For this particular mock up, I visited The Woman Shop, located at the heart of Westlands, Nairobi. They stock a wide range of fabric but I settled for Muslin. They import from as far as Korea, Indonesia and Japan.
Their rolls are ten meters long; I bought 2 feet. I chose white muslin from Northcott Fabrics. It cost me Ksh. 920. I decided to work with a different tailer, to acquire a different but consistent aesthetic. She input some African print elements into the purse; with the overall result being simplistic yet nostalgic.
The total production cost came to Ksh. 987.5, with my 25% profit being Ksh. 246.875. The total cost of production plus profit was Ksh. 1234.375. The suggested retail price, based on consulting my friends was 2500 shillings. Here’s a breakdown of the production costs:
| Purse production cost | |
| Two feet of Muslin | Ksh. 920 |
| .45 hours at Ksh. 150 | Ksh. 67.5 |
| Total production cost | Ksh. 987.5 |
| 25% profit | Ksh. 246.875 |
| Total cost plus profit | Ksh. 1234.375 |
| Estimated retail price | Ksh. 2500 |