Why upcycling has naturally found its place at Ikala Ngita

When I conceived Ikala Ngita, I wanted to create much more than just a range of hair care products for textured hair. I wanted to build a brand that reflects who I am, right down to the choices I make regarding my products.

And among those choices is upcycling.

To understand why it naturally found its place at Ikala Ngita, we have to go back long before the brand was created… all the way to my childhood in Madagascar.

A habit from my childhood

As a little girl, I always saw my mother buying second-hand clothes.

She would, in particular, go to the opening of thrift store sales to be able to pick the most beautiful pieces, the first-choice items. And for us, it wasn’t something negative. On the contrary: she took the time to look for, choose, and find beautiful clothes for us.

I grew up with this way of consuming, and ultimately, it never really left me.

Today, I live in France and, of course, I buy new things. But I still love giving a second life to what already exists. I also buy second-hand, notably on Vinted, and it is simply part of my habits.

So, when I started thinking about Ikala Ngita accessories, upcycling seemed obvious to me.

Giving materials a second life

This is how the upcycled Ikala Ngita scrunchies and sleep bonnets were born, handcrafted in Brittany.

Rather than systematically using new materials, I wanted some accessories to be made from materials given a new life.

I love the idea that a fabric can continue its story in a different way.

A material that might have been cast aside can become a scrunchie, a sleep bonnet, or an accessory that we use and love in our daily lives.

From Brittany to Madagascar, a common thread

This approach also echoes another commitment that is particularly close to my heart: the work being done in Madagascar.

For every Ikala Ngita product purchased, €0.50 is donated to IFARA, our partner in Madagascar, to contribute to the creation of upcycled school bags for children.

Here again, the idea is to give new utility to existing materials while creating something meaningful.

Ultimately, even though these projects are carried out thousands of miles apart, I find that they tell the same story: you can make something beautiful and useful with what already exists.

A choice that reflects me

I don’t claim to have perfect consumption habits, and Ikala Ngita is not intended to be perfect either.

I buy new items as well as second-hand ones. But whenever I have the possibility to reuse, transform, or give a second life to a material, it is an approach I like to favor.

Because it corresponds to my history, to what I saw being done since my childhood, and to what I myself continue to do today.

That is also what I wish to build with Ikala Ngita: a brand that does not simply seek to follow trends, but that makes choices consistent with its history and its values.

From Madagascar to Brittany, some habits travel with us.

And sometimes, they even end up finding their place in an entrepreneurial adventure.

 

Anne

Founder of Ikala Ngita