Why My TABIA Exists

Starting TABIA was a little bit of a happy accident on my part.

I was just finishing university when my mom told me about how she had jewellery to sell. I wasn’t totally clued into all the details, but seeing as I had nothing to do I asked some old and new friends if they’d be cool with having their photos taken in the jewellery. I asked another friend if he’d be keen on taking the photos.

Without giving it too much thought I location scouted and worked with everyone, who were (thankfully) on board to hang out and take some pictures. Shooting was fun, and once I edited the photos I felt really happy and glad. It had been cool to see all my friends come alive in front of the camera.

A few months passed and I got busy, not giving the earrings too much thought. Then a year or so had passed and I was set in my routine and life.

Then covid hit, and in between moments of general angst the thought of TABIA returned.

We’d been selling in person from time to time before and slightly after covid became a reality.

I’d been browsing another store and saw a pair of earrings which included what the brand called African trade beads. I paused, after looking into their site I found they didn’t have any connection to the beads. Not just in terms of background but in how they were put together.

It stayed on my mind for days. The beads looked so specific, geographically speaking (They reminded me of work in Kenya and other East African countries), so I wondered ‘Why call them African trade beads without specifying a country?’.

I’d spent much of my childhood having people ask me if I knew their friend who lived in Nigeria once people discovered I was from Kenya. This is the equivalent of asking someone if they know an Ontarian because you live in the Yukon. I remembered some ideas I’d had for TABIA when it was first started and decided to get to work building the online store. 

I could go on and on about what ideas I had and still have, but instead I’ll finish this with my why.

I’m not here to tell you that oh ‘so and so is suffering or struggling and they’re still making awesome jewellery’. I don’t believe in taking advantage of people’s private hardships in that manner. In fact, although it’s a strong word I really hate seeing artisans from the Global South sell their work hand in hand with tales of every past and current bad thing that has happened in their lives.

Instead I’m here to tell you that there are some amazing pieces I’ve worn and loved for years, and I think you’ll love them too. I’m here to share as much as I can about my culture, and the artisans (whose work I admire) as it relates to the jewellery you’ll find on our site.

This is why I don’t mind doing all the background tasks.

This is why I started an online store.

This is my TABIA.

**PS – Tabia is the Swahili word meaning behaviour.