The brand tells an exciting story of Ghana, offering a different perspective of Africa as a whole. The visual inspiration behind every design is reflected through the images of Ghana and the crafters as they create these handbags. A.A.K.S is an African brand ethically and conscientiously producing one handbag at a time.

Akosua Afriyie-Kumi founded AAKS with the goal of introducing the world to her favorite weaving techniques by the women of Ghana, increasing awareness around ethical production processes and encouraging sustainable consumption in the fashion world.

Handcrafted in Ghana, AAKS creates handbags in styles that seeks to conserve the provenance of weaving as an art form, accentuated with the bright exuberant colours of Africa. The essence of A A K S design philosophy is enshrined in these three main pillars: designs that embodies a critical attention to craftsmanship, ethical and sustainable values in the production cycle, and a high-quality finished product which will never be mass produced.

FOUNDER: Akosua Afriyie Kumi

TEAM: 13 employees and 50 artisans

LOCATION: Kumasi, Ghana

MATERIALS: Raffia

The raffia bags are handcrafted by 50 weavers in Northern Ghana using ecologically harvested raffia from farmers and families in the region. A sophisticated non-chemical dyeing process is formulated to create bright exuberant colors. It takes approximately one week to complete a handbag with an unwavering dedication to modern style using traditional methods. Made by hand, each bag bears the fingerprints of the person who fashioned it and a signature tag is added to prove authenticity.