I don’t speak English well,” confesses Aya Konan at the other end of the line. The long-distance conversation does no justice to her well-known effervescent personality. To most Ivorians, she is as famous as their country itself.
Yet, it’s not often that one gets to speak to a designer from Côte d’Ivoire, that beautiful West African country where people speak better French than English.
From her interrupted, reluctant rendition of the English language, you realize that Konan’s real expression is her art form. That her medium is metal, and she is a master story-teller when she works with it.
Konan’s life has been a confluence of French and African culture. Her father is Ivorian and her mother French, specifically Alsatian. Born in France, Konan grew up in Côte d’Ivoire from the age of five and left her country again for her studies at the age of 18. By then, she had already dabbled in design. Attending fashion shows as a child, she had seen women wearing only European jewelry. She was determined to change that.
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Konan acquired a degree as a computer technician to “please her parents”, but her interest lay in the creative arts. She returned after 12 years to Côte d’Ivoire to craft modern jewelry infusing African traditions. Her inspiration is ancient Akan jewelry and the royal courts, which she aptly captures in her Makeda line of jewelry. Today, she sells wearable art and home décor to clients around the world.
An ardent admirer of Maya Angelou and Miriam Makeba, Konan is a mother of three, married to an architect. She speaks from her home in Abidjan about creativity, Côte d’Ivoire and women in Africa:
Why is Akan art an inspiration?
I am very inspired by the clothing and jewelry of the ancient Akan royal courts in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
What medium do you mostly work with?
I work with metals imported from France to respect international standards. After the conception of a masterpiece on metal, I add beads, rhinestones and shells.
Who is your target audience?
My initial target market was ladies over 30 who dressed in traditional African fabrics. Today, I have a line targeted at a younger clientele. My daughters have inspired me. There are accessories, bags, belts, T-shirts etc. I am very careful to be competitive about the prices, to reach as many people as possible, but Makeda is still a premium product.
How big is your business?
Makeda gathers several activities. The structure has grown and the most important division is Makeda Deco, which has our highest turnover. It produces decorations for events such as weddings and galas. I love everything that is creative. We have a decoration shop where we provide everything for an event such as flowers, rhinestones nd chocolate candles.
Where do you retail at the moment?
I opened my first shop in the Place des Victoires in Paris in 1994; at that time, I was manufacturing my jewelry in Paris. Then in 1997, I decided to go back to Africa where I mounted a foundry to be self-sufficient in the production. Later, I opened a showroom and then a few years later a large shop.
How are female creative entrepreneurs viewed in Africa and the rest of the world?
I think the female entrepreneur has her place just like a man. In fact, I have never considered the question in those terms because I never felt a barrier because I am a woman. That could be the advantage of a creative profession. These are trades where only creativity and emotion count. Dreaming and creating dreams are most important in my line of work.
In terms of creativity, what sets Côte d’Ivoire apart from the rest of Africa?
My answer is biased because I love my country. Creativity is everywhere in the city, at every intersection, and in even the most remote towns and villages. Ivorians create all the time and even in the most absurd and most terrible ways, as during the post-election violence that hit our country. Many have painted and, particularly, sung on the theme of the crisis. This is a country which is very open to art of all types. So, everything is possible.
What is the future of women
in Africa?
For me, women play an important role in Africa; they are very enterprising as they are often the pillars of their families. In Côte d’Ivoire, for instance, it is thanks to women that food markets are supplied. I have daughters, and I admire how their generation evolves with tremendous confidence and grand ambitions. I am confident about the future of women.
What is life like in Côte d’Ivoire?
Life is very nice, as long as there is no political unrest of course, as in many African countries. Abidjan is a city where attitudes are changing and there is tremendous potential in many industries. Cultural life is becoming increasingly important and you see all sorts of occupations, just like you do in large Western cities. Fashion plays a very important role here.
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