Tenues deux et trois pièces, parures en perles et lots de masques, bols et éventails, chacun vendu comme une seule pièce par le créateur qui l'a composé, pour que tout l'ensemble voyage en un seul colis.
Fashion
A two piece set: a short sleeved satin shirt in fine red and white stripes, with a collar and a curved back hem, and matching plain red straight leg trousers. This is the smart one of the striped sets. The shirt is short enough in front to wear untucked over the high waist of the trousers and falls longer behind, and the solid red trouser turns the stripe into a bold, put together outfit for work, a dinner or an event. The shirt shares its stripe with the Coral Stripe shorts set, so this is the one to buy if you want the look in trousers. The trousers sit at the waist and fall straight through the leg to just above the ankle, with side pockets. The shirt has turned back cuffs and a yoke across the back. Sizes S to XXXL. Wash cool, and iron the shirt on a low setting on the reverse, as satin marks easily with heat.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Crafts
A two piece satin set in fine red and white stripes: a short sleeved button down shirt with a collar and a longer curved back hem, and matching shorts. It is the lightest set in the range and the one for holidays and hot days. Satin has a soft sheen that lifts a plain stripe, and the shirt is long enough behind to wear untucked. Worn on its own over white jeans or linen trousers, the shirt is a good piece in its own right, and the shorts pair with a plain white tee. The stripe runs vertically on both pieces. The shirt has short sleeves with a turned back cuff, and the shorts sit at the waist and finish high on the thigh. Sizes S to XXXL. Wash cool and gently, and iron on a low setting on the reverse, as satin marks easily with heat.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Fashion
A two piece linen set: a short sleeved button down shirt with a classic collar and a curved hem, and matching straight wide leg trousers with front patch pockets. This is the set for heat. Linen is the cloth that stays cool when nothing else does, and a shirt and trouser in the same cloth reads as one considered outfit, so it goes from a morning flight to a lunch table to a warm evening without a change. Worn open over a vest the shirt works on its own, and the trousers take a plain tee just as well, so it earns its place as two garments as well as one set. The shirt has a shoulder yoke across the back and a hem that curves longer behind than in front. The trousers sit at the waist, fall straight and roomy through the leg and finish just above the ankle, with two patch pockets on the front. It comes in white or black, sizes S to XXXL. Both photographs show the white set; the black is not photographed. Dress it up with heels or down with flat sandals. Wash cool and iron while slightly damp, as linen creases by nature.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Fashion
A handmade women’s linen two-piece outfit designed for polished everyday styling. This faux pocket co-ord set pairs an easy top with matching trousers for a clean, put-together look that works for brunch, holidays, creative workdays and warm-weather events. The breathable linen fabric keeps the set comfortable, while the ready-to-wear sizing and made-to-measure option make it easier to find a flattering fit. Wear the pieces together as a matching set or style them separately with wardrobe staples.
Sold by Luxury budget boutique • Nigeria
Fashion
A two piece men's jalabia set in cream, with gold embroidery framing the neck and running down the front, and matching straight leg trousers. The cloth carries a faint tone on tone pattern that only shows when the light catches it. The neckline is round with a short opening at the centre, the cuffs carry a band of the same gold embroidery, and the trousers have an elasticated waist. The second photograph shows the robe on its own. Both pieces are included. KINGZIZ cut this to your own measurements rather than to a size chart, so there is no size to choose. You give your chest, shoulder, neck, sleeve length, bicep, armhole, wrist, top length, waist and hip, and the set is made to those figures. Measure over the underwear you would normally wear, and send the measurements of your body rather than of a kaftan you already own. The maker adds the room to move, and if you add it as well the set comes back too big.
Sold by KINGZIZ • Lagos
Fashion
A two piece set with an off shoulder top in a black, white and red lattice print and plain red high waisted trousers. The back of the top is worth looking at before you buy. It closes with a corset style lace up finished with a red tie rather than a zip, so the fit at the bust adjusts across a couple of inches. That is the part that decides whether an off shoulder top sits where it should. The print is a crosshatch of black, white and red lines over a dark ground, and it stops at the waist. The trousers are plain red, cut straight and roomy through the leg and cropped just above the ankle. That is the practical difference between this and the Prism Lattice set in the same range. Because only the top is printed, the trousers go with almost anything else you own, and the top will sit over a plain black or cream trouser just as well, so this is the set to buy if you want two garments rather than one outfit. The sleeves are long and full, gathered into a cuff at the wrist. Sizes run S to XXXL. Wash cool, inside out, and iron the print on the reverse.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Fashion
A two piece Ankara set in cream, red and navy, with an off shoulder top and matching high waisted wide leg trousers. The back of the top is the part worth studying in the photographs. It closes with a corset style lace up over a panel rather than a zip, so the top tightens or loosens across a couple of inches. On an off shoulder top that matters more than usual, because the fit at the bust is the only thing holding it up. The print is an isometric cube design, a cream ground with red and dark navy blocks, and it runs across both pieces so the set reads as one outfit rather than two separates. The sleeves are long and gathered full to a cuff at the wrist, and the top is fitted through the body with a short flare at the waist. The trousers are high waisted and cut wide and full to the floor. If you would rather have two garments you can split up, the Ruby Lattice set in this range pairs a printed top with plain trousers and is the easier one to break apart. This one is bought as a whole outfit. Sizes run S to XXXL. Wash cool and iron the print on the reverse.
Sold by Alpha Threads Fashions • NAIROBI
Fashion
A three piece men's agbada in deep emerald green: the wide sleeved outer robe, a matching buba top and sokoto trousers, with gold embroidery at the chest and cuffs. It is cut to your own measurements, not to a size chart. Seventeen of them, including the length of the outer robe from shoulder to floor, the buba length and the sokoto length, so the robe falls where you want it to fall rather than wherever it happens to land. Choose a regular, loose or traditional fit, and allow about five days before it ships. The cloth is what Nigerian menswear calls Seven Star cashmere, a soft brushed suiting cloth with a subtle self pattern woven into it, catching the light across the drape of the robe without any shine. It is not goat wool cashmere. The gold embroidery runs down the chest panel of both the robe and the buba underneath, and repeats as a band at each cuff. This is ceremonial dress and it is meant to be seen. It is what you wear to your own wedding, to a traditional ceremony, to a chieftaincy or a milestone birthday, on the days when being underdressed is the only real risk. For everything short of that, the same maker's senator kaftan is the better buy. Made by KINGZIZ in Lagos. Press on a low iron on the reverse and hang it rather than fold it.
Sold by KINGZIZ • Lagos
Fashion
A two piece men's senator kaftan in black, with gold embroidery down the placket and around the collar and cuffs, and matching straight leg trousers. It is cut to your own measurements rather than to a size chart. You give your chest, shoulder, sleeve, top length, waist and trouser length, choose a regular, loose or traditional fit, and the set is made from there, which takes about five days before it ships. That is the point of buying this rather than something off a rail: the sleeve ends where you want it to end. The cloth is what Nigerian menswear calls Seven Star cashmere. It is a soft brushed suiting cloth with a dry matt finish, not goat wool cashmere, and it is the standard cloth for this kind of outfit because it holds a clean line without looking shiny under lights. The embroidery is worked in gold at the collar, down the placket and around both cuffs, and the trousers are left plain so the top carries the detail. Senator style is the restrained end of Nigerian menswear, which is what makes it the versatile one. It is right for a wedding you are attending rather than hosting, for Friday and Sunday wear, for a service, and for an office where a suit would be too much and a shirt too little. Made by KINGZIZ in Lagos. Press on a low iron on the reverse and keep it away from direct heat.
Sold by KINGZIZ • Lagos
Fashion
A mustard yellow two piece set for men: a short sleeve collared shirt with chest pockets and a buckled strap detail, worn with matching wide leg trousers. This is a full look rather than two separate garments. Shirt and trousers are cut from the same cloth in the same colour, which is the whole appeal. Nothing to match, nothing to think about, one decision instead of two. Mustard is the point. It is a colour most men skip because they assume it will be loud, and it turns out to be the opposite. It reads warm rather than bright, it sits well against dark skin, and it holds up in daylight where a neutral just goes flat. The shirt has a flat collar, a half placket, chest pockets and a buckled strap across the front, so there is something to look at without a print doing the work. The trousers are cut wide and long through the leg. The whole set is loose rather than fitted, which is what makes it wearable in heat. Where it works: Sunday, a hangout, travel, a shoot, an outdoor event, anywhere between smart casual and streetwear. With slides as photographed, or with white trainers or a loafer if you want to lift it. Sizing: there is no size chart here, because there are no sizes. You send seven measurements at checkout, each with a short guide on how to take it, and the set is cut to those numbers rather than made in a standard size and altered afterwards. The loose, oversized room is built in for you, so send your body measurements and nothing extra. Each set is cut and sewn one at a time, so measurements move by a centimetre or two between pieces. Care: cold machine wash inside out, hang to dry out of direct sun, press on a medium heat. Wash separately for the first two or three washes, as strong colours can bleed.
Sold by BRIGHT EMPIRE • New york
Fashion
A two piece set cut from handwoven Akwete cloth: a short sleeve top with a full length maxi skirt, in bands of orange, purple, cream, green and black. Akwete is not a print. It is woven by hand by Igbo women in Akwete, a town in Abia State in south east Nigeria, on an upright wall loom that is the widest in Nigeria at roughly 100 to 127cm across. Most West African handweaving comes off a narrow strip loom and has to be stitched together in bands. Akwete does not, so the pattern runs unbroken across the cloth. The motifs are floated into the weave thread by thread as the fabric grows, which means the design is part of the structure of the cloth rather than a layer printed on the surface. The top is cut close through the body with a short sleeve. The skirt falls full to the ankle, so it moves when you walk and holds its shape when you stand. Together they read as one deliberate outfit rather than separates that happen to match. Available in UK 8 to 16. Wear the set together for weddings, owambe, introductions, church and traditional ceremonies, or split it: the skirt carries a plain white shirt or a black top on its own. Because every length of cloth is woven by hand, the placement and alignment of the bands vary from set to set. No two are cut from an identical stretch of fabric. Care: hand wash cold or dry clean. Do not bleach and do not soak. Hang to dry away from direct sunlight and press on a medium heat on the reverse.
Sold by Y’ola Fashions • Lagos
Fashion
A hot pink and royal blue Ankara two piece set, handmade in Nigeria by Lummy Atelier. The collared short sleeve shirt is cut in a bright pink cotton wax print with a white heart outline motif, and pairs with matching royal blue wide leg trousers in the same heart print, so the co-ord reads bold without trying too hard. The shirt has a relaxed, breathable fit that skims rather than clings. The trousers sit on the natural waist and fall in a long, fluid wide leg that lengthens the line and moves well when you walk. Available in Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large. Made from cotton Ankara wax print fabric, so it breathes in warm weather, holds its colour through repeated washes and presses back to a crisp finish. Wear the set together for weddings, owambe, church, brunch, birthday shoots and holiday dressing, or split it up: the pink Ankara shirt works over jeans or white tailoring, and the blue wide leg trousers carry a plain top on their own. Every piece is cut and sewn in small batches by our team in Nigeria, so slight variations in print placement are part of the character of the garment. Care: machine wash cold on a gentle cycle or hand wash. Wash separately for the first two washes, hang to dry away from direct sunlight and iron on a medium heat on the reverse.
Sold by LUMMY ATELIER • Nigeri
Fashion
Refresh your wardrobe with this women's linen co-ord set, designed with a sleeveless cream top and brown trousers for an easy, polished look. The breathable linen fabric makes it comfortable for warm days, creative events, holidays and everyday styling. Wear the pieces together as a matching two-piece outfit or style them separately with your favourite wardrobe staples. Details: - Two-piece women's linen set - Sleeveless cream top - Brown trousers - Available in sizes 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 22 - Lightweight, breathable feel
Sold by Y’ola Fashions • Lagos
Fashion
The Naya set is a stylish women’s two-piece co-ord designed with a sleeveless top and matching shorts. Light, easy to style, and made for confident dressing, this set is perfect for warm days, holidays, casual outings, brunches, and relaxed day-to-evening looks. Wear the full set together for a polished matching outfit, or style each piece separately for more wardrobe options. The sleeveless top can be paired with jeans, skirts, or trousers, while the shorts can be styled with a simple blouse, vest, or statement top. With custom tailoring available, the Naya set is a great choice for women looking for a personalised fit, a stylish summer two-piece outfit, a handmade shorts set, or a versatile women’s co-ord.
Sold by Azalia • Fct
Fashion
The Mide set is a stylish women’s two-piece skirt set designed for bold, confident dressing. Featuring a flattering flared skirt and matching top, this outfit gives you an elegant, feminine look while still feeling modern and easy to wear. Perfect for occasions, dinners, parties, holidays, brunches, and stylish day-to-evening plans, the Mide two-piece set is a standout outfit for women who love colour, shape, and effortless elegance. Available in different sizes and colour options, it can be styled with heels, sandals, or statement accessories for a polished finish. A beautiful choice for women looking for a classy flared skirt set, matching two-piece outfit, or occasion-ready women’s co-ord.
Sold by Azalia • Fct
Fashion
The Lewa set is a beautiful women’s Adire two-piece co-ord designed for bold, elegant dressing. With its standout Adire pattern and matching two-piece style, this outfit brings together colour, culture, and confidence in one polished look. Perfect for brunches, holidays, casual occasions, creative events, dinners, and stylish day-to-evening plans, the Lewa Adire set is made for women who love expressive fashion with a refined finish. Available in different sizes and colours, it offers a versatile look that can be styled with heels, sandals, flats, or statement accessories. This piece is also available with custom tailoring, making it a great option for customers who want a more personalised fit. A stylish choice for women looking for an Adire two-piece set, African print co-ord, handmade outfit, or made-to-measure women’s fashion.
Sold by Azalia • Fct
Fashion
The Jola set is a stylish women’s Adire two-piece co-ord designed with a matching top and wide-leg trousers. Made for women who love bold, expressive fashion, this outfit brings together comfort, colour, and effortless elegance in one standout look. The wide-leg trouser silhouette gives the set a flattering, relaxed feel, while the matching top creates a polished outfit that can be worn together or styled separately. Pair the trousers with a simple blouse, style the top with jeans or a skirt, or wear the full set for a confident occasion-ready look. Perfect for brunches, holidays, creative events, casual occasions, dinners, and stylish day-to-evening plans, the Jola Adire set is a versatile choice for women looking for an African print two-piece outfit, wide-leg trouser set, or handmade co-ord. Custom tailoring is available for customers who want a more personalised fit.
Sold by Azalia • Fct
Fashion
The Imperial Grace Set is a refined women’s two-piece trouser set designed for modern power dressing. Crafted in a rich violet tone, this outfit combines elegance, structure, and confidence in one striking look. The tailored jacket features a clean, collarless neckline, sculpted seams for a flattering fit, and bold gold-tone buttons that add a touch of sophistication. Paired with sleek, straight-leg trousers, the set creates a balanced and polished silhouette that enhances both comfort and style. Perfect for work, business meetings, formal events, dinners, and upscale occasions, this women’s two-piece set transitions effortlessly from day to evening wear. Key Features: * Two-piece set (jacket and trousers) * Structured, tailored fit * Collarless neckline with clean finish * Gold-tone button detailing * Straight-leg trousers * Premium, polished finish Designed for the woman who commands attention with effortless grace and confidence.
Sold by Craftedbyemmy • Lagos mainland/Lagos state
Fashion
The Burgundy Empress Set is a refined women’s two-piece trouser set designed for elegance, structure, and modern sophistication. Featuring a tailored long-sleeve top with a sleek round neckline and contrast front panel, this outfit creates a flattering, elongated silhouette. The subtly contoured waist and soft peplum detail enhance femininity, while the straight-leg trousers complete a polished and balanced look. Crafted with a premium finish, this burgundy set offers both comfort and style for confident, fashion-forward women. Perfect for work, business meetings, formal events, dinners, and upscale occasions, this outfit transitions effortlessly from day to evening wear. Key Features: * Two-piece set (top and trousers) * Structured, tailored fit * Contrast panel detailing * Soft peplum waist shaping * Straight-leg trousers * Premium, polished finish Step into confidence and elegance with this standout burgundy two-piece set.
Sold by Craftedbyemmy • Lagos mainland/Lagos state
Fashion
Elegant African Fashion Set, a handmade Ankara gown with matching bag, gele, earrings and purse. Discover our stunning African fashion set designed for elegance and style! Each set includes: Ankara dress/gown Matching bag Headwrap / AutoGele Fabric earrings Fabric bangle Matching Purse and Wallet Customize Your Set: Choose the items you want, pick the complete set or select only the pieces you love! Perfect for formal events, weddings, cultural celebrations, or daily style. Worldwide delivery available. Feel free to message us for more inquiries and customization.
Sold by SWCU GLOBAL • Lagos
Fashion
Step into elegance with our handcrafted African Ankara Fashion Set, a perfect blend of style, culture, and creativity. This premium set is designed for women who love to stand out with confidence and class. Each piece is carefully made with high-quality Ankara fabric, ensuring a flawless and luxurious finish. What’s Included: Beautifully tailored Ankara gown Matching Ankara handbag Stylish head wrap (Auto Gele) Fabric necklace (Ankara) Fabric earrings (Ankara) Ankara bangle/bracelet Ankara wallet and purse Every accessory is uniquely crafted to match perfectly, giving you a complete, ready-to-wear fashion statement without stress. Worldwide delivery. Free free to message us for more inquiries and customization.
Sold by SWCU GLOBAL • Lagos
Fashion Accessories
Three small coconut shell pouches on cords, worn as necklaces, from Ghana. Each pouch is a hollowed coconut shell painted in bands of red, yellow, green and black, with a zip set between the shell and its lid and a black cord to hang it round your neck. It is a pendant and a pocket at once: big enough for coins, a key, earplugs or a lip balm at a festival or on the beach, and small enough to forget you are wearing it. The three in the photographs are lettered UNITE, ROOT and AFRICA. They are made by Ancient Culture, a Ghanaian artisan partner of Unite Root Africa in Nsawam. The set is assorted, so the lettering and the order of the colour bands on yours may differ from the photographs.
Sold by Unite Root Africa • Ghana
Fashion Accessories
Six handmade beaded bracelets from Ghana, each in its own pattern. Each bracelet is a firm, round tube of small beads stitched closely together. There is no clasp, so each one slips over the hand. The patterns run from simple orange and yellow stripes to blocks of red, white, green and yellow, bright chevrons, and turquoise grounds dotted with tiny bead flowers. Wear one on its own, stack all six on one wrist, or split the set between friends as gifts. They are made by Ancient Culture, a Ghanaian artisan partner of Unite Root Africa in Nsawam. The set is assorted. The maker works with the beads on hand, so the six you receive will be in the same style as the photographs but not necessarily the same six patterns.
Sold by Unite Root Africa • Ghana
Fashion Accessories
A set of three handmade Ankara tote bags in assorted African prints. Each bag measures about 39cm high, 35cm wide and 4cm deep, with black webbing straps fitted on metal clips, and each comes in a different wax print pattern, so the set covers shopping days, work bags and gifts in one go. They are sewn in Nsawam, Ghana by Ancient Culture, and the prints are chosen to celebrate the bold colour and creativity of African textile traditions. Lightweight and practical for everyday shopping, work, travel, cultural events and gifting. Because the set is assorted, the exact three patterns you receive may vary with available fabric, which makes every set unique.
Sold by Unite Root Africa • Ghana
Fashion Accessories
A handmade matching set in the colours of the Kenyan flag: a red, green, black and white pearl twist necklace and a pair of round beaded flower earrings. Made for Jamhuri Day, Madaraka Day, a Kenyan wedding or a gift for someone far from home. Fahari is the Swahili word for pride. The necklace winds bands of red, green and black pearl beads around a rope, each edged with small white beads the way the flag edges its colours in white, and fastens with a silver tone lobster clasp. The earrings are white beaded flowers ringed in black, with red and green loops around a faceted silver bead at the centre, on silver tone fish hooks. The first photograph shows both pieces together on a plain background. The necklace is also sold on its own as the Fahari Twist Necklace. Care: keep both pieces dry and away from perfume, and store the necklace laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A handmade matching set: a pink and white pearl twist necklace and a pair of pink and white beaded flower earrings, both beaded by hand in Kenya. Made for a bridesmaid, a birthday or anyone who wants a finished pink look in one buy. The necklace is a rope of white pearl beads wrapped in bright pink seed beads that spiral all the way round it, fastened with a silver tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain. The earrings are Waridi flowers, Swahili for rose, with white petals looped in pink around a pink pearl bead, on silver tone fish hooks. The first photograph shows both pieces together on a plain background. Both pieces are also sold on their own, as the Pearl Twist Necklace in pink and white and the Waridi Beaded Flower Earrings, if you only want one. Care: keep both pieces dry and away from perfume, and store the necklace laid flat or loosely coiled so the spiral keeps its shape.
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece brass set: an open cuff with twin hammered bands crossed by a bar holding two cowrie shells and a white stone, plus a heart shaped ring. It suits anyone who likes bold metal that still reads clean. The cuff is built like a ladder rather than a solid band, so the two bands sit apart and the arm shows through the gaps, and the cowries stand out past the bands instead of sitting flat on them. That open, linear shape is what separates it from the maker's other cowrie cuffs, which are built around a solid disc or a stack of close set bands. If you want something quieter for every day, her single disc cowrie cuff is the softer buy. This one is for a bare arm. The ring is a hand hammered heart shaped shield with a cowrie held across the centre by two brass prongs. The dimpled hammer texture is raised enough to catch the light from across a room. Both pieces are made from brass the maker reclaims from scrap, which she describes as old padlocks and plumbing fixtures, melted down, sand cast and hammered by hand. The cowries and the stone on the cuff are set in soldered brass rims. The cuff and the ring are both open at the back and adjust by gentle squeezing or flaring. Keep the brass dry, wipe it with a soft cloth and store it away from damp. Brass darkens over time and a little metal polish brings the shine back.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in blue: a large four hole button pendant on a fine waxed cord necklace, with a pair of small translucent jelly button studs to wear alongside it. This is the see through version of the maker's button jewellery. The studs are translucent and pick up whatever you are wearing behind them, while the pendant button is solid and opaque, so the two pieces sit together without reading as a matched gift box set. It is also the only set in this run that gives you a necklace and earrings rather than earrings alone. The pendant hangs from a gold tone ring through one edge of the button, so it sits slightly off centre and swings. The cord fastens with a lobster clasp and carries an extender chain, so it can be worn close at the throat or dropped lower. The second photograph shows the necklace laid out flat with a stud beside it. Keep the cord dry and take the set off before swimming.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in pale yellow: a button pendant ringed with small pearl beads on a waxed cord necklace, and a pair of small translucent amber stud earrings to wear with it. It is a set, at the price most shops charge for one earring, and that is the argument. The pieces are deliberately not matched too tightly: the pendant is opaque and solid, the studs are see through and catch the light, so wearing both does not read as a matching set from a gift box. EHC stands for the earring that heard the conversation, which is the maker's idea for the whole line: a button spends its working life holding clothes together, and here it is moved up to the ear and the collarbone, where it listens instead. The necklace fastens with a lobster clasp and has an extender chain, so it can be worn tight at the throat or dropped lower. The pearl beads are set into the face of the button rather than strung around it, so nothing catches on a collar. Keep the cord dry and take the set off before swimming.
Sold by LEŌN & CISCA • Ibadan
Fashion Accessories
A beautifully handcrafted three-piece beaded jewellery set featuring the timeless peyote beadwork technique. The set includes matching earrings, a necklace, and bracelet, designed to create a coordinated and elegant look. Handmade in Kenya • Elegant • Lightweight • Versatile
Sold by Mulembe beads • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in white and gold beadwork: a brass cuff carrying a large round beaded disc, and a matching adjustable ring with a smaller disc in the same pattern. The disc on the cuff is beaded in concentric rings of white and metallic gold seed beads, worked outward from a single centre bead, with a beaded edge running right around the rim. The ring repeats the pattern at a fraction of the size, which is the harder of the two to make: the same rings have to fall into a disc that sits on a finger. Both pieces are built on brass. The cuff is an open band that slips over the wrist rather than fastening, and the ring band is open at the back so it adjusts to the finger. White and gold is the version of this beadwork that goes with everything. It sits as easily against a white shirt and jeans as it does against a wedding outfit, which is not true of the brighter colourways. Each disc is beaded by hand, so the spacing of the gold rings varies slightly between sets. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water. Brass darkens naturally with wear, and a soft dry cloth brings the shine back.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece brass jewellery set from Kenya: a multi band open cuff and a matching bypass ring, each holding a natural cowrie shell and a cast brass one. What sets it apart is that pairing. On the cuff a real cowrie sits in a twisted rope bezel beside a cowrie cast in solid brass, so the same shell appears twice, once as the sea made it and once in metal. The ring carries the idea on to the hand, the two shells passing each other on an open band. If the rest of your jewellery is plain metal, this is the piece that brings in texture without bringing in colour. Cowrie shells were money across much of Africa for centuries and still stand for wealth and good fortune. The East African coast has its own cowrie, so on a Kenyan piece these are shells from home waters rather than a borrowed symbol. Polished brass with natural cowrie shells, hand worked and hand finished, so the bands carry faint hammer marks and no two sets come out identical. The cuff is about 5 to 6.4cm deep with an inner diameter of about 5.7 to 6.4cm, open at the back so it eases on and adjusts to the wrist. The ring is an open band that adjusts to the finger. Brass darkens as it is worn. A soft cloth and a little brass polish bring the shine back. Keep it away from perfume and water, and store it dry.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A two piece set in brass toned metal: an open cuff built from two parallel bars joined by a bridge, and a matching adjustable ring, each carrying an oval panel of hand woven cream and gold seed beads. Look at the second photograph for the construction. The cuff is not a solid band. It is two bars held apart by a vertical strut, so most of what sits on the wrist is skin rather than metal and the beaded oval floats above that gap. It is a lighter and more architectural look than a plain cuff, and it is why the set reads as designed rather than simply decorated. The beadwork is cream white with a line of gold running through the centre of each oval, worked row by row. The cuff is open at the back so it slips on, and the maker gives a fit of 5.5 to 7.5 inch wrists. The ring is adjustable. Keep away from water and perfume, and store the two pieces apart so the beadwork does not catch on the cuff.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A pair of wide wrist cuffs, one in plain brass toned wire and one threaded with royal blue glass beads, each built from many wires bound together at both ends. Worn together they read as one deep band of gold and blue across the wrist, which is what the first photograph shows. Worn apart, the plain half goes with anything and the beaded half carries the colour, so the set does two jobs rather than one. If the rest of your jewellery is plain metal, this is the piece that adds the colour. Look at the second photograph for the construction. Each cuff is a run of parallel wires gathered at both ends and wrapped, with a loop terminal at each corner, so it holds its shape and slips over the wrist rather than fastening. On the blue half the beads are threaded along each wire one wire at a time, which is the slow part of the work. Made from brass finished jewellery wire and glass seed beads. The maker gives an inner diameter of 5 to 5.2 inches, a standard slip on fit. Keep away from water and perfume, and store it flat.
Sold by NICKÉ JEWELRY • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece beaded set in solid black with gold tone fittings. No banding, no pattern, just the beadwork and the weight. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Every other set in this range is built on colour. This one is not. There is no banding and no pattern anywhere on it, and that changes what it actually is. Not African beadwork that happens to be black, but a piece of black jewellery that happens to be beaded. That is a practical difference rather than a poetic one. Colour decides where a piece can go. This has none, so it goes anywhere: a funeral, a board meeting, an evening event, or an ordinary day when you want the scale without the statement. It is the only set here you could wear five days running without anyone clocking it as the same necklace. With the colour taken away, the work shows in two other places. The beadwork has a texture that catches light in a way flat black never does, and the collar has real scale to it. The gold tone caps and clasp are the only break in the black, and they are what stop it reading as plain rather than deliberate. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings repeat the same beadwork, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. Every strand is worked bead by bead, so the strands are never quite identical in thickness and no set matches the photographs exactly. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set on lilac purple, with yellow sawtooth points and bands of orange, green, turquoise and yellow. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Purple is close to unheard of in this kind of beadwork, and lilac more so. The traditional palette runs to red, blue, green, white and black, so a pastel ground like this is a modern choice rather than an old one. That is the reason to buy it. Almost nobody else will be wearing one. It behaves differently from the rest of the range too. Every other set puts bright colour on a strong ground, so the whole piece pushes forward at you. Lilac pulls the other way. The bands still carry orange, green and turquoise, but they sit on something gentle, so this reads as decorative rather than as a statement you have to commit to for the whole evening. The points are picked out in yellow here rather than black, which is unusual. Most of the beadwork in this range uses black to cut the ground. This one uses yellow, so the sawtooth reads as a warm flare instead of a hard edge. It sits well with white, cream, grey, denim and the softer summer colours. Against hard black it loses the point of itself. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Pale grounds mark more easily than dark ones, so put the set on last and take it off first. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in red, with white sawtooth points and bands of blue, orange, yellow and green. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. If Maasai beadwork has a home colour, it is this one. Red dominates Maasai dress and it is the shade most associated with the culture the work comes from. Every other set in this range is a variation on the idea. This is the one that sits closest to the source. It is also the loudest piece here, and it is meant to be. Red at this scale does not accompany an outfit, it decides one. That makes it the wrong choice for an ordinary work day and exactly the right one for a wedding, a naming ceremony, a birthday, or anywhere a photograph is going to be taken. The points are worked in white rather than black, so they flare against the red instead of cutting it. Inside them run bands of blue, orange, yellow and green, each one separated by black. It wants a plain ground and nothing competing with it: white, cream, black, or traditional dress cut in a single colour. Do not put it over a print, because one of the two will lose and it will not be the necklace. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in royal blue, with orange sawtooth points and bands of red, turquoise and yellow. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one three strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. This set does something none of the others can. Royal blue is deep enough and saturated enough to hold its own against a print. Every other piece in this range wants a plain ground under it, because a pattern underneath turns the beadwork into noise. This one sits over Ankara, adire or a bold wrapper and still reads clearly. For anyone whose wardrobe is mostly print rather than mostly plain, which is most people who buy African fashion, that is the whole argument. The points are worked in orange against the blue, with bands of red, turquoise and yellow inside them and dark navy separating each one. Orange against royal blue is the hardest working pair in the range. They sit at opposite ends of the colour wheel, so each one makes the other look stronger than it would alone. It carries a wedding, church, a birthday, a shoot or an ordinary Saturday. Blue is the one colour almost nobody looks wrong in, which also makes it the safest of the bright sets to buy for someone else. The necklace is worked in three beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in bright yellow, with red sawtooth points and bands of white, turquoise and orange. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one three strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Yellow is the colour the human eye finds first. That is not a marketing line, it is the reason safety equipment everywhere is that shade. Worn at this scale it means you are what people see when they walk into a room, and what stands out in the group photograph afterwards. So this is a celebration piece rather than an everyday one. A wedding, a graduation, a naming ceremony, Easter, a launch, anywhere being noticed is the point rather than the risk. If you want beadwork that goes quietly about its business, look at the black or the navy sets instead. The points are worked in red against the yellow, with bands of white, turquoise and orange inside them and black separating each one. Red on yellow is the highest contrast pairing in the whole range, which is why this set still holds its shape at a distance where softer colours blur into one another. Wear it over white, cream, black or denim. Yellow needs space around it, so keep everything else plain and let the set do the work. The necklace is worked in three beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Bright yellow shows marks more readily than a dark ground, so put the set on last and take it off first. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Rasta beaded set in black, banded with yellow, red and green and finished in gold tone. One necklace, three bracelets and a pair of earrings. Includes one three strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Five pieces, which is two more than most beaded sets at this price. The colour does not sit in straight bands here. The yellow runs into the black in a flame edge, sawtooth points that break the line where the two meet, with narrow red and green stripes laid across the yellow. It is a harder thing to bead than a straight band, and it is the reason this one does not read like every other black beaded necklace. Black carries the red, gold and green rather than competing with them, so the Rasta colours read as deliberate rather than costume. That is what makes this one wearable on an ordinary day as well as at carnival, a reggae night, a birthday or Africa Day. Against plain black, white or denim it does all the work on its own. The necklace is worked in three beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone lobster clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set rather than five things that happen to match. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Every strand is strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the flame points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in bright green, banded with yellow, white, red and blue against black and finished in gold tone. Necklace, bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Green is the colour almost nobody makes beaded jewellery in, and that is the reason to buy this one. Red, black and white sets are everywhere. A saturated grass green is not, so this reads as a specific choice rather than a default. It is also the fullest piece of Maasai colour work in the range. The green is broken by black sawtooth points, and inside them run bands of yellow, white, red and blue, each one separated again by black. That is the whole palette rather than an accent or two, which is why the set carries an outfit on its own. It wants a plain ground to sit against: white, cream, black, denim, or traditional dress cut in a single colour. Put it over another print and the two fight. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. The sawtooth points are counted out bead by bead rather than measured, so their spacing shifts a little from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in navy blue. One multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and a pair of drop earrings, strung by hand in Kiambu. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Navy is the one you can wear to work. The rest of this range is built to be seen from across a room, which is exactly right for a wedding and exactly wrong for a Tuesday. Navy does the opposite. It reads as jewellery rather than as an occasion, so it sits with a suit, a plain shirt or a dark dress without announcing itself before you do. It is also the easiest piece in the range to wear if you are new to beadwork. Navy sits close enough to black that the shape and the scale register before the colour does, so a collar this size stops feeling like a leap and starts feeling like a good necklace. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beadwork in the same order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set rather than five things that happen to match. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. Every strand is counted out bead by bead rather than measured, so the beadwork shifts a little from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set on bright orange, blocked with turquoise, blue, red, green and white against black. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. Orange is the only warm ground in this range. Everything else is built on black, white, navy or green, and those are all colours that sit back. Orange comes forward. It reads as sunlight rather than as formalwear, and it lifts a face instead of framing it. The colour is blocked here rather than banded. Squares of turquoise, royal blue, red, green and white are stacked across the strands and separated by black, so the pattern reads as a chequer laid over the orange rather than as stripes running round it. The blocks stagger slightly from strand to strand, which is what stops a piece this bright from looking printed. It does its best work on plain and warm: cream, tan, brown, white, denim, or a wrapper cut in a single colour. Against hard black it fights rather than sits, so if black is most of your wardrobe the navy set is the better buy. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same blocks in the same order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu. Each block is counted out bead by bead, so no two sets line up identically and none of them match the photographs exactly. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A five piece Maasai beaded set in turquoise blue with black sawtooth points and bands of yellow, white, green and red. Necklace, three bracelets and earrings. Includes one multi strand collar necklace, three matching bracelets and one pair of drop earrings. If you pictured Maasai beadwork before you opened this page, this is probably close to what you saw. Turquoise against black is the pairing the work is known for, and it is the one that reads as Maasai from across a room instead of needing to be explained. It is also the easiest of the bright sets to wear outdoors. Turquoise holds its colour in daylight where deeper shades flatten out, so it photographs well and it sits over denim, white linen or cream without any effort at all. This is the summer and holiday piece in the range. The blue is broken by black sawtooth points, and inside them run bands of yellow, white, green and red. The points are counted out bead by bead rather than measured, which is why the teeth are never quite even and why the piece looks made rather than manufactured. The necklace is worked in multiple beaded strands and fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it high on the collarbone or let it drop. The bracelets and earrings carry the same beads in the same colour order, which is what makes five separate pieces read as one set rather than five things that happen to match. Wear the necklace with a single bracelet for everyday, or all five pieces when you want the full effect. Strung and bound by hand in Kiambu, so the spacing of the sawtooth points and the colour bands varies slightly from set to set and from the photographs. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, all of which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set on white: a multi strand collar necklace banded in orange, blue, red, green and black, with a matching bracelet and a pair of drop earrings. White does the opposite of what black does. Instead of holding the colour back it throws it forward, so the bands read as bright blocks rather than as accents. That is why this is the set to reach for when the rest of the outfit is already plain. Over white linen, a black dress, denim, or traditional dress cut in a single colour, it becomes the thing people look at. It is bright without being heavy, which makes it easier to wear in daylight than most statement jewellery. The necklace is worked in several bead wrapped strands, banded with colour across the front and fastened at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain so the drop can be adjusted. The bracelet carries the same beads in the same order, which is what makes the three pieces read as one set. One honest note: white shows what black hides. Foundation, perfume and hand cream all mark pale beadwork, so this set rewards being put on last and taken off first. Every strand is strung by hand, so the spacing of the colour bands varies slightly from set to set. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion, make up and water. Lay the necklace flat or hang it rather than folding it into a box so the strands do not tangle, and wipe it with a dry soft cloth after wearing.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set in black and gold: a multi strand collar necklace with a coiled beaded flower at the centre front, a matching bracelet and drop earrings. Gold against black is the oldest formal pairing there is and this set uses it without apology. The gold runs in bands along the strands and gathers into the flower at the throat, so the piece has a focal point rather than being decorated evenly the whole way round. This is a formal set rather than an everyday one. It belongs with a plain dark dress, a white shirt, or traditional dress cut in a single deep colour, and it is built for the occasions where photographs get taken. If you want the same construction in something you could wear on an ordinary day, the black and multicolour set in this shop is the easier one to reach for. The necklace fastens at the back with a gold tone clasp and a short extender chain. The bracelet is built the same way, several bead wrapped strands bound into shared gold tone caps, and the earrings repeat the same black and gold banding. Every strand is wrapped and bound by hand, so the width of the gold bands varies slightly from set to set. The flower at the centre is coiled by hand and is never twice the same. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water. Store the necklace flat or hanging so the strands hold their shape, and keep the centre flower from being crushed under other pieces in a jewellery box. Wipe with a dry soft cloth.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
A three piece beaded set in red and black: a multi strand collar necklace with a beaded flower at the centre front, a matching bracelet and drop earrings. The necklace is built from several bead wrapped strands gathered into gold tone caps and fastened at the back with a clasp and a short extender chain, so you can set it higher on the collarbone or let it drop. At the centre front sits a five petal beaded flower worked in red and black, which is what makes this read as a designed piece rather than a plain collar. The bracelet is built the same way, several bead wrapped strands bound into shared gold tone caps with a hook fastening, and the earrings carry the same red and black banding, so the three pieces read as one thought rather than three accessories that happen to match. Red is the loudest thing you can put against plain black, white or cream, and this set is meant to be the one strong idea in an outfit rather than one of five small ones. It suits a wedding, a naming ceremony, church, or a shoot. If you would rather the jewellery sat back a little, the black and multicolour set in this shop does the same job more quietly. Every strand is strung by hand, so bead placement and the exact fall of the strands vary a little from set to set. Care: keep away from perfume, lotion and water, which dull the beads and weaken the cord. Store the necklace flat or hanging rather than folded into a box so the strands do not tangle. Wipe with a dry soft cloth.
Sold by GLOBAL HANDMADE • Kenya
Fashion Accessories
Te Fiti's Heart is a handmade necklace and earring set crafted to bring a bold, one-of-one statement to your look. Designed for shoppers searching for unique handmade jewelry, this set blends artisanal detail, distinctive character, and everyday wearability. With its expressive design and thoughtful finish, it is an ideal gift or personal piece for anyone who loves original fashion jewelry with a story.
Sold by Alienesque Co • Nigeria
