July 23, 2022
Culture Meets Cosmopolitan Handbags: Kua Designs Pops-Up Across America
Kua Designs will host a pop-up tour across the United States in five major cities including Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C., bringing their culture meets cosmopolitan handbags and jewelry from the vibrant African city of Accra, Ghana this summer.
Kua Designs is the brainchild of Creative Director, Ruby Buah, formerly a financial analyst for Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Ga., who began seeking a creative outlet and started exploring different forms of art in her spare time. She explored jewelry-making, and within three years it went from being a hobby to a part-time jewelry making business. Ruby made the leap and moved to New York, earning 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 later she returned to the city of Accra to open and operate her own chic boutique and start a family. Kua Designs is named fondly after Ruby’s mother and represents the acronym “Keeping Us Authentic.”
“I am excited to take Kua on the road in the US this summer! I can’t wait to engage with the amazing people who have patronized my brand for years and I look forward to meeting new ones. It is my pleasure to share a bit of my culture with you through my designs,” Ruby Buah adds about bringing her limited collection to the U.S.
Kua Designs will present a limited collection featuring beaded jewelry, handbags, clothing, and other coveted products for women during their shopping pop-up tour. Most anticipated are the unique clutch bags that were born out of the joy of being able to re-purpose and create something beautiful out of everyday African print fabrics. For years these fabrics were principally used to make traditional clothing worn by Ghanaian mothers and grandmothers. Ruby also looks forward to showcasing and selling her jewelry collection created to support her philanthropic division Kua Cares, an initiative that trains and employs visually impaired women in jewelry-making.
Kua Designs U.S. Pop-Up Shop Tour Schedule:
Atlanta
Saturday, June 25th | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Bakery CoWork, 1500 Southland Circle NW, Suite H, Atlanta Ga., 30318
Los Angeles
Saturday, July 9th | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Dollhouse Boutique, 315 E 8th Street, Los Angeles, Calif. 90014
Washington, D.C.
Saturday, July 23rd | 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Ipade, 1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C., 20009
Miami
Saturday, July 16th | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
COOL Creative, 300 NE 62nd St, Miami, Fla. 33138
New York City
Saturday, July 30th | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
African Chophouse at Teranga, 1280 Fifth Ave (at 110th Street), New York, N.Y. 10026