At a loss about which bag you need ? Looking for one marrying a fashion sense, durability and a great price? Then Sakili is the place for you.
It was far from a sure bet. But despite the heavy investment needed, Anousha and Nazeem Junggee are meeting the challenge of breathing new life in used billboards, converting them into trendy and durable bags. The concept has won Mauritians over.
A few years back, the two ex-media workers launched 1950 Design & Print Co. Ltd, a company specialising in large format digital printing. Soon though, pieces of polyvinylchloride (PVC), began accumulating in the company’s offices. Simply discarding them in the bin was not a solution for the green conscious couple.
The big break came on a trip, when Anousha and Nazeem stumbled upon a bag made from used billboards. Seduced by the idea, they aimed to do the same with the material they had accumulated back home. Unfortunately, a lack of finances meant the project had to be put on the back burner.
« Wide range of bags »
Far from being discouraged, Anousha attended courses to hone her entrepreneurship skills and refine her future projects. And when Nazeem won the Mandela Washington Fellowship, in 2016, in the sustainable development category, the funding for the Sakili project was secured.
Today, they have put on the market bags that are hand-made under the upcycling concept. Upcycling is recycling with added value, since discarded material is recuperated and transformed into material or products of higher quality and utility.
“We have a wide range of bags in store. Aside from our collections, we make personalised bags, at the clients’ request, according to their taste, in the shape they want, and in their choice of colours,” says Anousha.
For the less adventurous, the collections provide more than enough choice. A quick glance at the Sakili catalogue introduces you to a new and vivid world of handbags, backpacks, sport bags, laptop bags, satchels…
So don’t hesitate to take a look at the Facebook page of Sakili Mauritius.
