Kiangana Mupatshi, a 36-year-old entrepreneur of Belgian and Congolese descent, founded the Afropeian fashion and accessory label Everything Bless in 2022. Her journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and the power of self-reliance, which she credits to her Congolese roots and upbringing. One of her guiding principles, the so-called “Article 15: Debrouille-toi,” which translates to “Save yourself,” is deeply embedded in her success story.

Shaping Her Roots in Music

Growing up in Borough and Hoboken, Mupatshi studied her Congolese roots as a teenager and was early introduced to the Congolese expression “Article 15: Debrouille-toi.” Though the origin of the term is unclear, many Congolese people live by the notion that in turbulent times, whatever government-backed support there may be, you can draw your own plan amidst difficult circumstances. This ethos guided Mupatsshi in her career in music and fashion critically.

Mupatshi’s journey began as a vocalist in Belgium’s music scene. At 17, she became a member of Wahwahsda, a reggae and hip-hop group, and later won the Benelux Reggae Contest with Iron Ites in 2011. Unfortunately, vocal problems led to two surgeries on her vocal cords and subsequent rehabilitation. These health issues forced her to leave Iron Ites in 2014. While consistently passionate about music, she found a new path in music production.

“Because I had never followed a real singing course and overloaded my voice, I had to go under the knife twice due to vocal cord problems.”

From 2015, Mupatshi dedicated herself to producing her own tracks on Ableton, eventually playing as a solo artist at festivals within and beyond Belgium. Her newfound passion soon surpassed her initial endeavors.

Power of the Sole Proprietorship

Mupatshi’s fashion label, Everything Bless, was born from her passion for African wax fabrics. Starting as a hobby in 2012, she initially created stage outfits for herself and her bandmates using African and Western fabrics and silhouettes. With growing interest and skill set, she evolved this into a fully-fledged fashion and accessory brand. The fashion house caters to unique and sustainable pieces blended through her ingenious sense.

Everything Bless stands as a beacon for the incredible resiliency and creativity of solo entrepreneurs. Executing all the work, including design, manufacturing, production, and digital marketing, covers every aspect of the business. According to Mupatshi, this decision was rooted in her journey from music to solo prodigious talent in fashion.

Despite challenges, Mupatshi has discovered strengths within her resourcefulness. The reflective thought on her own experiences underscores her brand’s value.

According to Mupatshi,

“I sometimes run into the limits of my knowledge and skills, and if you can only fall back on yourself, you sometimes feel uncertain about what you do. But I also consider it a power in my life, I never get stuck with it and by being creative, I have also been able to build up a lot of experience outside the traditional roads.”

Turning Lemons into Lemonade: Practical Applications

Mupatshi’s story resonates with many American entrepreneurs who have faced similar obstacles and challenges like chronic illnesses or financial distress to carve out a unique path. For instance highly tragic yet practically symbolical case studies of Blindhardin and Buddy Brockill alluding her response to troubles, she’s often lacked financial or political aids.

In the post-pandemic economic situation, using Mupatshi’s approach, several new business entities have evolved from self-improvement in fields like music production, creating videos, fashion designing, comic art, and physical customized craftsmanships.

For newcomers to this fashion, her parleys and seminars offer practical insights and real examples allowing them comprehension on phased growth.

Reaching Across Cultures and Industries

Fashion designer Jan-Jan van Essche, acclaimed fashion gurus worldwide are also sharing their knowledge over hybrid success stories blending music, fashion, and production design globally. Leading the upcoming events curated around hybridizing experiences.

Back in the world of Smoky aqueous music coupled with intricate displays of design techniques have just captured young audiences shining in California’s Silicon Valley to their Paris HQ.