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WILD Mag #4 Kenya Roberson
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INNOVATIVE FASHION ENTREPRENEUR KENYA ROBERSON TAKES HIGH-BRAND OVERRUNS AND REDISTRIBUTES THEM TO NEW MARKETS, PICKING UP WASTEFUL SLACK IN THE PROCESS.
BY NIGEL SIMMONDS
“I HAD a taste for fashion at a young age,” says entrepreneur Kenya Roberson, who today runs a fashion export company moving up to half a million fashion items a month. “But it’s not as simple as it sounds.”
Kenya’s company Elite Garment Distro aims to bridge a yawning gap in the fashion markets by redistributing excess inventory for some of the world’s biggest brands. “Our goal is to create less textile waste on the planet by upcycling and creating a second and third life for garments,” she says.
It’s not just a redistribution of fashion items, she adds, but of wealth itself. “My clients consist of wholesalers, boutiques, and discount outlet stores from all countries in the world. We are typically supplying impoverished countries with designer apparel they could not otherwise afford.”
Upcycling is one of the most important services companies like Elite Garment Distro provide to the planet, says Kenya. “In America alone, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste –equivalent to 85% of all textiles – ends up in landfills on a yearly basis. My job is to lessen those statistics by creating a second and third life for textiles and garments.”
Her business melds two parts of her personality, one earned from a young age. “I was brought up by my grandmother as one of five girls and two adopted boys,” she says. “My grandmother was an elementary school teacher by day, and she worked hard to instill good values within us while also setting an example of what it means to be a strong and independent woman. I would not be who I am today without her example.”
Her other passion is business. “I was previously in the fashion Industry working for Herve Leger and freelance modeling. I worked for a wholesale company which taught me some of the tools I needed to understand the wholesale and export side of the business. There was a eureka moment when I realized I could merge the two together and create what Elite Garment Distro is today.”
Now that company embodies values crucial to doing business in the new world. “My stock is sourced from the USA and Europe. We
Linking our upcycling message to our business is very important because we don’t just buy and sell inventory, we track the goods after they are sold to ensure we are not creating excess waste.
work with brands such as Zara, H&M, Shein, as well as contemporary labels such as Joes Jeans, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and many more. Some of the countries we sell goods to include Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Chile, Bolivia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Australia,” says Kenya.
Key to the business is connecting excess production with a demand for fashion products in less developed countries, and at the same time reducing waste. “Linking our upcycling message to our business is very important because we do not just buy and sell the inventory,” says Kenya. “We track the goods even after they are sold to ensure we are not creating excess waste. So our sales are also mission based.”
Counterfeiting is an issue. “We only buy goods directly from the brands. We are provided releases and sanitized invoices for the goods which authenticates the merchandise,” she says.
Sourcing markets is also key. “In order to create new relationships in terms of supply we are constantly cold calling new companies. Also, because we have a great reputation, we are always getting referrals. In order to find new clients we typically go to trade shows where we can meet international buyers from all over the world.”
At a time often dominated by industry giants and gender biases, there are stories that shine through, breaking barriers and creating new narratives. Kenya Roberson, CEO and founder of Elite Garment Distro, is a dynamic and determined entrepreneur, and a beacon of empowerment, authenticity, and pioneer for change in the toxic world of fashion.
“My position in the company is leadership,” says Kenya. “I hire men and women from different backgrounds and push them to be the best they can be by offering the example that if you set your mind to any goal, you can achieve it,” she says. “What makes my company impactful is that we provide jobs to people of all backgrounds, help brands get rid of their excess inventory and clean up the planet by upcycling excess fast fashion and designer brands unusable or no longer sellable goods. This provides our planet a service by keeping our oceans and landfills cleaner, with less textile waste.”
Starting her own business was not without its challenges, and one of the most valuable lessons Roberson learned was the importance of balancing risk. As she says: “Knowing when to risk and when to hold back is crucial to any entrepreneurial journey. Intuition plays a significant role in this decision-making process, a skill I developed over the years and one I attribute much of my success to.”
She continues to be connected to her roots. “I never lost the desire to work with high-end brands, as my experience in the LA fashion industry was a large part of my history. After a few years, I decided to open my own company where I could put my export, logistics, fashion sense, and premier brand knowledge to best use. Elite Garment Distro was born, and has become a niche company that incorporates not only wholesale and export logistics expertise, but a strong brand awareness as well. Along my journey, my sense of philanthropy has also grown, and I have been very active in giving back not only in my local community, but to various humanitarian projects across the world. Elite Garment Distro frequently donates to charities and provides apparel and shoes to clothe the needy.”
Kenya’s commitment to philanthropy is not a newfound passion but a lifelong one. From beach cleanups to feeding the homeless, she has always been involved in giving back. In her business, she found a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on a larger scale. By rescuing and repurposing merchandise from factories and fast fashion brands, she aims to contribute to an eco-friendlier world.
“We’re making the world more eco-friendly just through what we do,” says Kenya. “And we’re making money too.”
@kenz_elite_lif3
