Five Handbag Brands by Female Designers in Africa
People consider hand-crafted handbag brands to be a staple fashion accessory. They portray a sense of style and social rank among the women. However, people often spend a lot of time, effort, and money trying to acquire them. Therefore, to avoid such costs, you should check out these brands which have managed to successfully display ancient designs from the region.
Okapi brand
Photo Credit: Hanneli Rupert
Unquestionably, Hanneli Rupert’s handbag design, fits the category of a highly desirable and luxurious accessory. Okapi is purely an African brand that combines traditional artisanal skills and unique materials from the region. Moreover, the designer crafts components of the bags including the soft calf leather and the ostrich skins, using materials obtained from South African farms.
Zashadu bags
Photo Credit: Zainab Ashadu
Zashadu is a unique and luxurious handbag brand that sells both locally and internationally. Its designs include luxurious leather handbags, trendy backpacks, and beautiful pouches. Moreover, Zainab Ashadu, the designer, uses locally available resources such as leather, exotic skins, and semi-precious stones to craft her products. The brand’s best-selling product is her distinctive box clutch bag, which has given her a niche in the handbag world.
Buki Akib bags
Photo Credit: Buki Akib
Buki Akib brand is a lavishly embellished fashion accessory. It combines the West African heritage with a contemporary outlook that has a global appeal. Buki Akib, the designer, crafts decorative handbags from the influence of the Yoruba culture. Additionally, the designer makes the luxurious handbag from handwoven Yoruba textiles to provide the feel of West Africa’s pulsating rhythms.
AAKS handbags
Photo Credit: Akosua Afriyie Kumi
AAKS brand is recognized globally for its beautiful luxury accessory handbags in the marketplace. Akosua Afriyie Kumi, the designer, combines the traditional techniques of tie-dye, weaving, and batik into her products. However, note that, women from the northern region of Ghana handcraft all the handbags.
ZAAF brand
Photo Credit: Abai Schulze
ZAAF handbag brand is inspired by the Amharic language and portrays the Ethiopian heritage. Further, the designer, Abai Schulze, combines leather and textiles to make art and patterns. Her main objective is to represent specific cultures of the region.