Made was started in 2005 with 5 employees and now employs over 100 full time employees in their very own Made workshop, located in Nairobi, Kenya, that is continually expanding to accommodate their growing team. We recently featured Made here on AFG and again mention them as Made are delighted to announce the launch of their inaugural leather collection that will be available on the Made website and in-store with House of Fraser from mid March 2012.

All purses and bags are handmade in Made’s Kenya workshop using 100% genuine leather sourced in Africa and feature an eclectic mix of unique finishes ranging from chain straps and bag charms to whipstitch and kanga lining. The collection comes in chocolate or tan coloured leather with inside bag pockets and credit card purse pockets incorporated throughout. The beautiful oil pull leather softens with age allowing the bags and purses to grow in beauty the more they are used. Effortlessly versatile, these chic designs can be worn with luxury daywear or dressed down for a more casual vibe.

This zip purse is our absolute favourite piece.

All the large leather totes also include a beautiful Kanga drawstring bag that can either be used as a dust bag or as an inner lining inside the bag. Kanga is a brightly coloured and patterned traditional African material. Made work with Kenyan co-operative SOKO to produce all their Kanga bags.Prices range from £32-£220 and are all available from Mid-March 2012 at www.made.uk.com and through House of Fraser stores.

NEW!! SAVANNAH COLLECTION FROM £18

The beauty and craft of the Maasai culture is one that is loved and celebrated not only by East Africans. We have recently seen many designers both local and international draw inspiration from this. Beadwork practiced by the Maasai’s have decorated and made beautiful long before they began to inspire designers and artists around the world. Kangas, Vitenge and Maasai shukas have been part of Tanzanian fashion before ‘African fashion’ became couture. But recently we have seen them emerging on international catwalks and fashion collections.
This first jewellery collection from London based fashion brand: Heart 365 Emporium is entitled Uhuru’s Wings: Freedom to Fly. Drawing inspiration from the Maasai culture was a way for founder and designer Jacqueline Kibacha to celebrate the beauty of the country of her origin, Tanzania, and to share with the world that which is from her own. Heart 365 will give back to the Maasai community by donating to the Emusoi Centre, Arusha. The Emusoi Centre is an organisation which finds funds to provide and facilitate opportunities for secondary age Maasai girls both in education and vocationally.
As Tanzania celebrates it’s 50th year of independence in 2011, Jacqueline says