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Seychelles' Kankan brand owner takes a break from fashion, new ventures underway

Victoria, Seychelles | July 2, 2022, Saturday @ 09:12 in Editorial » THE INTERVIEW | By: Salifa Karapetyan Edited by: Betymie Bonnelame | Views: 15298
Seychelles' Kankan brand owner takes a break from fashion, new ventures underway

Dupouy said that "creating brands is something I enjoy the most, so I'm sure someday I'll make something new." (Karine Dupouy)

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The owner of the Kankan brand in Seychelles, Karine Dupouy, is taking a break from fashion designing and is concentrating on photography and videography.

Dupouy said that the change was necessary after her business was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SNA met with the 35-year-old to learn more about her new ventures.

 

SNA: Most people know you as the owner of the 'Kankan' boutique and now you are working on other art forms. What does this mean for your brand, 'Kankan'?

KD: I moved away from Kankan for two to three 3 years during the times we were being greatly affected by COVID-19. It wasn't intentional, it just happened. I think that in the end, everything happens for a reason.

I decided it was time to move on to something different for a long time now, as I had been in the fashion business for some time and my passion for it had started to fade away. It doesn't mean I will never do this again - I'm just taking a break from it. Creating brands is something I enjoy the most, so I'm sure someday I'll make something new. 

Dupouy moved away from Kankan for two to three 3 years during the times that Seychelles was being greatly affected by COVID-19. (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

 

SNA: How did the interest in photography and video production come about? 

KD: I was always interested in photography and videography. Being in the fashion industry, I was regularly exposed to it. All my friends were in that field, so I learned much from them. 

Once a collection was ready, I looked forward to the photo shoots so much. Seeing your creations in photos is when you can finally see their beauty. During my trips worldwide, my camera is the most precious item I would carry with me. I managed to find beauty everywhere with my camera. Capturing moments and places that might not have been the most beautiful, but I made them attractive to my eyes. 

 

SNA: Why make such a switch and how did you find the move from one form of art to the other?

KD: During COVID, I spent a lot of time watching tutorials on videography and tried to teach myself about executing interviews and little bits and bobs like this. 

COVID did a lot of damage but it also made many people realise that they had other talents, which they are now doing as their primary business. 

Going forward, Dupouy wants to go deeper into product photography and brand concepts.  (Karine Dupouy) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

SNA: How does your knowledge of being a fashion designer helps?

KD: It helps me greatly in my career now. Especially when I do fashion photoshoots, design jewelry for other people, or even uniform designs, all my knowledge from my fashion years helps me in everything I do now. For every project I do, I do a mood board which is something I would do for every collection I created, for example.

 

SNA: What other ventures are you involved in?

KD: Uniform design concepts have kept me busy these past two years, and branding design for companies too. I also do content for social media, where I use a lot of my photography and design skills. 

I am now getting a bit more into graphics, which is quite interesting. 

Food photography is also something relatively new, as well as product photography. 

Dupouy said that she managed to find beauty everywhere with her camera. (Karine Dupouy) Photo License: All Rights Reserved

 

SNA: With you being involved in several undertakings, how do you maintain your work-life balance, especially now that you are a mum?

KD: I am lucky to have help during the day, but I try as much as possible to work at night when it comes to editing, on my computer, so I don't miss out on my baby's development. They grow so fast that I want to spend as much time as possible with her. It is not easy, but I plan my days accordingly so she can be with me as much as possible. 

 

SNA: What are your plans for the future and what advice do you have for anyone looking to make it in one of these fields?

KD: I want to get better at the skills I've got. I would love to one day create another brand, maybe for kids, who knows. I also want to go deeper into product photography and brand concepts, which I enjoy the most. I want to help people grow their brands with my visual concepts. 

My advice would always be to keep learning. Even if you did not get the opportunity to go to university, YouTube is the best platform to learn anything you want for free. So if you want to achieve something, be determined to do so. 

I used to take a step back when other people do things better than I do, but it came to me that I shouldn't give up. Instead, I need to create my style and be happy and proud of my work. So don't let others put you down. If you want to do it, you'll achieve it. 

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