Image Courtesy of Daily Paper.
Daily Paper is a true ode, showcasing notions of nostalgia and urban contemporary feels. The creativity, the visual output and the integrity of the brand always shine through. Founded in 2012, initially as a blog, Daily Paper has seen a meteoric rise internationally and those to thank for its presence are founders Abderrahmane Trabsini, Hussein Suleiman and Jefferson Osei.
Image Courtesy of Daily Paper.
SLEEK: Looking back, how do you perceive the dynamics of your Daily Paper story/development?
Daily Paper: Our brand was originally a blog about fashion, culture, music, and sports – we started small, on a local scale in our home city: Amsterdam. We printed some tees to promote the blog and these quickly became more popular than the blog itself, so after a while we changed our business model. Step by step, we gained trust and built a global community, slowly becoming a recognisable brand in Europe. We are proud of creating the platform and designs that allow us to tell the world about stories of the African diaspora. We’re appreciating every part of the journey so far, but also always look ahead at what’s next for the brand.
S: What is really good about the work being spread among three people?
DP: The work is shared between all departments, whereas we (the founders) have a bird’s-eye view of everything that is happening within the company. We have naturally grown into our respective roles, Jefferson being more focused on community and activations, Hussein concentrating on strategy and branding, and Abderrahmane working together with the design team on all the collections. We all complement each other.
S: Would you recommend collaboration as a form?
DP: Collaboration has always been at the heart of everything that we do at Daily Paper. Through collaboration, you can help each other grow, tap into new communities and make an even stronger impact to get your message across. The possibilities are endless.
S: Does your work today have to face completely different challenges? Which ones do you face?
DP: Of course. In the beginning, we didn’t have any experience in starting a fashion brand and googled everything we needed to know. Today, although we are many learning moments further on, the challenges are still there – but on a different scale. The stakes are higher, there are more people to manage, bigger quantities to sell and more stores to oversee. Still to this day, we’re not afraid to try new things, always moving with courage and trust in what we do. You don’t always know how things will turn out, but that’s the only way to move forward and up.
Image Courtesy of Daily Paper.
S: Do you feel that with your diverse backgrounds and a progressive homage to your brand’s roots, you are adding new angles to the fashion world?
DP: Daily Paper has always been about more than just clothing. We want to bring new narratives and stories from the African continent to the Western world to contribute to a different perception of Africa, paying homage through our designs, campaigns and activations. The continent has so much to offer in terms of talent and creativity, but also innovative solutions within technology and entrepreneurship.
S: Does it make sense to see different perspectives and backgrounds as enriching rather than as divisive?
DP: We definitely perceive diversity as an enriching element in our journey. It’s important to get different perspectives on things and broaden your horizon, which gets much richer once you join forces with people from different backgrounds.
S: What elements are important to you to ensure that you maintain a close relationship with your fans?
DP: We wouldn’t call them fans: we prefer to think of the people who support us as our community. We learn from them and get inspired from them as much, if not more, as they hopefully do from us. To maintain these close relationships, we organise store events and pop-ups in Amsterdam, London, New York, Ghana and South Africa. This allows us to tap into diverse communities and meet people from different walks of life. Our 10-year anniversary party that was held in Amsterdam a month ago was testimony to our continuously expanding global community.
S: Do you have a desire to go beyond what you have already achieved and enrich the Daily Paper community by exploring more topics?
DP: We believe in the importance of a consistent vision while simultaneously wanting to pursue new schemes, which are always rooted in uniting global communities. We think it’s crucial to give back to our community and help the next generation of creatives. Recently, we teamed up with cultural platform Bubblegum Club and funded a month-long fashion-focused internship for an up-and-coming South African designer at our HQ in Amsterdam. We would love to continue expanding this initiative in the future.
S: What do you still want to work on?
DP: We would love to continue connecting more communities and people across borders. At the end of the day, it is the people who inspire us – not only in our designs, but also our initiatives. There is always more one can learn from and with others.
S: Do you have a formula for happiness?
DP: The formula for happiness differs for everyone, but for us it’s being grateful for the journey and always staying true to yourself. Never take anything for granted.
As featured in SLEEK 75 – HAPPINESS. Available in print and digital here.