AMWA DESIGNS x ALLBIRDS

Adinkra traditional wisdom meets innovative, sustainable footwear

An exciting CoLab has just been announced between the talented textile designer, Chrissa Amuah, founder of AMWA Designs, and Allbirds, the highly innovative and sustainable global footwear brand, well known for its trainers. Chrissa collaborated with the Allbirds team to design a special edition of the Dasher trainer - and the results were incredible.

As founder of AMWA Designs, Chrissa Amuah’s work as a textile design entrepreneur is inspired by the Adinkra symbols of Ghana. They are a collection of symbols that have existed for centuries. The meanings of Adinkra are timeless and transcend all cultures. Their purpose is to encourage and promote our personal well-being and social harmony. As a designer whose whole design ethos seeks to enhance beautiful design with empowering meaning, the AMWA Designs partnership with Allbirds is a match made in forward thinking heaven.

The Allbirds Allgood Collective is a global community of people that promote the global power of action, as a force for good. Allbirds kindly gave Chrissa the opportunity to have a little play on a pair of their ‘Dasher’ trainer and here’s what she came up with. The fabric design of both patterns is inspired by the Adinkra symbol ‘Funtunefu Denkyem’, which represents Unity. The circular pattern of the grey design is inspired by ‘Adinkrahene’. The chief of Adinkra Symbols. It represents authority, greatness, prudence, firmness and magnanimity. The more geometric, green design, has been inspired by ‘Aya’, which in English is Fern - as in the plant. ‘Aya’ is a symbol of endurance, independence, defiance against difficulties, hardiness, perseverance and resourcefulness. The symbol suggests the overcoming of adversities and outlasting difficulty. Working symbolically and aesthetically, as a pair and individually, only GREAT STRIDES are to be made in these. Given all that is happening in the world at present, the meanings and symbolism of Adinkra have never been more desperately needed and significant.

Chrissa shares her philosophy around this collaborative initiative:

“If our beings are nurtured with sentiments of wisdom, which also promote positivity, upon exiting our homes and stepping out into the world every day – by the power of symbolic osmosis – we all share the opportunity to walk each step with intended harmony.”

- Something Chrissa Amuah might have written in her Textile Design MA Thesis, in 2014.

The customized Allbirds Dashers are truly unique, given that they’re not available for sale, so Chrissa and the Allbirds team have decided to put them up for auction, with the proceeds going to charity. Details will be announced on the AMWA Designs instagram page (here). The Not-For-Profit being supported is The OR Foundation The OR Foundation has been researching the secondhand clothing trade in Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana since 2016. Kantamanto’s Kayayei (female head-porters) carry bales of clothing from importers to retailers, between storage units and between retailers and re-balers. Many Kayayei earn additional income by helping retailers pack their stalls at the end of the day, sweeping the excess clothing into bags and at times assisting with the disposal of this clothing waste. By studying Kantamanto, The OR Foundation met many Kayayei and learned about the health implications of their labor as well as the reasons they migrated to Accra. The focus of this not for profit is underpinned by the consequences of the unsustainable excessive production of Western clothing and the impact that has on the lives of local Ghanaian women. So in many ways its values are aligned with Allbirds. Liz Ricketts, one of the co-founders happens to have studied at the same college at Allbirds’ Tim Brown (University of Cincinnati) - now there’s serendipity.

More about AMWA Designs

Established in 2014 by Chrissa Amuah, AMWA Designs creates handmade textiles and print designs for the home. Its designs are underpinned by the beauty and integrity in great craftsmanship. It is built on the principle that our homes and private spaces should be enveloped with beautiful furnishings that evoke powerful and positive thoughts within us. The Adinkra symbols and proverbs of Ghana form the inspiration. The symbols serve a decorative function, but also convey traditional wisdoms and adages. The brand is a concept of love by Chrissa Amuah, a textile design MA graduate of distinction from the world-renowned Chelsea College of Art & Design, University of the Arts London. Although born and raised in London, her heritage stems from Ghana, Togo and Benin, but it is from Ghana she draws most of her design-led inspiration. She has always described living with a sense of duality. So it is only natural that AMWA Designs illustrates a beautiful assimilation of concepts and cultures.

Read Chrissa’s startup story here:

Chrissa Amuah, a talented design entrepreneur inspired by Ghana's Adrinka symbols, reinterpreted in a contemporary way - Lionesses of Africa
Creating African inspired design solutions that are relevant for today's sophisticated marketplace, and for clients who want to put a uniquely evocative stamp on their personal and work interiors, is what drives entrepreneur and founder of AMWA Designs, Chrissa Amuah. Her work reflects her design et

Contact Chrissa Amuah, Creative Director / Founder at AMWA Designs:

T: +44(0)7947 251 274

E: chrissa@amwadesigns.com

W: amwadesigns.com

Insta: amwa_designs

More about Allbirds

Allbirds is an innovative footwear brand that is passionate about climate change, health, wellness and creativity. Their approach to sustainability is about empowering everyday wins, it’s about getting better not being perfect. They see sustainability as a marathon, not a sprint. Their shoes are made from natural materials like merino wool, eucalyptus tree and sugar cane. Allbirds uses natural materials amongst other initiatives to leave a lighter footprint on the planet. www.allbirds.co.uk