Published • Inter IKEA newsroom
IKEA collaborates with social entrepreneurs to create the LOKALT collection
IKEA reaches out to local designers in Jordan, Thailand and India, and together with social enterprises to create LOKALT - a modern take on traditional handicraft inspired by local traditions.
For several years, IKEA has been working with social entrepreneurs to create a better everyday life through long-term job opportunities and livelihood for vulnerable groups. LOKALT is the result of a collaboration with contemporary local designers from Amman, Delhi, Bangkok and IKEA in-house designer. It is a vibrant collection of handmade textiles and ceramics where local traditions meet traditional handicraft, produced by social entrepreneurs in Jordan, Thailand and India. Every cushion cover, rug, basket and bowl create equality, inclusion and livelihoods in regions where it’s most needed.
“LOKALT is a collection with modern and expressive take on traditional handicraft. It’s full of quirky details that tell stories from the places where the products are actually made. The ceramics are giving a tribute to the Thai way to serve food, there are glimpses of everyday life in Amman in the home textiles and expressive shapes inspired by the Indian heritage in cushion cover and rugs,” says Maria O’Brian, Creative leader at IKEA of Sweden.
The designers of LOKALT are the design duo Ploypan Theerachai and Decha Archjananun based in Bangkok, Tania Haddad from Amman, and IKEA in-house designer Akanksha Deo who is based in Delhi.
The social businesses partners contributing to the LOKALT collection are Jordan River Foundation in Jordan, Doi Tung in Thailand, Industree in India and Diamond carpets female weavers in India.
“Social enterprises around livelihoods are actually quite rare, but those are the ones that need to be scaled. We have to engage with big business, otherwise we are not able to see scale. We need the power of big business behind us and that’s why the relationship with IKEA is crucial,” says Neelam Chhiber, Managing Trustee, Industree Craft Foundation, India
IKEA Social Entrepreneur initiative is about creating a better everyday life through creating long-term job opportunities and livelihood for vulnerable groups in a business partnership. The collaboration focuses on mutual learning and building on each other’s strengths. It’s about co-creating unique, affordable, handcrafted products and merging IKEA design and local techniques. With the IKEA Social Entrepreneur initiative, IKEA has developed products with artisans since 2013. Today so far, over 30 000 jobs have been created for artisans and small farm holders – and the journey continues.
LOKALT will be launched in 294 stores on 25 IKEA markets in June 2021.