We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Monkonjay King a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Monkonjay thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Monkonjay G. King, 40yrs old mom and grandmother the owner of Monkonjay African Closet. Originally from West Africa, Liberia. At the age of 9, my family fled Liberia to escape the civil war raging at the time. Living in America, I was constantly ridiculed for my African outfits. People thought the colors were too bright, the designs were tribal and the look was too fierce. In school they called me “African booty-scratcher”, “Monkey-Jay” and other names to strip me of my confidence. What they couldn’t take from me, was my sense of identity bestowed to me by my African style; the bright colors highlighting my uniqueness; the tribal designs honoring my heritage; and the fierceness granting me power. That’s why I created Monkonjay’s African Closet, with the sole purpose of bringing you the latest and the greatest in African fashion. Our authentic urban cultural gear will inspire you in the Spirit of Africa, passed down by our ancestors.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

. Monkonjay African Closet provides modest exclusive African Clothing and Accessories to those who love Afrocentric distinctive styles and accessories.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I would say don’t expect family or friends to support you. I went into business thinking yes i have alot of family and friends and it should be easy for me. I started sewing 9 yrs ago but decided to open my business during covid. I made bonnet and masks for most of my family in different states send it to them thinking i would have sales all over. That was not the case. Strangers support me more than family, so i say don’t worry about family and friends the world is full of strangers rooting for you.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I have a e-commerce store with shopify. I like it as a new business owner but i mostly use instagram to sell. I feel it’s more effective for my brand especially with the hashtag

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.monkonjayafricancloset.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/monkonjayafricancloset?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: Monkonjay African Closet