Handbag Designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi on Finding Inspiration in Ghana

If you're sick and tired of winter like we are, sit down, breathe in, and picture yourself in sunny southern Ghana, where temperatures are currently a balmy 80 degrees and maximalist colors and patterns abound. That's where this week's guest, Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, is calling in from—and where she gets her design inspiration for her woven handbag brand AAKS.  We've been long obsessed with the brand, which uses woven rafia to create crossbody bags, totes, and baskets in joyful colors—and has recently branched out into home decor. We sat down with Akosua to talk about how travel, both in Ghana and internationally, has inspired her designs, how she's stayed creative amid the pandemic, and how she navigated the sales boom that came in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter resurgence last summer.  Read a transcription of the episode here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/handbag-designer-akosua-afriyie-kumi-on-finding-inspiration-in-ghana-women-who-travel-podcast Follow Akosua: @a.a.k.s Follow Lale: @lalehannah Follow Meredith: @ohheytheremere Follow Women Who Travel: @womenwhotravel

Om Podcasten

Though travel and adventure have historically been publicly claimed by men, women have always been part of those narratives, too. Each week, host and Condé Nast Traveler editor Lale Arikoglu shines a light on some of those stories, interviewing female-identifying guests about their most unique travel tales—from going off-grid in the Danish wilderness to country-hopping solo—sharing her own experiences traveling around the globe, and tapping listeners to contribute their own memorable stories. This is a podcast for anyone who is curious about the world—and excited to explore places both near and far from home. For more from Women Who Travel, visit our website or subscribe to our email newsletter.