🌿 Home Is Where the He-ART Is: The Craft of Handwoven Bags in Accra

In the bustling heart of Accra, Ghana’s vibrant capital, artistry and tradition come together to create more than just fashion — they craft stories.

Each handwoven MINKARA bag is a tribute to heritage, love, and identity. Made by skilled Ghanaian artisans using walnut wood, crochet, natural bamboo, and wooden handles, these pieces aren’t just accessories — they are vessels of culture, shaped by time and touch.

Ghana — the place that welcomed me and shaped my creative vision — became the birthplace of MINKARA’s first collection. MINKARA was born from more than just inspiration. It emerged from a longing for home.

I left Lebanon as a teenager, finding belonging within Ghana’s Lebanese diaspora. Later, I returned to Lebanon for my studies — only to be uprooted again by political unrest. From there, life took me to Dubai, where I immersed myself in the fashion world, and later to Norway and London. With every move, I absorbed new influences — each culture deepening my appreciation for handmade craft and personal expression.

MINKARA is the thread that ties all those places together.

It’s my way of weaving a global journey into timeless, wearable art — created with heart, rooted in heritage, and crafted with care. Every bag tells a story — of resilience, beauty, and the artisans who breathe life into tradition.

The raw fibres are then dyed using vibrant, natural or synthetic dyes. In many workshops across Accra, you’ll see women boiling pots of dye, soaking the fibres until they are richly colored in bold African hues—deep reds, earthy browns, golds, and indigos.

Using traditional hand-weaving techniques passed down through generations, artisans interlace the fibres, row by row. The process is entirely manual and can take anywhere from two days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the design. Patterns like zig-zags, stripes, or checkerboards emerge as the artisan’s hands rhythmically work.