How it began...
The genesis of Okapu is a telltale of friendship, the zest for exploration, and a good sense of style.
I bought my first kyondo in 2015 from a guy in Karen. A friend loved the look so much she bought it off me. When another friend wanted the replacement I got for it, I knew I was onto something. The journey began... building relationships with craftsmen and suppliers in Kariokor, taking pics for the gram, doing pop-ups in Nairobi and eventually meeting a group of wonderful women in Mwingi who weave.
In exploring kyondo weaving and its untapped potential as a bomb accessory, we continue to recreate the kyondo in its many possible kinds of beautiful for the contemporary woman.
...and of course FOR THE CULTURE !!!
...and if you are wondering what Okapu means, that is what a Luo grandmother would refer to her handbag as.