As sisters, we are very close so it’s kind of natural that we decided to work together.
Anta: Asna is a very caring person who always shows kindness to others. She manages to remain calm and show empathy in every situation. She is also a dreamer and a very spiritual person. She is the eldest, and when I was little, I was convinced that she was able to connect and interact with invisible forces.
Asna: Since childhood, Anta has always been very precocious. She always had a very assertive vision and a great curiosity; she has a very precise vision of what she wants. We always have been very close to the point of being often mistaken for twins. Kalaag is also the materialization of this very strong bond between us.

When we were still in school and even today in the Ivory Coast, all students were obliged to wear a school uniform made out of the same kind of fabric. In Africa, it is still very common to have clothes made-to-measure at the local tailor because it’s still cheaper than buying ready-to-wear often imported from abroad.
So, when we had to have our school uniforms made, we had the choice of the model and I remember that it was something very exciting for us because it was the opportunity to come up with a new design. Then the start of the school year was a little bit like our fashion show where we could present our new designs.
We see fashion more as a way of expression than a vocation. Kaalag was therefore born from a desire to express ourselves and the medium of expression we have chosen is fashion and design... For now.

For us, there is one main answer to this question: The Ubuntu philosophy that can be translated as “I am because you are.” Michael Onyebuchi Eze has a quote that goes: “This idealism suggests to us that humanity is not embedded in my person solely as an individual; my humanity is co-substantively bestowed upon the other and me. Humanity is a quality we owe to each other. We create each other and need to sustain this otherness creation. And if we belong to each other, we participate in our creations: we are because you are, and since you are, definitely I am.”
What else there is to say after that except that we adhere completely to this doctrine and that we want everyone who joins us on this adventure to feel wholly part of it because after all, we are because you are!

Ivory Coast is a former French colony, and like any former colony, the culture tends to be imprinted with things that have been brought back from abroad. This is a double-edged sword because we also grow up under a culture that is not necessarily our own and we can sometimes lose feet and get lost in standards that do not really suit us.
So we decided to create Kaalag in 2019. The project was part of an exploration process of who we are and how we identify ourselves in society. We use fashion and design to express ourselves.
Over time, I think that we have integrated the fact that we were impregnated of several cultures and that it is what defines us. Also, we tend to think that we are our own standard.

Kaalag means ‘amulet’ in Wolof, it’s an ode to the constant presence of spirituality in our culture.

It really depends on the project we are working on. It can be tricky sometimes because we rarely find each other at the same place at the same time, especially right now, but thanks to technology the communication is smooth and we usually take the key decisions together.

When we live in Africa, we have a different approach to colours because they are part of everyday life. Dressing in a colorful way is the norm. So it’s natural that we were attracted by Olga’s work around colours which is amazing. She helped us create a colourful story around the jewelry which reflects very well what we want to communicate through Kaalag.
This collection is about jewellery and we simply want every person wearing a Kaalag piece to feel special and beautiful.

We had big plans for 2020, for us it was supposed to be a turning point but, as many other small businesses, we had to lower our expectations and adapt to the new situation. I think it was difficult for everybody, so we just feel blessed to be where we are today.

To continue to create and explore new things but most importantly do what we love.