Across Africa, a new generation is finding ways to honor their past. Let's see how Sarah LeGrand transforms traditional Rwandan motifs into contemporary jewelry designs.
00:00What do U.S. star rapper Kendrick Lamar, actress Eliana Oumohire, and Angolan supermodel Maria Borgias have in common?
00:09They all appreciate the jewellery of Sarah Le Grand.
00:12Let's check out how this Rwandan is redefining the jewellery world.
00:19I didn't expect that this would happen, and the collaboration with Kendrick Lamar is a great recognition for me.
00:25It's very motivating and encourages me to continue.
00:29For the designer who makes the stars sparkle, the fusion of African roots with international elegance began as an end in itself.
00:38As a teenager, I realized that there was no jewellery that represented me, or at least in which I could recognize myself, neither in its symbolism nor in what it expressed.
00:48That was one of the main reasons why I founded my own brand and decided to dedicate myself to jewellery making.
00:55Born in the Ivory Coast, raised in Congo and Rwanda, Sarah later moved to Belgium.
01:02After a brief foray into the modelling world, she studied jewellery design in Brussels to create jewellery that reflected her identity.
01:09In 2015, she returned to Rwanda and founded her brand, Katsobe, a tribute to her maternal clan, the Abatsobe.
01:17When I came back, some people, even close friends, were sceptical of the idea of creating a jewellery brand.
01:28They said things like, people here don't wear jewellery? What an idea!
01:32I think that's because Rwandans are culturally rather reserved and hardly ever wear gold.
01:37This restraint has since disappeared, and today Sarah's creations are attracting attention worldwide.
01:47Her pieces can even be found in museums, including London's renowned Victoria and Albert Museum.
01:54Now Sarah has chosen her next playing field with the Rwandan skater brand Fragile, or FRA for short.
02:00The idea is for an exclusive jewellery collection that combines the FRA street style with Sarah's unique signature.
02:06My friends wear her pieces, but not just my friends too, like really like prominent people who come here wear her pieces.
02:21I think bridging that gap between also just what's here, what's local, what's in our everyday environment,
02:26and then what the whole world can kind of interact with that thing and kind of rock with it.
02:31I think that's pretty cool.
02:32In the Katsobi studio in the heart of Kigali, Sarah shapes the design in wax for the new FRA ring,
02:39a technique that creates delicate and unique jewellery.
02:43She learned this many-thousand-year-old technique in Belgium.
02:46In Rwanda, it wasn't used.
02:48For me, returning to Rwanda was something natural.
02:52I had a deep desire to return and contribute by bringing in something new,
02:57this know-how that was not originally from Rwanda.
03:04While the metal is being melted, Sarah embeds the finished wax piece model in a casting frame filled with special sand.
03:11This creates a hollow mould into which the liquid metal is poured later on.
03:15The designer places great emphasis on sustainable production.
03:20She consciously avoids diamonds.
03:23Instead, she uses local stones such as lava and amethyst to reflect Rwanda's volcanic landscape in her pieces.
03:29The piece then goes to a team of female employees who carry out various processing steps.
03:45It was important to me to promote women.
03:48In particular, I also want to pass on this craft to women.
03:52After all, it's a sector that is still dominated by men.
03:55Days later, at the other end of downtown Kigali, the photo shoot for the streetwear label FRA is underway.
04:04The ring is finally finished, inspired by skateboards and the horns of the Ankole cattle,
04:09which play a strong symbolic role in Rwandan culture.
04:13Tradition meets contemporary spirit.
04:15What interests me about this collaboration is to demonstrate accessibility to everyone, especially to women,
04:23so that anyone can relate to it.
04:28Even opposites like jewellery and skateboards harmonize, as Sarah shows.
04:33Her next goal is to make customers in Europe and the USA sparkle like stars.
Be the first to comment