Adele Dejak

Born in Kano, Nigeria, Adele Dejak came to design by way of law and creative training in London — an unconventional route into jewelry that shaped how she thinks about the craft. She relocated to Nairobi in 2005, later becoming a Kenyan citizen in 2023, and has spent nearly two decades building her eponymous label into one of the continent's most recognized luxury jewelry and lifestyle brands. As she's described it, jewelry became more than adornment: a medium for expression, activism, and connection.

Every piece is handcrafted by an in-house team of Kenyan artisans working in recycled brass, aluminium, and leather. Beyond the studio, Dejak works with artisans in Kibera and Kariobangi, providing fair income through jewelry-making, and partners with women's groups across Kenya who crochet bags — including the Lamu and Theresa styles — from recycled plastic waste. The brand has also extended into furniture, producing reimagined Baule chairs and Senufo-inspired coffee tables handcrafted with local carpenters.

Dejak's work has traveled widely: Beyoncé wore her pieces in the Black Is King visual album, Lupita Nyong'o has worn the label, and it featured at Vogue World 2025 in Hollywood. Adele Dejak has collaborated with Salvatore Ferragamo on the Bags for Africa charity auction, appeared in Vogue, Vogue Italia, Elle, Architectural Digest, CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, and the Financial Times, and is exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. The brand was also included in UNESCO's 2023 publication, The African Fashion Sector.