About

With your patronage, we are spreading independence and sustainability.
Our simple aim is to make you look and feel good while being socially responsible.

 

OUR STORY

Inspired by the pure joy of being able to create something meaningful and stunning out of nothing, our first accessory ever created was a minimalistic gold necklace with an intricate handcrafted leaf pendant. A classic piece to be worn by the cultured woman who knows exactly who she is and is proud of it.

Years later we still make our coveted signature piece and have grown the Kua range to include beaded jewelry, 18K gold jewelry and other coveted products for women. Most popular among them are our unique clutch bags that were born out of the joy of being able to re-purpose and create something beautiful out of every day African print fabrics that, for years, were principally used to make traditional clothing worn by our Ghanaian mothers and grandmothers.

Kua was named after our founder’s mother and is an ode to the authentic woman who is clothed in style, confidence and pride in her culture.

From sourcing fabrics in local markets, to training workers with employable skills and passionately investing into the women on whose backs Ghanaian communities are built, we are spreading independence and sustainability. We are constantly “Keeping Us Authentic”.

At Kua we pride ourselves on the fact that no two products are the same. From our unique stones sourced from around the world, to the real and diverse leaves we use in our gold jewelry, to our locally sourced fabric and leather which are mixed, matched and cut differently, our pieces leave you with the reminder of how truly special and unique you are.

 

KUA CARES INITIATIVE

The Kua Cares initiative provides employment to marginalized adults with disabilities.  

Our Kua beaded bracelets are made exclusively by visually-impaired women from the Akropong School for the Blind in Ghana. Each bracelet is unique because the visually-impaired woman who made it did so through sheer determination and creativity. The added bonus is that no two of these handmade bracelets are alike. 

With each purchase, you are helping change the lives of a group of disenfranchised women while encouraging independence and sustainability. 

We hope our bracelets bring you as much joy as it brought us when we embarked on this initiative.

 

OUR FOUNDER

 

Ruby Buah is the creative director and visionary behind Kua Designs.

In 2009, Ruby took a bold step by moving from spread sheets and financial statements to metals and fabrics. In short, Ruby went from Finance to Fashion.

It all started a few years earlier when she worked as a Financial Analyst at Coca Cola Enterprises in Atlanta, Georgia.  Ruby, seeking a creative outlet started exploring different forms of art in her spare time.

What started as a hobby in jewelry-making quickly became a business.  Three years into running her part time jewelry business, she moved to New York and earned a degree in Jewelry Design at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology. To no surprise, she built on her jewelry line by adding an equally exciting handbag line. A few years into running her chic boutique in Ghana, she expanded further by adding a children's line in 2015.

She makes every effort to appreciate the not so glamorous parts of her job just as much as she cherishes the final pieces that sit pretty on the shelves in her upscale boutique in Accra, Ghana.

Bringing it all full circle, her cosmopolitan chic jewelry line is reminiscent of her experiences in different parts of the world while her handbag line pays homage to her home country, Ghana. She is a wife and a mother. When she is not making pretty things, she can be found making memories with her family and friends or decorating spaces (yet another passion of this multi-creative). 

From the humble beginnings of a kitchen table, Ruby is honored to share © Kua Designs.

 

OUR STAFF

We love that we get to hire young local talent to keep their skills within the Ghanaian economy. Our staff are trained in employable skills such as craftsmanship, store management and others, and are given the chance to grow in leadership, and to continue supporting their families. It’s great seeing how many have grown over the years to take up new responsibilities in our little Kua family.

 

KUA KIDS

We don’t save all this goodness for the adults only, our vibrant and colorful sister company - Kua Kids, pays homage to Ghanaian culture and supports the Kua philosophy, while ensuring that your babies and kids are still so darn cute! Find out more on Instagram @KuaKids