Intricately fashioned, breathtakingly beautiful and made entirely by hand, the celebrated beadwork of the East African Maasai people is an embodiment of the ethnic group’s culture and vast historical heritage. Every aspect—from the color and beading patterns, to the materials from which the beads used are made—has rich, symbolic meaning to the Tanzanian Maasai, who are widely known for their distinctive, traditional dress and age-old customs, including the famous “adumu” (“jumping dance”). Passed down from one generation of women to the next, their beading is deeply rooted in mysticism and ceremonial practices, but the encroachment on the Masaai's pastoral lands means they, along with their traditions, have long faced the threat of extinction. 

Enter Sidai Designs, an accessories brand and social enterprise based out of the nation’s Arusha region. Derived from the Kimaasai word ‘sidai’, meaning ‘good’ or ‘beautiful’, Sidai Designs works in collaboration with a number of Maasai women to create handmade, contemporary jewelry and accessories. Their mission is to preserve an age-old African beading tradition, work to create sustainable jobs and economic opportunities for Maasai women, and produce unique pieces that blend beading customs with a contemporary aesthetic.

Co-founded by Rebecca Olivia Moore, Sidai Designs was formed, in part, of her unique aspiration to work in design while supporting disadvantaged women. Though the British-born creative initially had ambitions to become a vet, a distaste for the sight of blood and lifelong inclination toward drawing and sketching led her to study Textile Design at Chelsea College of Art. She later began working in London but quickly decided it wasn’t for her, jumping instead at the opportunity to work with a ceramic start-up in Swaziland.

“I wanted an adventure at the time,” she tells us of the move, but what she ultimately gained was a passion for empowering creatives through the sharing of her knowledge and understanding of design. This, she says, is what determined her career path. Fast-forward ten years and Moore has worked in four different African countries, where she has developed innovative techniques, redirected artisanal brands, introduced luxury labels, and helped to build sustainable business models.

Under Moore’s direction, Sidai Designs has grown into a community of over 100 local Maasai artisans and beaders who work to create high-end, exclusive designs that appeal to an international market. Demonstrating a timeless approach to the art of accessory-making, the pieces of Sidai Designs’ collections are artful reinterpretations of classic styles: sculptural forms drip with delicate glass beading; necklaces thread together elegant gold plating and striking beaded bars; classic hoop earrings are adorned with zircon gems. Made to order and built by different hands each time, each piece is imbued with the unique expression of its maker. Beautiful in their imperfection, each creation has its own story to tell.

Moore explains how new designs are made in collaboration with the full-time beaders, describing the process in detail: “Ideas are presented to them in the form of a drawing and after considering it, they offer recommendations. If the piece is possible to create, they make their first sample and then it’s a collaboration between us to perfect the design. The team will often say how much they enjoy the challenge of sampling new designs, as they feel a huge sense of achievement when they finally have that light bulb moment of how it will work.” 

Sidai Designs is also utterly uncompromising when it comes to the quality of materials used. “[Our materials] range from upcycled to luxurious,” Moore says. “Salvaged grain bags are used alongside 18-carat gold fill and fine sterling silver, and plastic containers are cut up and recycled for boning. Meanwhile, butter-soft suede and precious metal fastenings give our jewelry an elegant finish.”