NYUMBANI DESIGN

Nyumbani design is a Tanzanian-based accessories and homeware label inspired by the beauty of the Swahili coast. Founded by a fashion production and development specialist from the Cayman Islands in 2012, the label is a colourful amalgamation of her homes in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and East-Africa. Graduating with a first-class honours degree from the University of the West of England, Bristol in 2005, Kerry Glanfield gained invaluable experience working for high-end fashion designers in London.

After relocating to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in 2010, her home became an inspired canvas: an integral foundation to explore diverse cultures, colour, shapes and textiles. Naturally Tanzanian inspired, nyumbani design’s name originates from the Kiswahili word for ‘home’ and has become a focal point for her design aesthetic as well as offering a sanctuary space to experiment with her ideas.

The jewellery range creates contemporary wooden pieces of wearable art through geometric shapes and surface experimentation. The label’s signature pieces display strong linear forms that are hand-carved from locally sourced indigenous trees that are as striking on the body as they are as sculptural objects on their own. Each piece is sculpted by hand from different sections of wood, making each one slightly different and unique in colour, ensuring that no two pieces are the same.

Nyumbani design believes in creating simple yet distinctively desirable pieces, handcrafted and shaped by skilled artisans throughout Tanzania.

After forming a partnership with an environmental project, Trees for the Future, for every wooden piece sold a tree will be planted to restore and support the plantation of trees with rural communities in the developing world.