LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
In the highly competitive world of international jewellery design, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. But this is certainly not the case for jewellery and accessory design entrepreneur, Adele Dejak, founder of the striking global luxury brand that carries her name.
Adele Dejak, the brand, is an authentic jewellery and fashion accessories brand that offers a direct access to the true premium African experience. Founder Adele Dejak has built a powerful brand renowned for creating a wide variety of lovingly designed and handcrafted pieces including bracelets, earrings, necklaces and handbags. Every piece tells a story and is inspired by African textiles, cultures and traditions, with everything being produced directly in the Adele Dejak studio or through collaboration with an established network of partners.
"My designs give women the opportunity to be daring, sophisticated and confident with our bold and delicate pieces.” — Adele Dejak
Speaking about what inspired Adele to start her business, she says that passion made her do it. She is certainly passionate about what she does, about what she creates. Adele has always loved jewellery since she was young, and she calls it her passion and her life. Originally, she was designing and creating pieces for herself because she could not find designs that she connected with. Eventually, due to popular demand, she founded her own Adele Dejak brand.
Adele believes that women love her designs because they provide the opportunity to be daring, sophisticated and confident with the brand’s bold and delicate pieces. Adele says: “We are able to give our customers an authentic affordable luxury brand to connect with Africa through contemporary designs. Our pieces can be passed from generation to generation as they are uniquely handcrafted pieces made from a blend of traditional and modern materials. I am constantly evolving and drawing on the dynamic rich African heritage to create products which celebrate beauty and design on the continent, showcasing the African luxury movement.”
Speaking about her decision to become an entrepreneur and talking about her background, she says she didn’t have much of an entrepreneurial background and, as a result, originally didn't have confidence in her own vision and work. She started making pieces for herself and people really loved them and that gave her the courage to finally kick-start the brand. The experience she acquired, combined with her background in design, has been the backbone of her work ever since. They taught her work ethic and trained her design eye. She adds: “Running any business in Africa is challenging. Even when things do not always turn out exactly as I had planned, I never, ever give up. I always keep pressing forward.”
Adele has big plans and aspirations for the business, saying that her big dream is to become the Coco Chanel of Africa. It doesn’t get bigger than that. Recently she was also on CNN Africa who liked her so much that they want to do a special Inside Africa segment on her vision of interpreting African tribes for the future. She has also started doing her own photography, which is great because it means she can control how the brand aesthetic evolves. She is also in partnership with the United Nations and works with Kakuma Refugee Camp training refugees how to make bags and jewellery.
Her biggest advice to other women looking to become entrepreneurs? She says: “Don't start a business without doing proper market research, having clear strategic plans and adequate capital. Also, have passion and dedication. Lastly, be willing to sacrifice by putting in extra time.”
Find out more about Adele Dejak and her fabulous brand here:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | YOUTUBE | VIMEO | EMAIL sales@adeledejak.com
