Richard Asirifi, Electrical Engineering
I鈥檓 an electrical engineer, and me and five other people have been able to make this [business] happen in four years. That鈥檚 an amazing feeling, to have this dream come true.
Of all the designers invited to showcase their latest lines at New York Fashion Week in February 2016, it鈥檚 a safe bet that Richard Asirifi 鈥16 was the only one simultaneously finishing up a degree in electrical engineering.
Asirifi is founder and CEO of Lief Kultuur, a clothing line he started four years ago as a sophomore in the Francis College of Engineering.
鈥淚 made this African infinity scarf,鈥 Asirifi recalls, 鈥渁nd when I started wearing it around campus people were like, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 really nice.鈥 Then people started seeing it on Facebook and saying, 鈥榃ow, I need one.鈥 鈥
Four years later, Lief Kultuur (which is pronounced 鈥淟ee-ay Culture鈥 and means 鈥渓ove culture鈥 in the Dutch Afrikaans language) is turning heads far beyond campus with its colorful and abstract line of men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 鈥渁thleisure鈥 wear, a $97 billion market that Asirifi has quickly tapped into.
鈥淚t鈥檚 become such a blessing. I thank God,鈥 says the 24-year-old Asirifi, who was born in Ghana and moved with his family to Worcester when he was 8. 鈥淚 thought I was just going to do this for fun on the side, and it鈥檚 just propelled into this massive thing.鈥
Of course, Asirifi really is running Lief Kultuur (and its six-person staff) on the side. His day job is at National Technical Systems in Boxborough, where he鈥檚 worked as an electrical engineer since March 2016.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a difficult balance, but it keeps me grounded,鈥 says Asirifi, who used to tag along with his father, Samuel, a church electrician.
鈥淏eing an electrical engineer reminds you that you know nothing about anything. Every single day comes with a challenge. With a clothing line people see your stuff and you see the 鈥榳ow鈥 factor in their faces, and you can begin to commend yourself. And then you get to work and you have an 80-hour week ahead of you because this resistor is blowing up and this other one has to be in compliance, and then you鈥檙e like, I鈥檓 really not all that.鈥
But in the fashion world, Asirifi is all that.
Last winter, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert and his wife, recording artist Teyana Taylor, posted a photo of themselves on social media wearing matching Lief Kultuur jackets.
鈥淭hey reached out to us and said, 鈥榃e like your stuff,鈥 which was pretty nice,鈥 says Asirifi, who adds that the company has yet to spend a dime on marketing. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all just social media鈥 friends being friends and putting us out there.鈥
Asirifi discovered his eye for fashion at an early age, when he began getting compliments on the outfits he wore to church. Then, when he was 15, Asirifi thought, 鈥淲hy am I spending $50 on Ralph Lauren shirts when I could just make them myself?鈥 So he bought $10 worth of fabric and asked his mom, Grace, to teach him how to sew.
As his interest in fashion began to grow, Asirifi approached a friend, Samuel Boakye, about starting a business. Boakye had some friends in the New York fashion industry, including Malika Cuffie, 鈥渁n absolute killer designer who can make anything from scratch,鈥 Asirifi says. Boakye is now Lief Kultuur鈥檚 creative director, while Cuffie鈥檚 title is lead design engineer.
To get the business off the ground, Asirifi turned to the Merrimack Valley Sandbox (now EforAll), an organization that seeks to revitalize cities by investing in entrepreneurs.
鈥淭he Sandbox was the launcher,鈥 Asirifi says. 鈥淚 was just a kid with a dream and some sewing materials, but I didn鈥檛 have capital. The Sandbox invested in me, starting with $500, and convinced us to believe in this dream.鈥
Asirifi also took part in the DifferenceMaker program (his solar electric vehicles team took second) and was a , experiences he sees as deeply influential on his new careers.
鈥淲orking with Marty Meehan, Jacquie Moloney, Steve Tello, Ralph Jordan 鈥 they built this entrepreneurial spirit in me,鈥 says Asirifi, who hopes to one day build Lief Kultuur into a global brand 鈥 with a conscience. 鈥淭en years from now, if Lief Kultuur can be self-sustaining, take care of everybody that鈥檚 working for it, and give back daily to those in need, then I鈥檓 good.鈥
Lief Kultuur doesn鈥檛 have a brick-and-mortar store yet (although it does have a partnership with Humanity, a boutique in downtown Lowell), which means nearly all of its sales come through its website. 鈥淏ut I would love to see Lief Kultuur in every major city in the world someday, just like you see Zara,鈥 Asirifi says.
As CEO, Asirifi says the biggest challenge is maintaining morale and communication on the team, which is scattered across the Northeast. Boakye, an MBA student at D鈥橸ouville College in Buffalo, N.Y., handles most of the day-to-day operations of the company but will check in with Asirifi by phone several times a week.鈥
For me, it matters that I have a working relationship and a personal relationship with everyone on my team,鈥 Asirifi says. 鈥淚 think anything can be done from a structural point of view, but when life comes into play, that鈥檚 the hardest part. This is like having another family that鈥檚 been backing you from DayOne, and you have to care about them.鈥
Production is another hurdle that Asirifi is learning to manage. Most of the line, which is aimed at the 18-25 crowd, is produced in Pakistan and China, but Asirifi is trying to make headway in Ghana and also build manufacturing relationships in the U.S. and Canada. While some of the items (such as the $199 printed blazers or $150 peacock tier skirt) are a little pricey for the average college student, Asirifi says he strives to produce pieces that everyone can afford.鈥
It鈥檚 about 鈥榣ove culture,鈥 so you can鈥檛 say 鈥榣ove鈥 and then only tend to the upper class,鈥 he says. 鈥淵ou have to make sure everyone feels like they鈥檙e on the same level.鈥
After appearing in a handful of fashion shows their first two years, Asirifi and his team have been invited to around 20 this year, including February鈥檚 New York Fashion Week.聽
鈥淭hat was mind-blowing,鈥 says Asirifi, who spoke with a fellow designer there who had waited 20 years for an invite. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a business major. I鈥檓 not a marketing major. I鈥檓 an electrical engineer, and me and five other people have been able to make this happen in four years. That鈥檚 an amazing feeling, to have this dream come true.鈥