Michael Afrifa - The Brains Behind The Milkshake Club

The Milkshake Club is an independent label that was founded in the summer of 2009 by Michael Afrifa from East London, Bow. The label initially gained its name during the aftermath of 'Seckle Sweep Tv', an internet based chat show that was formed by Michael and his friends as a humorous approach to reality TV. Michael then collaborated with his school friend Kayode Thomas to produce a range of women's wear and men's wear which is now "The Milkshake Club". I thought i'd catch up with Michael to find out what is yet to come from the company.


What sparked the idea for Milkshake Club and what does the brand mean to you?

My dad having his own business pushed me to be independent like him and creating Milkshake. Being able to see people wearing our line whether it be in pictures or in person influenced me to create my own label. I wanted to bring a new style of abstract, avant garde clothing to the scene. After talking my ideas over with childhood friends when then collaborated on designing, using skills from Artists such as Jackson Pollock, Keith Hairing and T.Magic to give us 'Milshake Clothing'.

What makes your brand different from others and what message are you trying to convey?

Our style of design stands out for the reason that we use a mix of typography and imagery merged together to attract the human eye which stands out to everyone.Our diverse approach in this label is more candy like playful and doesn’t convey a message. We just try to appeal to anyone and everyone that our label can be worn by any ethnicity race or religion.


What problems have you face and how have you overcome them?

Satisfying Customers! We often check the mails and feedback from our customers. Keeping a close bond with the customers helps us to overcome any problems we may face in the future so we’re two steps ahead every time we deliver new products. At the moment we do not have an active website where people can just order our products and pay for them through pay-pal, however we’re just about to launch the new line, so our site is under maintenance. Therfore. we have emails and messages day in and day out asking when the site would be active. We also use our Facebook group to update our customers about any changes to Milkshake.

Who would be the ideal person for the face of Milkshake Club and why?

Pharrell Williams from N*E*R*D would be my ideal person to be the face of The Milkshake Club for the reason that he appeals to wide audience from Rock, Hip Hop, R&B, and Funk. The way he see’s music as an Art is the same way I see The Milkshake Club more than just a clothing line.


What competitions do you face and what other labels do you like?

We’re very competitive when it come’s to Milkshake Club, we’re constantly looking at other lines such as Franklin & Marshall, and To-Orist. These are a few of the clothing lines on the High Street Market that give us competition. This is good for us as we aspire to be on there level. We really like labels such as The Teddy Bear Club, Johnny Cupcakes but the one that has always inspired us would have to be The UglyKids Club I think they’re just NUTS!

How do you plan to make improvements as well as provoke customers to purchase Milkshake Clothing?

By increasing the variety of our line. We’ll sell [Tracksuits, Beanies, Tees, Snap Back Caps and Fitted Hoodies] As well as entering a lot of different fashion shows across London and U.K and doing regular Giveaways / Freebies & Special Offers.


What mediums do you use to publicize Milkshake Clothing?

We use Facebook as our main medium to promote our little range we’re starting off with at the moment, we currently have a group page as well as twitter and wordpress.

Where do you see Milkshake Clothing in the next 5 years?

With the grace of God and if all goes according to plan I see The Milkshake Club being sold all over the UK and USA when we are approachec by the bigger companies.

To place orders or get in touch withMilkshake Club connect Michael Afrifa Facebook, or why not check out the Milkshake Club Blog.