The Idea
Inkkas is a team of dreamers. Our dream is to wander through the world finding the most beautiful local patterns and designs and working with local artists and artisans to make new clothing come true.
Inkkas was born during a backpacking trip to South America in 2012. Danny Ben-Nun, a designer and andan avid traveler, was wandering through the sinuous alleyways of a local Peruvian market, when he came face-to-face with a pair shoes made from authentic, local fabrics. The shoes were so beautiful that he knew from the moment he laid eyes on them, that they had to be brought to the global marketplace.
Subsequently, Danny met with the local producers of these exquisite shoes to discuss the possibility of teaming up with them, so that they can produce products that are even more beautiful than the ones he had seen. As Danny discussed the possibility of working together, an ethical question became apparent: How was it possible to produce these shoes and sell them on a global scale, yet at the same time, source locally from Peru and work with local, indigenous labor? That is how the idea of Inkkas was born.
The Inkkas' creed is to create an authentic and ethical products available to the general public while maintaining the utmost respect for the environment and local workers.
Since June 2012, Inkkas has dreamed up and created exquisitely colorful and handmade shoes and sold them to gleeful customers from LA to Tokyo. The Inkkas headquarters – also known as the « Inkkas Temple »- was erected in Brooklyn, NY where Danny settled down to passionately work on this project with a highly-experienced team.
In only one year’s time, Inkkas has become a well-known, ethical business in the fashion industry that has been featured in articles published in such well-known publications as Vogue and Elle. Inkkas products are now sold and distributed in some of best know retail outlets such as TopShop and Urban Outfitters. Another example of Inkkas’ growing popularity can be seen in the results of the crowd-funding Kickstarter campaign that was launched in September 2013 during which Inkkas raised more than $75,000 from individual contributors !
In 2013, Inkkas’ first full year in business, the brand was able to reach its goal of selling and distributing its shoes in over 20 countries worldwide. The success of this new and ethical business model that benefits local producers and puts an emphasis on local sourcing makes the Inkkas team very proud.
The company's desire to give back to the local communities from which Inkkas products draw their inspiration from had to be set in stone. As a result, the company has committed itself to donating to philanthropic causes that positively contribute to the Amazon Basin. In the past, Inkkas has teamed up with other non-govermental organizations-such as AmazonWatch and Cuipo- to funnel some of its earnings back to the communities and areas that breathed life into its products.
In January 2014, in the wake of Inkkas’ unwavering commitment to giving back, Inkkas decided to launch the « One Shoe One Tree » project ; a partnership with Trees for The Future that engage the company to plant one tree for every pair of shoes that we sell. For more details about « One Shoe One Tree », please check out our dedicated page.
Inkkas is now fully committed to bringing its concept and business model to the rest of the world. We want to spread our joy in discovering fresh and new styles and designs made by local artisans and thus, help them bring their handiwork to the global marketplace. So, do not be surprised if you start seeing Inkkas products that draws inspiration from other parts of the world! The future is looking very bright at Inkkas and we could not be more excited!