Introducing entrepreneur Sunny Kamara of Restycle

Sunny Kamara

Sunny Kamara is a 25-year-old self-made fashion entrepreneur sourcing and designing accessories from as far away as Tanzania, and South America for her brand Restycle. She was born in Kabala in Northern Sierra Leone. Her parents are a mix of Yalunka, Mandingo, and Fulani.

: beaded necklace by Restycle

: Accessories by Restycle

: Sunny Kamara, fashion accessories entrepreneur, Restycle

: Accesories by Restycle.com

: Sunny Kamara

: Maasai disk earrings and clutch by Restycle

: a younger Sunny

Restycle what is it?

Restycle is a company that sells vintage and unique accessories for men and women. We mainly focus on unique designs for the distinctive man and woman. Some pieces are antique, some vintage and a few are contemporary. It is with great care, and attention to detail, that we hand-select items from all over the world. All of our pieces speak for themselves and each design is distinctive and makes a bold statement for any wearer.

Who is your target audience?

My target audience is the distinctive men and women and love and appreciates bold and unique accessories that is planet friendly, vintage, or vintage inspired

Why fashion accessories?

Accessories to me either make or break your outfits. I love accessories, and I also have a thing for redoing pieces that I will buy cause it never satisfying to me.

How did you discover that you had a knack for accessorizing/styling?

I have a strong passion for it. So I decided to turn it into business
How did you initially get funds to start Restycle?

There is no such thing as initial funds. It something I wanted to do for a long time, but was putting it on hold, do to not being able to raise enough funds. So I decided to just start with my bi-weekly paycheck when I realized the right time would never come. People start a business with a capital. But I started my business with my bi-weekly paycheck. Call me crazy, but it the best decision I have made in my life.
How do you source the jewelry? Do you make any of them yourself?

Most of the pieces are coming from countries such as India, Portugal, Australia, Korea, Tanzania, and other countries. Some of the pieces I make

How will you know when Restycle is a success? What benchmarks have you set for yourself?

Restycle is already a success in my eyes. The fact that I am able to do something that I love; despite of everything is one of the most successful and fulfilling aspects of my business. Some people don’t get to live out their dreams, and I get to do it every day! A definite benchmark I have set for myself is that, I want Restycle to grow into a worldwide brand that sells accessories online and in stores.

How do you know when you’ve found a piece you just have to stock?

I’m a lover of everything and anything unique. When a piece can make me excited, jaw opens, & I’m thinking about 2 million different ways I can rock it, then it’s definitely Restycle material.
What do you know now that you didn’t know about this industry before your started.

Networking is very important! You never know who you can meet, or what you will learn from them. The most random person can turn out to be your knight in shining amour. On the other hand though, do not depend too heavily on people, especially if they have no stake in your business. People will let you down and you will have no one to blame but yourself. The last, be knowledgeable in all aspects of your business! For example, not only can I do styling, but also am learning a lot about photography and do a lot of the editing. It cuts out as much cost as possible when you learn to do things yourself.

Do you have any tips for others interested in following their passions but like you are already juggling school and a full-time job? How do you find time to do it all?

Don’t let anyone put a damper on your dreams. You can do anything you put your mind too! It’s going to be hard; I’m not going to lie. Juggling school, work, and my business is no joke. There are times when I don’t even sleep, I’m up all night editing pictures then working on my homework. People take off from work to take vacation or are sick. I take off work to do Restycle work, and school work. I get overwhelm at times. But when you have the will and the determination to succeed, nothing can stop you!

Finish this sentence: When I grow up I want to be……………….

Myself. Simple, ol’ me. I don’t want to let anything change who I am in regards to my personality. Business wise? I want to be more knowledgeable, more resourceful and have an online store that ships worldwide, and also stores in different continents
Tell me something that no one knows about you.

Oh wow. I don’t want to get you in trouble with your readers. So I will keep it to myself for now