Why this beauty tycoon chose Haiti to produce her wig collection

When Mushiya Tshikuka launched her Baby Naps Wigs in 2020, she expected success. However, the success of her hair business overwhelmed her. Her wig business became one of the fastest-growing in the industry and at a point, she couldn’t meet the demands of her customers.

She explored several avenues to increase capacity but all proved unsuccessful as the U.S. makers of her wigs could not keep up with the demands for her product. In order not to lose her customers to other competitors, she had to relocate production to Haiti in order to meet the demands of her customers.

“The Runway Curls brand was not ready for the immediate demand upon the launch of our breakthrough wig collection — Baby Naps Wigs,” said Tshikuka. “Orders were rolling in by the minute, and local wigmakers in the U.S. simply could not keep up with this demand.”

“After numerous attempts to gain better control and avoid having to permanently discontinue the wig line, my husband Lou and I, decided to explore Haiti as the home for producing our Baby Naps Wig line,” the founder and Creative Director for Runway Curls added.

According to Tshikuka, the decision to relocate production to Haiti could not have turned out any better for her. She noted that her Haitian wigmakers exceeded all expectations, “increasing the production from just a handful of wigs per month to hundreds of wigs monthly. In short, the Baby Naps wig prevails and is available to customers worldwide!”

Tshikuka recalled spending months in Haiti to secure a manufacturing warehouse and training 20 wigmakers. The enthusiasm from Haitians concerning her business overwhelmed her.

Tshikuka had the option to go to China or Mexico but she decided on Haiti because they are known for being master artisans, she said. Besides that, her husband is also from Haiti and she found it significant outsourcing business to people who look like them.

“The reason this decision to manufacture our products out of Haiti is such a big deal is because I could’ve gone to China; I could’ve gone to Mexico, or I could’ve gone to any of the typical countries that manufacture US products,” she explained.

“Yet, Haitian people are known for being master artisans but are often overlooked by the rest of the world for manufacturing opportunities. Since I am African and my husband is Haitian, it was important to outsource our business to a country composed of people who look like us and can benefit from the resources that we have to offer. If we’re going to put our money anywhere and create job opportunities anywhere then let it be in a country of our own people,” says Tshikuka.

Tshikuka’s wig is made of 100% Human and Kanekalon blended hair fibers. The brand has become the go-to option for those looking for beautiful, natural textured hair as natural hair extensions, wigs, and clip-ins that look better with time, its website says.