Sseko Designs is a socially conscious Ugandan brand that has worked on making hand-made leather goods such as shoes, sandals, scarves, and handbags. The unique bit about Sseko Designs is that they have an aim to help put as many women through college as possible. The founders, Ben and Liz Bohannon, aim to do this by employing the college-going women who then funded their education through the money they generated while working for Sseko Designs. Before they aired on Shark Tank in episode 622, they had already helped around 47 women graduate college with the help of the funds they generated from Sseko Designs.
Sseko Designs was, however, unable to secure a deal from any of the investors at Shark Tank. Most of them were concerned about their no percentage of profits policy and were not able to get behind a business that did not offer much profit. They had still made 1.1 million dollars in sales that year but would be unable to turn a profit for at least the next few years. There was also a sentiment of unrealism from the Sharks, who believed that the motivation behind the brand was noble but highly unrealistic. Unfortunately, none of the investors offered a deal.
Even so, as of 2021, Sseko Designs has been generating products and funding and now boasts of a lucrative fashion line with multiple accessories. Over the years, they have also improved immensely on their products. The brand has also expanded internationally by developing relations in countries like India, with aims similar to those they had in Uganda. Despite being unable to secure a deal, the brand has done very well for itself.
Our Review of Sseko Designs
The Sseko Designs fashion line is absolutely made for a noble cause that we can all get behind. But there is no doubt that they still cater to a market in fashion, and the quality of their products matters immensely. So is their fashion line as good as we wish it would be, or is the cause more important to the brand than the products? Let’s find out:
The product that Sseko Designs was lauded for back when it came to Shark Tank was their strappy leather sandals. They offered a unique, stylish, yet casual appeal that you can easily see yourself reaching for every day. The sandals come in simplistic yet unique styles that can be paired with various clothes; in terms of style, they are a thumbs up. However, Lori from Shark Tank did comment on the sandals being uncomfortable, which we decided to test for ourselves. Even though the sandals are not particularly uncomfortable, we do believe that they will not be able to sustain long durations of walking, which is something comfortable footwear should offer. You can still wear them as a designer statement, though!
When it comes to clothing, Sseko Designs now offers a wide variety of clothes in their stores which include animal prints in jackets and tops, simple black leggings, duster shrugs, and T-shirts. Needless to say, the clothing they offer is stylish and can be paired with all kinds of accessories and complement your whole outfit excellently. Not only are the clothes comfortable, but they are also simplistically designed and very stylish as well, giving you exactly what you need from this clothing brand.
The accessories they offer include handbags, scarves, and resin jewelry. While the handbags and scarves are stylish and can be used as statement pieces, the thing that really caught our eye was the resin jewelry. It is stylish and bright and can accent a gorgeous yet simple outfit perfectly. All in all, the accessories offered by Seiko are excellent, and we have no qualms with them.
The one thing we will say about Sseko Designs is that there are alternatives for the fashion pieces they are making easily available on the market. While some of their sandals and jewelry may be making statements, we are sure you can find similar pieces in other brands as well. So even though they are producing good quality, Sseko Designs is not exceptionally unique when it comes to fashion.
Pros Of Sseko Designs
There are many pros to Sseko Designs and their products, and some of them include the following:
- Fair Trade company
- Excellent cause
- Comfortable and stylish fashion pieces
Cons of Sseko Designs
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to the brand and its products that we cannot overlook:
- Shoes and sandals are not very comfortable
- Not exceptionally unique, and alternatives can be easily found
Who Is Sseko Designs For?
Sseko Designs, the brand was intended for women who were struggling to put themselves through college. The brand ensured they matched 300% of their savings at the end of each term to help them pay for that term. It is undoubtedly a highly noble cause. As for the products, they are all fashion pieces, mainly aimed at women. The designs are simple and elegant, which can help elevate a look to the next level, so if you are looking for a new fashion brand, Sseko Designs might just be it.
Are There Any Alternatives?
Since we have already mentioned how Sseko Designs has not created highly unique fashion statement pieces, most of their pieces can easily be found in other stores, even if they are not fair-trade and working for a noble cause. Some of them include the following:
- SHEIN clothing
- Quiz Clothing
- Lulu’s Talbot’s
- Torrid
- Chico’s
- Ann Taylor
Our Final Thoughts
The cause behind the advent of Sseko Designs has been one of the most motivational things we have seen so far. The fact that they have been able to see their goal through is nothing short of a massive inspiration as well. Sseko Designs has helped to provide clothing that you might be able to find in other stores, but their cause is something that most people will be inspired by, which will ensure the brand gets the support it truly deserves.
