Zinj – a name used by Herodotus to describe the ancient Swahili coast, from southern Somalia to northern Mozambique - is the inspiration for an unusual little workshop, in a tiny village overlooking the beautiful Takaungu creek and the Indian Ocean.

Dedicated to promoting Kenyan bead and leather-work across the globe and improving the lives of Kenyans at home, Atelier Zinj has now trained and supports over 70 artisans from Takaungu village and the surrounding area.

Atelier Zinj strives to make a totally Kenyan product. We use natural, free range, Kenyan leather hides to make beautiful dog collars, handbags, sandals, belts and other small accessories, and embellish them with East African beadwork in both traditional and contemporary patterns and colours. Every piece is entirely hand-made, and all our solid brass hardware for belt or dog collar buckles, as well as handbag clips, is hand-cast right here in Kenya from recycled brass padlocks.

In today’s world of mass production, where our sensibilities are bombarded by plastic and machine-made, disposable everything, where time is squandered in the rush to grasp for a materialism far beyond our needs, pause a moment to look at the handiwork of the real artisan, to see beauty amidst utility, to ponder a creation that remains timeless, and to know that hand-craft traditions begun so long ago can still adorn our world today .