Celebrating Beauty and Craftsmanship

Last week saw the official opening of Design:Rwanda, an exciting and highly anticipated new retail location in Kigali.  Beeutiful Creations, a social enterprise incubated by Azizi Life’s NGO, has partnered with Abraham Konga Collections and Sarah Day Designs to showcase high-quality, locally-made products and designs.

Rwanda is a truly remarkable, rapidly developing country brimming with potential and an increasing number of entrepreneurs who are driving this development.  Design:Rwanda is excited to join this swell of entrepreneurial growth, and last week, an official launch party celebrated this new venture.

The floor space was conceived by Sarah Day, a Kigali-based American interior designer, who creates inviting living, work and entertainment spaces while employing talented local artisans and supporting a range of East African cooperatives.  Beeutiful Creations products and Abraham Konga Collections jewellery are placed in situ around the showroom.

Abraham Konga Collections has fast become a household brand in Rwanda, and their products truly epitomise the trend in up-scaling, with many of their necklaces, earrings, and bracelets made from recycled materials, including cow horn, cow bone, aluminium pots and even padlocks!

While Beeutiful Creations products can still be found in the Azizi Life boutique at Heaven restaurant in Kiyovu, this new retail location will feature a greater range of products and tap into increasing demand for high-quality, ‘made in Rwanda’ craftmanship.  Beeutiful Creations products are made in an environmentally-conscious way, creating jobs at a fair and consistent wage for its artisans and beekeepers.

Sarah Day-Smith of Sarah Day Designs said:

‘Design:Rwanda is a collaboration between three like-minded businesses who have very different products, but share the same ethos; we are all passionate about fusing beautiful design with talented local craftsman, to make high-quality, hand-crafted, Rwandan-made products available to socially-conscious consumers.  Our hope is that Design:Rwanda will become a hub for those in search of something beautiful that supports local artisans in impactful ways.

The launch party was a great success, and a good number of people turned out.  Thanks to all who came!

So, without further ado, we are pleased to share some snaps from the day!