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. For the coming collection, IKEA reached out to local designers in Jordan, Thailand and India, and together with social enterprises created LOKALT — a modern take on traditional handicraft inspired by local traditions.

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.

About IKEA IKEA offers well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment. There are several companies with different owners, working under the IKEA Brand, all sharing the same vision: to create a better everyday life for the many people. IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943.

About the IKEA franchise system The IKEA retail business is operated through a franchise system with franchisees that are authorised to market and sell the IKEA product range within specified geographical territories. Inter IKEA Systems B.V. is the owner of the IKEA Concept and worldwide IKEA franchisor, who also assigns different IKEA companies to develop the product range, supply products and deliver communication solutions. Today, 12 different groups of companies have the right to own and operate IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V.

About Inter IKEA Group Inter IKEA Group includes Inter IKEA Systems B.V., IKEA of Sweden AB, IKEA Supply AG and IKEA Industry AB related businesses. Inter IKEA Holding B.V. is the holding company for the Inter IKEA Group.

For more information visit: about.ikea.com/newsroom