Fashion-lifestyle retailer, Cotton On, officially opened their first Factorie and Typo stores in Botswana, at Airport Junction mall last week.
The Cotton On Group comprises eight brands that have recently broadened their offering in Botswana. Following the successful launch of Cotton On in 2019, the Group has now officially opened two additional stores.
Natalie Wills, Country Manager for Africa said there’s nothing that excites them more than making a positive difference in people’s lives. “We stand for diversity, empowering people of all backgrounds to express their individual style and make their mark in the world,” she added.
Willis explained that Factorie is an on-trend, street style fashion brand, on the pulse of youth culture and Typo is a disruptive, inclusive brand that provides creators with the tools they need to build their brands in style.
Cotton On was founded by Nigel Austin, who opened the first store in Geelong, Australia in 1991. Since then, the Cotton On Group has grown to include 8 brands in 22 countries with over 1,300 stores and a team of 18,000 people: Cotton On, Cotton On Kids, Cotton On Body, Factorie, Rubi, Typo, Supré and Ceres Life.
These brands cover categories including men’s and women’s apparel, childrenswear, footwear, stationery, giftware, homeware, sleepwear, activewear, teen and youth fashion in addition to their philanthropic arm, the Cotton On Foundation.
The Country Manager for Africa also shared that, the Cotton On Foundation has partnered with The African Women Leadership Academy (TAWLA) to support the rollout of a mentoring programme to 35 teenage girls.
Established in Gaborone, Botswana in 2010, TAWLA was created to empower young women and girls through networking, mentoring and leadership skills training.
The programme pairs the girls with trained, caring and responsible mentors. The mentors attend 2 workshops that focus on empowering them with the skills required to ensure that their mentees can learn and thrive in a positive and safe environment.
The programme will be rolled out in a series of 8 workshops over six months. The workshops promote well-being while developing leadership skills and resilience. The programme also addresses issues related to teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS awareness, to empower a community of girls that are happy, healthy and confident.
