Are you wondering what to do with your old, faded rubber shoes, as we like to call them? If thinking of throwing them into the pile of other unwearable shoes, stop, because there is a new kid in town whose business is to give old shoes a new lease of life. And boy, is she doing an amazing job!
Meet Maggie Ng’ang’a, a 20-year-old second year student of Architecture at the University of Nairobi. Maggie describes herself as a budding artist, with a passion for all things artsy.
When not in class learning the intricacies of architecture and draughtsman/woman-ship, she is re-fashioning shoes in a back room at the family home in Kasarani, Nairobi, or out in the wild taking photos. Maggie is the proprietor of Laced Up, a business born out of a hobby.
“I love art. Architecture, drawing, painting and taking photos are things I enjoy doing,” she says.
The idea to refurbish shoes came to her in 2015 at a time when she was searching for something profitable to do with her creative talent. She thought to capitalise on the universal love for custom-made things. PHOTO| EVANS HABIL
What started as a hobby two years ago has seen Maggie re-furbish more than a hundred pairs of shoes, and in turn make a tidy sum of money.
The idea to refurbish shoes came to her in 2015 at a time when she was searching for something profitable to do with her creative talent. She thought to capitalise on the universal love for custom-made things. “I wanted to create something unique that someone would be proud to own. I could not do clothes or t-shirts because it had been done before, so I settled on shoes.
“I learnt how to mix paints and draw patterns from tutorials on YouTube,” she says, adding that when one of her friends saw her initial work, she was so impressed, she asked her to redesign her shoes.
From this first job, orders started rolling in. On most days, Maggie redesigns three to five pairs of shoes. Charges per pair range between Sh350 to Sh2,800 depending on the complexity of the design and whether or not a client has their own pair of shoes or asks her to buy a pair. She prefers working on canvas because it is easier to paint and draw on.
The crafting begins with a design presented to her by the client and a pair of shoes. Once the design and colour have been agreed upon, Maggie gets to work, tracing the pattern first by hand and then mixing paint and painting the shoe, using a small paint brush. She then uses a special kind of varnish to ensure the first coat of paint does not run. Once the shoes are dry, they are ready to wear and flaunt. Maggie has turned a bedroom in her parent’s home into a workshop, from where she works, usually on weekends and holidays.
Even though she is yet to make this a full-fledged business, she plans to hire and train someone to help when the juggle between school and her business gets too hectic. She foresees that in five years, Laced Up will have acquired its own premises, employed a crew of artsy young people and gone on to create its own brand of shoes and other accessories.
Architecture is Maggie’s second love. She knew she wanted to be an Architect before she even finished high school. She excelled in math, geography and physics, a fact that allowed her to take the course in university.
“Architecture has an element of art in it. Design, shapes and symmetry fascinate me. I saw an opportunity to express my love for art in a unique way.”
Her focus right now is on completing college and graduating in four years’ time. How does she balance school, work and all the things a young woman her age enjoys doing, such as go out on a date with that special guy, catch a movie or spend time with her girlfriends?
Her childhood friend, Melanie Githiori, who sat through the interview, says, “Maggie is a little selfish with her time. If she decides to paint, nothing can stop her, and when she goes out, it almost always has to be to a place with a view, where she can take photos.”
To which Maggie adds, “Photography is my other passion. I have a Nikon camera with two lenses that my parents bought me. I go out to places such as Karura forest to try out nature photography.” She turns to YouTube tutorials whenever she has a challenge with photography, and believes she’s on her way to becoming a pro. Oh, besides this, she is also in her church choir, where she plays drums.
Maggie’s by word is discipline, hard work, focus and persistence.
“Turning my passion into a business has not been without challenges, but if the motivation is love and not money, one is unlikely to be disappointed.”
She is the last born in a family of four, her father an engineer, is inclined to art and so is her elder brother, who Maggie describes as a master of calligraphy and comics. In fact, he introduced her to art, while her father has encouraged and supported her through the years.
“I grew up watching my brother create fascinating comic books, while my dad would often give visiting children drawing paper and pencils and show them how to draw. His sketches are pretty good”
There you have it. An apple does not fall far from the tree, however, it takes lots of zeal, passion and love to nurture talent and allow it to flourish.
