
like when I launched thee-commerce shop, like in my head
I was like, ah, I'm going tobuy a BMW next week, you know.
But like you know, for instance, you just think you launched it
(32:09):
, you're like, oh enthusiastic.
You think like, and now it'sgoing to happen, and then it's
just quiet, right, yeah.
And now, like, how do you dealwith the fact that things are
not exactly as they are going byyour plan?
And I think, with mypersonality and the luck I guess
that I have, that I've alwaysbeen a freelancer is that I know
(32:31):
how to hustle.
Yeah, I hustle like no one else.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (32:36):
Well, new York will do too right.
Melaney Oldenhof (32:37):
Yeah, new York will do too.
So, no for sure.
And especially as a freelancer,if you don't have like a full
time job, you know, like youknow getting clients continuing,
continuing those relationships,like all of that, it's like
it's so important.
So so, yeah, I want to say likeit's not always everything is
not always how it looks like onInstagram, for sure, but I
(33:00):
definitely, really, really stillbelieve in what I'm doing
Otherwise I wouldn't do it.
I really believe that there isa lot of growth possible and,
yeah, I have big visions.
I have big still big dreams ofwhere it can go, like you know
someone, someone like Amira Rasu, who's doing the folklore.
Connect, yeah, amira, if youhear this, answer my LinkedIn
(33:24):
emails, please.
But you know, like someone likeher, she's like a real example
for me of like you know how tobring product overseas, how to
bring it to the US, and but also, you know, when I look at those
stories, it's like she also gotlike 1.7 million US dollar in
like pre seeding funds.
(33:44):
Right, I don't have that, Ihave been doing it all from
scratch.
So it's like it's those thingsalso make a big difference.
So I think, with with, we say,we say in Dutch like we roll
with with what we got right, wewrote about what we got.
So I think, as where I'm at now, I still feel very confident
that there's definitely a lot ofpossibilities.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's lots of
possibilities.
That's why I wanted to speak toyou.
It's very exciting.
I mean, it's always thesethings that you're looking for
but can never find, and yeah,well, I hope, I really, really,
really hope that someonelistening will approach you with
big funds, you know finances.
Melaney Oldenhof (34:28):
I mean, is that a desire?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (34:29):
Yes, or you're just fine going
organically.
Melaney Oldenhof (34:32):
I'm fine going organically.
I mean, if I also, when I saidlisten to podcasts, I sometimes
hear like stay away from the bigmoney because it's not all like
bring, bring always.
Yeah, they want shares and theywant all these things from you
as well.
So can you still do yourcreative vision or your
sustainable vision, what youenvisioned originally?
Can you hold on to that whenyou get, like, the big money?
(34:54):
So I am actually happy to tostart small and and start
building and building a trustingplace, and I really believe in
like the right people come onyour path when it's the right
time.
Absolutely, and yeah, that'sthat's my belief and I'm working
with with that and all the allthe vendors and businesses and
(35:15):
the partners that I'm workingwith and they really believe in
it too, and so I think that'swhat you need as a collective is
that you have the same beliefthat what you're doing is the
right thing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (35:26):
Great yeah.
Melaney Oldenhof (35:28):
Wonderful.
I love that.
Thank you, and where can peoplefind you?
Well, they can go to what wecherish dot com.
They can go to the Instagram,which is at what we cherish.
They can probably find me,melanie Oldenhoff, if they want
to DM me directly.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (35:44):
Why?
That's it from me.
Thank you so much for your time.
I'm glad we could get thistogether, given the current
challenges.
Melaney Oldenhof (35:54):
It is actually right now, no load shedding.
Your morning, my earlyafternoon, so it's perfect.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (36:02):
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much, yeah,
and that is all from me thistime around.
All socials and other links areincluded in the show notes.
Thank you for listening and foryour ongoing support.
If you found value in thisepisode, please share it with a
friend.
Thank you and until next time.
(36:22):
Please do take good care.
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