Interview with Nana Kwadwo-Founder of 1nri

Interviewer: Why did you start 1nri?

Nana Kwadwo: 1nri started because of a question I asked myself. “What happens if Christian creatives put work out that is good and accessible and because of that we kind of shape the outcome of culture?”. That is what I am exploring, is it possible to have the highest level of design clothing with a Christian narrative? If that exists, how does the world become based on that? and how do young people behave based on that?

Interviewer: Why the name 1nri?

Nana Kwadwo: Okay, funny question initially, I named the brand after my middle name, Osei because my grandmother made clothes and I was named after her. She’s called Serwaa, but it didn’t really have a lot of substance to it. I just had different things I knew I wanted to represent within clothing like different belief systems. When I was younger, I got gifted a crucifix on my birthday and I saw Inri on it. Ironically, I kept seeing crucifixes and Inri everywhere after that. I decided to google it and it just clicked that I should use Inri as the name of my brand. If you notice the spelling, it is spelt with a 1 instead of an I. The suggestion came from our cofounder, Romeo, as we believed that Jesus’s name is too holy and special to just be reduced to a business name. I wanted there to be a clear distinction.

Interviewer: What sparked your interest in designing clothes?

Nana Kwadwo: Honestly, I wouldn’t really call myself a designer. I have designed everything we have put out since we began but I think it has just been me learning how to learn rather than being a designer per say. I’m not too sure what piqued my interest in design. I think I’ve always just had that eye for things that are different so I’m not necessarily just into fashion. If a chair is designed differently, I’d be interested, or like architecture or a nice graphic. I have just always had an eye for something that looks, I wouldn’t want to say well designed because that is relative, well put together with a lot of meaning and skill behind it visually.

Interviewer: How was the beginning of your journey? Did you start independently, or did you have a team and support right from the start?

Nana Kwadwo: I would say that it’s a bit of both. Initially, I had a lot of support, but things changed a bit when the select few that had agreed to be on board, backed out within a span of about a week. Undeterred, I began to learn the essentials of the business—from production to marketing. Online courses and YouTube became my classroom. A few months in, a friend stepped in for accounts, and now we’ve grown to a team of 5, handling production, accounting, marketing, and events. The business isn’t very old though to be very fair, so I still feel like we are in the early days.

Interviewer: What do you remember being the hardest thing to go through and how did you overcome it?

Nana Kwadwo: The biggest challenge has always been production, it’s still a challenge today. Initially, it was getting quality printing at an affordable price so we can be as affordable as possible since affordability is a very important aspect of our business. Now, with items made from scratch, it’s about perfecting silhouettes, size charts, and fabric choices. Managing the technical details like stitching and consistency is key. From a personal perspective, the biggest challenge has been learning how to lead—delegating tasks while setting the pace. Creating my own sense of direction was tough, but I’m becoming more conscious and getting better at it.

Interviewer: Speaking on affordability, how do you manage to make a profit while still keeping prices reasonable for customers, considering challenges like exchange rates?

Nana Kwadwo: I’ve always valued affordability in fashion, as many brands I liked were too expensive. Even my favorite brands like A Cold Wall by Samuel Ross and Fear of God by Jerry Lorenzo seemed very pricy. I wanted to offer affordable options, but it began to negatively impact my profits. I had to make a business decision. There’s this narrative of the whole artists not really caring about money dynamic versus being CEO, so it is a thin line to walk. What we try to do is make sure that our customers’ price to value ratio is reasonable. It’s a balance—making prices reasonable while maintaining quality. We always evaluate if added details are worth a price change for customers. Sometimes industry standards guide pricing, affecting our profit margins. What I’ve come to realize is, the more of your supply chain you can control, the cheaper it becomes.

Interviewer: You started this in high school so basically, you’ve been doing this alongside school. How do you find a balance between the two?

Nana Kwadwo: I don’t to be very frank with you. I’ve noticed that I’ve shifted my focus from school to business in recent times. I guess that’s what my heart wants. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely have some level of routine. My routine involves dedicating the first half of each day to the business, waking up a bit earlier before class. Saturdays, however, are business-focused, handling shoots, new collections, and overseeing production. Most of the production is outsourced so your money works for you. Other than that, it is really in-between. You check on something when you’re not in class, you try and follow up on it and you perfect something here and there. It all comes down to knowing myself. I know I won’t study best when I’m predominantly focused on something going on in the business so I try and get it out of the way then I know okay I can fully pivot to school.

Interviewer: Considering what you’ve mentioned, would you say the business is your priority?

Nana Kwadwo: Yes, seeing my parents’ reaction will be interesting, but the business is my top priority over school. Let me give you a scenario that demonstrates how I look at it. My lecturer mentioned something a few days ago. He said, “You all got this question wrong, but it won’t matter in 10 years.” I thought, “that’s so true!”. I, then asked myself, “what will matter in 10 years”? The business will matter, how I’m living will matter. The impact I’ve made will matter so the business will always come first for me. I aim to be in the top one percent in clothing, not academics. I won’t push too hard for a perfect GPA; I want the business to thrive, and if I pass, whether it is an A or a B, that’s enough for me. You can only be really good at very little things. I’ve picked mine.

Interviewer: When it comes to putting your business before school, how do your parents feel about that? How does that conversation go?

Nana Kwadwo: I don’t think I’ve ever explicitly said it, but my parents are aware. As long as I’m doing okay, they’re supportive. They know I can do better academically, but they’re still behind me. However, if I were failing, they definitely wouldn’t be supportive. I do believe that school has its value, offering different perspectives for the business. I don’t ever see myself not getting my degree because of the business. Nonetheless, as I mentioned earlier, the business is where I put my all. I aim for progress and opportunities more than a perfect GPA.

Interviewer: What is your marketing strategy for 1nri?

Nana Kwadwo: Good question, to be very honest with you, it’s a work in progress. It is not fixed, depending on the product and school schedules. I believe that a good product sells itself and gains traction. Our marketing efforts are limited because the product often sells out without extensive promotion. We usually do not even get the chance to do sponsored ads because they would create a new demand we can’t cater to. The focus is on improving product quality for global competition. I want there to come a time where a person chooses an 1nri tracksuit over a Nike one because it is more comfortable, fits better and is of good quality. I think the product still has a long way to go to reach that level but we’re on the path. The approach involves good visuals on social media, assessing initial traction, and considering sponsored ads if needed. This is very social media structured because of my target market and the nature of my business but I guess depending on the business you do; it can be a little bit different

Interviewer: On the topic of quick sales, do you offer limited collections where once it’s gone, it won’t be restocked?

Nana Kwadwo: No, I don’t believe in exclusivity culture. I studied how fashion affects how people think for a long time because it was in line with the question that made me start this whole journey. I believe there are many good brands and good clothes out there so to do this just to make clothes is not a good enough goal. I focus on how fashion influences culture rather than just making the clothes. Exclusivity through high prices can create a divide based on wealth. While exclusivity is a good business model, I’m more intentional about it from a production standpoint. Exclusive items made by 1nri are as a result of unique fabric opportunities or specific challenges in production, not to create social divisions. We might have exclusive products for special events, but it won’t be about separating people by prices or social status.

Interviewer: What would you say is your biggest lesson so far?

Nana Kwadwo: Business is spiritual; that’s my biggest lesson. In the unpredictable world of business, even what we think we control may not be truly in our hands. The origin of ideas, opportunities that come our way, and unexpected successes are beyond our complete understanding. Many aspects of business align with spiritual principles found in the Bible. You may not necessarily be able to control the spiritual but there are things that you can do to make things work for your good or not. I would say pray and study biblical principles.

Interviewer: What has been your highlight-a moment where you felt that this is something you would be doing for the rest of your life?

Nana Kwadwo: There are times when I feel that way but to be frank, doubts sometimes creep in. Faith and evidence, however, usually get me back on track. The first time I had true belief in 1nri was the first time I tested its market in high school. I don’t think I knew what I was doing, we did not even have an Instagram page. There were a few t-shirts in the system but 1nri didn’t really exist yet. It was really limited to people in my high school because I just wanted to see how people perceive the brand. Once, I was wearing one of the shirts after we had just sold out and someone bought the shirt off me. I found that to be very crazy. That is when I knew that this may have potential. The second time was our first pop-up where we had to close early because we had sold out. While doubts still linger, I rely on prayer and a sense of guidance from God, expecting the best outcomes. Learning has shown that uncertainties exist, but now it’s about playing my part and harnessing God’s blessings through hard work and focus.

Interviewer: What would you tell your younger self to do differently if given the chance?

Nana Kwadwo: I would tell my younger self to take more risks, believe in the product, and take bold actions. Money sitting idle is money wasted. I would advise him to invest and grow capital for business expansion instead of being afraid of underselling. I would have loved to have recognized how much my leadership affects everything. I would advise him not to leave the business to chance but rather to be very intentional, hands-on and to probe. I used to be too “what do you think” rather than taking charge and doing what was best for the business. I would say, trust your instincts as a leader; make decisions based on what’s best for your business. Embrace the beauty of hindsight; learn from past experiences, analyze decisions, and be intentional about future growth.

Interviewer: How does your spirituality influence your business, and what keeps you grounded, especially during moments when you might be tempted to compromise your beliefs?

Nana Kwadwo: That’s a very interesting thing because I was encouraged by a very established business owner in fashion at the initial stages of my business to make 1nri a positivity brand rather than a Christian brand. He felt a Christian brand would not be competitive in the market. That, however, was what I wanted to explore. People like Jude Dontoh, Jerry Lorenzo and the likes have defied that narrative and are really showing people that that is simply not the case. For 1nri, I have a design rule of three. First thing is whatever we’re putting on a product should be tied directly to a scripture in the Bible. We can look at every design and show you where each scriptural reference is gotten. Second thing is people should be able to tell that it is a brand backed by faith. If you can’t see that then it informs me that there’s something wrong. The third thing is it should be very different from what you see around. Different in the sense that it is versatile. I want people to be able to wear whatever they get from us to as many places as possible and to be able to style it differently. I’m not really into loud pieces so our pieces are not very graphic but rather minimal and very clean. I may not stick to all the rules all the time, but for the scriptural rule, it’s a constant. It is like you’re wearing your faith; you should always be able to wear your faith. That is how I stay grounded, with prayer and scripture. As staff, we meet and pray into events, we fast and then we tithe on the profits, that is non-negotiable.

Interviewer: Is there a reason why you don’t associate yourself with the brand?

Nana Kwadwo: There are mainly two reasons. The first thing is, Christianity is not personality based. It has to do with a kingdom and the kingdom has rules and a structure. In the same way your pastor should not be your God as your God is Jesus Christ, I don’t want to have a personality-based brand where I am seen as the face of the business instead of the business glorifying God on its own. The second thing is the brand aims for longevity. What happens when I pass on? I want the brand to transcend generations like heritage brands such as Louis Vuitton. I want to see how we can provide that for Christians. I want to explore how it affects culture if there was a Christian brand that has been around for 400 to 500 centuries. What would the world look like? how would people think? how would people dress? I want the brand to outlive me and outlive whoever takes over it. I want all this in accordance with God’s plan for the business. The brand should be able to live on forever and I don’t believe I can do that by associating it with myself.

Interviewer: You don’t seem to see the business as yours. You seem to see it like it is for God and vessels are being used to advance it. Am I right on this?

Nana Kwadwo: Yeah, I will easily give up CEO if I feel like someone can do it better than me. I’m open to stepping aside from any position in the business if someone can contribute better because I don’t view it as mine. If you’ve noticed, throughout this interview, I’ve not once said “my brand”. I have never seen it as mine and probably never will, I don’t like that narrative. I feel like too often, people associate business owners directly with the brand. Unfortunately, that’s the case for people that know me, but I am still doing the best I can to create that separation.

Interviewer: Is there any advice you would like to give young entrepreneurs like yourself?

Nana Kwadwo: Walking the thin line of faith involves setting a far-fetched goal while starting with achievable steps. If your dream is easily believable, I’d advise you to reconsider it. Gain knowledge from scriptures and successful industry figures to remove fear and find direction. If you want to start something, learn about it and learn what God says about it. That is assuming that what you have to start has been inspired by God. Not necessarily that God appeared to you and explicitly told you to start. There are usually signs; it’s in your mind and in your heart; that’s where your excellence is. I would simply advise ensuring your inspiration aligns with the will of God. This balance creates a unique journey toward an ambitious yet achievable destination.