FEELING ON CLOUD 9

Following the launch of the Cloud 9 collection on 11th April 2013 we have had so many people asking us, why did you name the collection Cloud 9? What is a more interesting question is perhaps do you feel on Cloud 9 and if yes then how you got that feeling? And the answer to that question is a big YES! Cloud 9 is about the buzz and energy that is felt in the place we work each day as the brand grows from strength to strength and begins to gain the recognition we are seeking. Feeling on Cloud 9 is about empowering the people who work with us, designing beautiful products and working to put Kiambu Kenya (the location of our workshop) on the map.With a collection which is called Cloud 9 comes a lot of questions and to answer those questions you have to start at the beginning of the company, where one woman, Adele Dejak, was making necklaces for a craft fair in Kenya in her kitchen in Nairobi. Fast-forward a couple of years and one person had become 15 people, fast-forwarded even more to April 2013 and there are no more kitchen tables and now 28 employees working in the workshop in Kiambu and our outlets in Kenya. The buzz and feeling in the workplace for team Adele Dejak comes from this incredible journey. It comes from the artisans who used to work as security guards and now hand-make beautiful necklaces because their talent and natural ability to work with materials was noticed and developed. It comes from the beader who now works as the Head of Production. And then it comes from someone outside coming in and noticing that what we are doing at the end of a red-mud road on the outskirts of Nairobi has the potential to be seen and worn by people all over the world.

Arodeza bangles with Venetian 24 kt gold leaf

2012 was a fantastic year for our brand. Having met the editor in chief of Italian Vogue, Franca Sozzani we were invited to Milan fashion week to exhibit at Vogue talents. We later collaborated with Salvatore Ferragamo on BAGS FOR AFRICA. In 2013 we produced a clothing line which is now being sold by the Italian department store La Rinascente. Our products really started to be recognised outside of Africa and the energy and encouragement of these things fed its way back into the workshop. We always put a high emphasis on producing the best quality goods we can with our tag-line ‘made with love in Kenya’, which is what sets our products apart.

Emma bag

Cloud 9 is a collection which draws on all these influences and events and channels the company’s experience with working with our favourite materials (reclaimed Ankole cow horn, cow hide, recycled brass and bakuba cloth) into our boldest designs yet. The pieces in the collection are inspired by shapes found in nature and East African kitenge cloth and build on elements from our previous collections, such as the incorporation of West African brass beads. The pieces are strong and beautifully handcrafted creating a good balance between the delicacy and detail or hand-made pieces and the powerful statement of the design and materials used.

Ugandan wood bangles

We always like to bring across the narratives and stories behind our pieces to our customers so that when you wear something by Adele Dejak you know that there is an interesting history behind the piece. When you wear accessories from the Cloud 9 collection take time to think about all the stories that fed into the collection over the years the company has been operation and the networks of peoples and places we work with. Wearing Cloud 9 is about feeling on Cloud 9, owning your style and knowing that something special is happening in Kiambu Kenya.

Cloud 9 collection is now available at our outlets in Kenya and online