With her eponymous brand, she delves into traditional African beauty rituals and helps women of Chad.
Her collective experiences have shaped her approach to entrepreneurialism and her vision for helping the women of Africa. Here, she talks brand strategy — and the bigger picture mission that drives her passion.It’s beyond beauty. I see myself as a bridge to many cultures, being able to take these very old rituals from Chad and elsewhere in Africa, and make them accessible to modern customers everywhere.At least 10 years.
There is still a big gap in understanding African textured hair, because the truth is, in the beauty industry, up until very recently, everything was done from the point of view of Caucasian hair. That’s not the type of hair you have most in the world. I knew there was something to be done. In Chad, there was centuries-old knowledge.
Yes, very soon. We’re getting approached very often by retailers. It’s [also about] finding retailers who share our values.There are so many. The most difficult one was to delay significantly the launch. You can have a product in the markets within a year, but it was so important for me that the whole sourcing was as transparent, fair and respectful as possible — for the environment, for the people. It took me three-and-a-half years.