Beads made a huge comeback in recent years, and one designer from Nigeria is using them to make more than jewelry and trinkets. Lala the Beadmaker made quite a splash on Instagram with her show-stopping beaded bags that have to be seen to be believed.
Lala the Beadmaker is the alter ego of the fashion designer Ibeh Maryjane Chiamaka, who’s using the power of social media to put her work on the map. She hails from Abuja, Nigeria, and she embarked on quite a journey before her work went viral on Instagram and TikTok, where some of her videos attracted millions of views.
Lala the Beadmaker started her beading journey in her mother’s dining room, and her craft significantly evolved over the years. She spent hours sitting there with a little torch, her back bent, and her creativity in full gear, dreaming of getting where she is today.
She initially made beaded jewelry but eventually shifted focus to more elaborate designs, including her signature beaded handbags. No beads are off limits for this talented designer, who enjoys using everything from crystal and acrylic beads to plastic beads and pearls to bring her bags to life. They come in all the colors of the rainbow, perfectly capturing the vibrant spirit of her homeland.
