AFROdisiac – Beautiful Handcrafted Braided Wigs

BY: ALYSSA MAHADEO

Finding the perfect wig, something fabulous, handcrafted, ethically sourced and made of quality materials is something everyone is searching for nowadays. A product they can rely on that looks as authentic and beautiful as natural hair, already styled and ready to wear.

It wasn’t too long ago that Ogho Ikhalo decided to launch and build her business from the ground up. Embarking upon this entrepreneurial pursuit was something she had always hoped to achieve and in June of 2016 she put pen to paper and made it happen.

“This is something that I’ve always wanted to do, I have that entrepreneurial spirit and I want to be a part of the people of color build something from the ground up.” Ogho shares.

“I was home in Nigeria visiting, and I thought why don’t I bring back some products to sell, as braided hair wigs were very popular and in fashion back home in the motherland.” Ogho says.

Coming from a journalism, public relations and communications background, Ogho is no stranger to the world of branding, marketing and advertising products for sale. With the knowledge she had gained through her education she felt she was most equipped to help those entrepreneurs in her homeland to showcase and sell their products.

While completing her Masters Degree, that was when the brainchild of Afrodisiac came to pass and she was able to develop a business plan to charter the road ahead. Upon completion of her Masters she hoped to one day work toward making this business plan a reality.

“The initial approach of Afrodisiac was to help entrepreneurs on ground in Nigeria and western Africa expand their business,” Ogho shares. “I would be the conduit for selling the product, but the credit for making it, and the ethical nature in which it was made would come from our brothers and sisters back home.”

The wigs sold by Afrodisiac are braided hair wigs made by various vendors, mainly young women who live in Africa. This is their main business, they are entrepreneurs by their own rights and they are working to establish their own businesses so they sell to Ogho who works to promote their business and sell the products they make.

“All of the wigs are handmade, there is no factory manufacturing involved and these are products that come from home, you can see the quality and work that goes into it and the time it takes to craft every piece.” Ogho says.

Ogho says she has had a front row seat to watching the process from start to finish when she travels back home to Nigeria at least once a year.

“One of my vendors was my hairdresser in Nigeria whenever I go home and I am able to witness the painstaking effort that she puts into her work.” Ogho says. “She is young, in her twenties, just finished school, and can’t find a job in her field so she uses her talent of hair braiding to make braided wigs.”

Ogho says that watching these women put in the work that they do is inspiring to her, to see the commitment the have to their work, and their diligence to complete each wig.

“I discussed with them about this business venture, that I was thinking about for their products and they were more than happy to comply, creating handcrafted wigs under the client’s specifications for me to bring back to Toronto and sell,” Ogho says. “We do have a general idea of the products that are popular, and so we are always sure to have those in stock, but when it comes to customizations it’s a little more difficult to have those products made to order and then imported here.”

Although they might not have something in immediate stock, Ogho says they do take into consideration all of their client’s needs, whether they are looking for a specific color, or length, or braided style in particular, they work on ensuring they can request it in their next order from their vendors in Africa.

Ogho understands that her business is within an incredibly saturated market, and working with online business, it’s sometimes difficult to find your voice and spread the word about the products they sell. “We work on sharing our products through word of mouth, working with local hairdressers and colleagues to spread the word and recommend their products to their clients so they know what is available on the market in the world of braided wigs.

All of their products are available online there is a full inventory that clients can browse and purchase from. They encourage their clients to reach out via email if they have any questions about the product and they would be happy to answer them. Upon request Afrodisiac can work with their clients to offer local delivery within the GTA, to ensure that if there is a time sensitive matter the product can be arranged and delivered for their convenience to their satisfaction.

“The beauty of working with people on ground at home is that these are people that I have worked with for a long time,” Ogho says. “My hairdresser is someone who I’ve known for a very long time, she’s done my own hair and I wouldn’t put anything on anyone’s head that I haven’t tested myself and I can’t speak to.”

Afrodisiac takes special care to ensure they are selling high quality braided wigs. Their high standards are a testament to how seriously they take their business, knowing if people invest in a wig it needs to be something that is durable and will last them a long time.

“At the end of the day a client makes or breaks your business, your client recommendations is the reputation that you build for yourself, and you want to keep them happy by providing strong reliable handmade products not generic which makes a world of difference.” Ogho says.

AFROdisiac is a Toronto-based, women operated fashion and beauty online boutique. They are pleased to offer ethically-sourced quality authentic wigs, western-infused fashion and more straight from the countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and others in Africa. They strongly believe in promoting greater equity in our international trading partnerships through dialogue, transparency, and respect. In an effort to promote sustainable development, they try their best to source handcrafted products from often marginalized producers in developing countries at a fair price.

Why African inspired fashion and products? It’s no news that African designers are making a splash in the mainstream fashion industry despite a competitive market. From the streets of Africa to the runways of Toronto, New York, Paris and Milan, the style and elegance of African fashion has become accessible beyond the borders of the region itself. The cultural aesthetic of the African design have evolved over the years and are consistently being translated from traditional to contemporary in different ways and by a fresh crop of growing talent.

AFROdisiac is pleased to offer the latest contemporary African hair products, apparel and more. Visit their boutique online today!