Ruka Hair’s first UK pop-up brings black hair extensions to Westfield

Since launching in 2020, Ruka Hair has been shaking up the beauty industry by providing Black women with quality hair products that showcase the beauty of their natural hair texture. By celebrating black women’s hair with affordable products in a range of textures and styles, the brand has quickly become the go-to for customers trying to create hassle-free everyday looks or head-turning party creations. Until now, Ruka Hair was only available online. But all that is changing with the launch of the company’s first-ever black-owned pop-up store in London’s Westfield Stratford.

Starting March 21, the extension brand will open its doors, offering shoppers the chance to not only get their hands on products, but also take a peek at everything the brand has to offer. Customers will also have the opportunity to speak to hair experts and qualified stylists to answer all their questions.

As the first black hair extension brand to open a store in Westfield (yes, really), CEO and Co-Founder Tendai Moyo and COO and Co-Founder Ugo Agbai continue their mission to bring joy to hair shopping experience for black women.

“Ruka was born out of a desire to put black women at the center and make them our insiders to create innovative, high quality solutions for our hair needs,” Moyo told Bustle UK: “We started with extensions. But watch us form the Apple of hair care and a company encompassing all the hair and beauty needs of black women around the world.

She continues, “We have always known how important it is for people to be able to touch and feel hair textures. Plus, more so, we recognize that how we interact with our hair is a vulnerable experience. Being able to see experts in person, being able to get support and education live and directly, is the next step to making sure we respect the vulnerability of this experience.

If all that wasn’t exciting enough, Ruka will also provide a click and collect service that will help customers find even last minute release plans. “Being able to offer click and collect service and convenience was important to us because Ruka’s goal is to take the compromise out of the shopping experience for black women,” says Agbai. “It shouldn’t be that groundbreaking that shoppers can click and grab the hair extensions that we actually want and will work for us, but as an industry, it’s the fact that it’s groundbreaking, and it’s is new.

“For us, it’s an essential part of our mission to make things convenient and easy and to continue to level the playing field with our products. I really hope that we are not the first and the last to be able to do this.

The brand will also take the time to educate shoppers on all things curls and coils by hosting a series of focused sessions to tell more about the company and the hair they offer. Moyo explains, “We’ve run sessions before to teach people everything from ‘How to style your hair’ to ‘How to put in a no-heat ponytail’ and it all comes back to our philosophy that education is one pillars of our brand.”

She continues, “We know that as black women, we all start from different places, so it’s really important for us to be able to access this information without judgement.”

Agbai adds, “When you think about how integral our hair and hairstyles are to our culture and our experience of beauty, it’s disconcerting that we still have to shop at convenience stores with people who don’t necessarily understand beauty. what products we need.

“They don’t necessarily care what products they advertise to us with these hair extensions or how we feel about ourselves. For example, having to buy hair products alongside skin lightening products.

“It’s revolutionary to bring joy back to the hair shopping experience. We wanted to bring it back to exploring, protecting and celebrating your hair – whatever you want to do with your hair.

With the pop-up open until May. 1, now is a great time to head to London’s Stratford to hear more about their Think Kink, Press’d Headband Wig music videos or even just to sniff the newly launched hair fragrance.

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