Mmachukwu Afoaku

We are pleased to introduce you to the amazing Mma ! A hella accomplished former model turned lawyer with a serious fashion interest and positive commentary on our sustainable movement.

The verdict? Style is everything. (Sustainable designers must not forget this!)

(A bit more about Mma:

As a first-generation American born to Nigerian parents, Mma grew up in Washington State, Colorado, and Indiana. She received her bachelors degree from Arizona State University, and her law degree from Northwestern!

Mma is passionate about social impact, with particular interests in education, healthcare, and socioeconomic empowerment. Mma currently resides in Brooklyn, New York where she works as a technology and venture capital attorney. In addition, she somehow she finds the time to mentor startups!)

[Being from Washington, Colorado, & Indiana] Where else have you lived? Has this movement and location diversity impacted your fashion choices?

See above plus California, Illinois, Arizona, and New York. It’s helped me to see a wide array of fashions. In addition, I draw a lot of inspiration from my Nigerian heritage.

"A wide array of fashions." Do you mind elaborating on what this actually means? What's been that impact?

So far, I've lived in the Pacific Northwest, West, Midwest, Southwest, West Coast, and East Coast (phew!), and my family is of Nigerian heritage. Living in these different regions has exposed me to a lot of different fashions and ways to wear different trends. For example, while in undergrad in Arizona, I saw a wide array of laid back summery styles and Native American inspired pieces, whereas in NYC, the street fashion is more structured, and you can never be too dressed up in NYC! In addition, I draw a lot of inspiration from Nigeria and other African countries in terms of the prints and designs which I incorporate into my jewelry and outfits. I've also been noticing more overlap in Western and African fashions which has been exciting to witness.

So, describe your style in 5-6 sentences (or longer).

I’m not afraid to go for bold prints and colors, but I also like a lot of black and grays. I love summery fashions which allow me to wear a lot of rompers, frilly dresses, and strappy heels. I enjoy mixing in ankara prints into my wardrobe which pay homage to my African roots. I also love to wear sharp lines via jackets and dress pants.

How do you think others would describe the way you dress? Explain in 5-6 sentences (or longer).

Ha! Well, when I’m meeting my friends out, they know there’s a 99% chance I’m wearing heels. I prefer to overdress than under dress. I think they’d also say that I like to wear things others think they can’t pull off.

Have you ever heard of the sustainable fashion movement? If so, what have you heard? If not, what do you think it’s about?

I have noticed a greater awareness of wearing sustainable fashion, which is great. Especially as people are becoming more conscious of where their clothes are sourced from and the environmental impact, I think it will continue to grow in popularity. With that growth, hopefully that will also make it more affordable to the masses through greater economies of scale.

You say you have noticed a higher awareness of sustainable fashion, where have you seen this happening? You also noted that people are becoming more aware of where their clothes are sourced from. Do you mind going deeper on this definition of “people?” What people? Where are they? Who are they? How many of them are there?

I would say more millennials in general are interested in learning more about where their clothes are being sourced from and when possible, are willing to pay a premium to purchase higher quality clothing which is less detrimental to the environment. Companies such as Reformation and Everlane are being more mainstream and my guess is that trend will only continue to grow through more awareness and affordable pricing.

How do you learn about the fashion industry? (Whether you are interested in it or not.)

A lot of my knowledge came from reading magazines and researching fashion trends. In addition, I worked as a model which gave me additional access to fashion trends and the industry.

When you get dressed in the morning, what do you think about yourself? How do you decide what to wear? Does your profession impact this? Why or why not?

It really depends on my mood and where I’m going. My profession also impacts how I dress as I emulate my clients (startups) so my fashion tends to be casual with little bits of flair such as a patterned blouse or a funky sneaker.

Can you go deeper into who your clients are, and why you choose to emulate them? Perhaps also remarking on how you believe the way you dress at work is perceived by others? And how you perceive others' style that are in your position?

Because my clients are startups, they're typically not wearing a full suit! Instead there's a more casual vibe, such as wearing jeans or slacks with a shirt or blouse. So if I have a client meeting, I like to match that energy but with my own little twists, such as funky sneakers or mixing different patterns into my wardrobe. I think the way I dress as work is perceived as smart-casual and that's the typical style I see with other startup attorneys in NYC. We may not be rocking flip flops like our West Coast counterparts, but we still keep much of that casual look, but with an NYC spin.

Describe what you think when you see someone stylish out and about. It could be a friend, or someone you don’t know. What are they wearing? Where are they? What are they doing? What is so attractive about their style?

It will likely involve some killer heels or some really funky prints or bold colors. I also love when I see very sleek, elegant looks which exude goddess vibes.

Can you talk more about this? Would your opinion of what they were wearing change if you heard where it came from? i.e.: Zara, H&M, thrifted?

Goddess vibes exude a very chic and confident look which is effortless at the same time. I think my opinion of this would stay the same regardless of where their clothing was purchased from, but one thing I have realized as I have gotten older is that the craftsmanship of the clothing has a greater impact on how I perceive the look and overall aesthetic so I tend to gravitate less towards fast fashion as opposed to vintage or higher quality pieces.

What do you know about sweatshops? Describe your thoughts on them as they are now, and what they have been in the past.

I would say they are very rampant in the fashion industry and there have been sweatshop collapses. I think there’s a growing awareness and more publicity but unfortunately people tend to forget tragic events quickly, as long as they get what they want at a price they’re willing to pay. I think this is slowly changing but we still have a long way to go.

We do have a long way to go. Do you mind elaborating on this? Are you making any changes in particular? Are you witnessing others? If so, who are they and why are they doing this? Where have you witnessed the slow change occurring? And why?

I think more people are becoming aware of how problematic the supply chain can be in terms of the labor conditions, as media has shined more light on this; however, people are quick to forget in the age of Amazon the impact on price wars on products. I am trying to be more conscious about where I buy from but admittedly, there is still a lot I don't know. With more transparency about the working conditions of different companies and comparable alternatives (in terms of price and quality), I think we will see more people who are willing to support sustainable fashion which is better for the environment and those who made them.