The AAKS brand is one of great craftsmanship and beauty, owning one or more of its handbags makes you feel like you were a part of the design and production process. This can be seen in the perfect combination of; an old Ghanaian weaving technique that is done by women in Ghana, use of raffia, behind the scene process, interplay of bright African colors, unconventional style, smooth texture, ethical production, and the promotion of sustainable consumption.
AAKS
AAKS which is located in Ghana, West Africa, was founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi in 2014. It is a luxury brand that seeks to preserve a particular art of weaving synonymous with the Northern part of Ghana. AAKS’s success can be linked to the identification of a gap in the market by Akosua for colorful handcrafted raffia bags combined with its ethical and sustainable production. The brand takes us through the production process of how the raffia is sourced and dyed and the ancient skillful technique known only by the local artisan into different contemporary shapes, completed with linen lining and some leather details.
Each bag produced is unique and can take up to two weeks to produce. AAKS has done so many collaborations which includes a recent collaboration with J.CREW, were each bag has the weaver’s name on the swing tag. In addition to its luxurious handbags, AAKS produces beautiful raffia woven lamps holders an initiative that is done with refugees in Burkina Faso which provides a noble and impartial job for them. It also produces multifunctional baskets with the same aesthetic as the handbags.
AKOSUA AFRIYIE-KUMI- AAKS FOUNDER
Akosua Afriyie-Kumi the brain behind AAKS, graduated with a BA (Hons) in Fashion from Kingston University London. From her early childhood, she had a passion for art which her parents identified and encouraged her to study even though arts as a profession was not appreciated. She has interned and worked with a lot of brands such as William Tempest, Peter Pilotto, and Mathew Williamson.
The building of AAKS wasn’t straightforward as she didn’t want to spend a lot of time looking for a job after graduation and foreigners had to work more to get recognized in London. Her mum on a short visit advised her to move back to Ghana to realize her dream of exploring art and design to make luxurious products with the sourcing of products, and local skills she had always loved as a child while growing up in Ghana.
She traveled far and wide in Ghana before discovering a group of artisans whom she envisioned could bring her design ideas to life. There was a language barrier between them and their art was dying because people at that time didn’t place much value on the art of weaving. She started with three women and the number has grown since inception due to the impact of their craft in the World.
She has received several awards and recognition for the job she is doing. She was an Honoree at the Reconnect Ghana Spotlight in 2014, one of the three finalists of Vogue Italia Scouting for Africa in 2015, an Honoree at the Future Awards Fashion and Design Prize Ghana in 2018 and in 2019 she was a nominee at the Fashions Finest Africa, Bag designer of the Year. The AAKS brand has been featured in CNN, Elle, Business of Fashion, Africa Forbes woman, Harper Bazaar, Fashion Revolution, The Times, etc. AAKS has been able to revive a generational skill that was declining and also satisfy its consumers with its beautiful, ethical and sustainable raffia products.
AAKS is stocked in major stores worldwide and online.
Shop at: https://www.aaksonline.com/
