a recollection of your greatness

House of Takura (aka H.O.T.) is a lifestyle brand focused on high-end and unique designs that tell a story of African traditions and Western influences. In 2015, Founder and CEO Helen Annette Njau launched the SS16 clothing collection entitled "Born in the Motherland. Made in the USA", and hasn’t looked back since.  

BLK Oceans connected with Njau to learn more about the vision, inspiration, and heart behind the brand. 

On how House of Takura does things differently: 

“I believe three things set us apart from other handbag and accessories brands on the market.  First, we are unique in the design and structure of the bags and also in the fabrics used.  We also pride ourselves on providing only a limited amount of silhouettes in a single fabric so that our customers feel like they are getting something very special when they make a House of Takura purchase.  Secondly, our handcrafted quality is amazing. And lastly, we are about social good. We provide sustainable economic development for our makers. Not just our makers in Kenya, but also our local seamstresses here in Houston, Texas.”  

On their social good initiatives: 

“This year we have an initiative where we have given a portion of the proceeds of every bag sold to nonprofits doing work in Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.  Through these partners, we have provided funds to help build an orphanage and to have consistent programming that encourages and empowers girls in Sierra Leone to see their best selves and eventually become their best selves.”  

On finding inspiration in everyday life:

“I acquire inspiration from so many places, things, and memories in the design process. Some come from what I would like when I am traveling, others come from what my clients would like when they are traveling. Sometimes inspiration comes from bags I have seen or owned and wanted to make them suitable for me. So our inspiration comes from relationships, experiences and encounters.” 

On plans for the future: 

“Right now, we are working on a redesign of a couple of our bag silhouettes - most notably our Weekender.  We hope to put it on wheels in 2021.  We also just released a capsule clothing collection called the Black Collection.  The Black Collection was inspired by the year we have had, exposing racial divides in this world. We didn't want to miss the moment. The Black Collection serves as an empowerment of the mind to lift a people out of despair. It serves as a recollection of your greatness. It evokes the beauty of your beginning, which is not full of strife and struggle but full of strength and royalty. Our Black Collection is available for preorder now and we hope to see people dawning them in the Spring and Summer months.”

To learn more, follow House of Takura on Instagram.