Homewood couple sells clothing inspired by African tribe
The Maasai people live along the Great Rift Valley in the southern area of Kenya where they mostly herd cattle. But this semi-nomadic warrior tribe is also known for its distinctive style of dress, which caught the eye of Homewood resident Mary Holden Jones.
In January, Jones took a leap of faith and opened Maasai Chic, a boutique specializing in African jewelry and home items. Sales are mainly online, but Jones and her husband, Jeff, also began selling locally at Shebet’s Boutique at 2209 Third Ave. N. in Birmingham in May.
Jones and her husband have traveled to Kenya for the past three years doing mission work. They are doctors and set up medical camps in Kenya with Jesus Harvesters Ministries.
During their first trip to Kenya in 2014, they discovered the special beadwork made by the Maasai and Jones said she instantly adored the skill and originality, along with the culture and significance, of each piece. She developed a deep admiration for the Maasai tribe and its tradition of passing down its beading techniques from mother to daughter.
Once she returned to the U.S. wearing her Maasai jewelry, she said she was overwhelmed with the amount of people asking where she got them.
“I have been buying different clothing, jewelry, shoes and home items from Kenya since we started going,” Jones said. “Every time I wear something or someone comes to our home, the compliments flow. I even began to sell a few of the items to friends. I really love and have a connection to the bright African colors and rich African fabrics, so I began to think, ‘Why not start a business selling here in Birmingham?’”
Maasai pieces are significant because each bead color is representative of the tribe’s culture and values, telling a story of the wearer’s heritage. For instance, Jones said orange represents hospitality while blue represents God or the sky. The items Jones has brought home with her “reminds us of Africa and the people. It allows us to have a little bit of the culture we love with us even when we’re not there.”
“The Maasai and African people in general have such a joy and warmth about them. They have such a giving and hospitable spirit that it spills over into what they adorn themselves with and in the patterns of the fabrics that they dress in as well as their smiles,” Jones said. “We hope to introduce this feeling and way of being to our customers in the U.S. by acquiring pieces that convey this feeling in a unique, elegant and chic way.”
Like the Maasai, Jones said she is somewhat of a nomad herself. Originally from Louisiana, she moved to Birmingham from Indiana to work as a pediatrician at Christ Health Center in Woodlawn. Now, she runs Maasai Chic exclusively while taking care of her five children, while her husband works as an emergency medical physician at Grandview Medical Center.
Jones stressed the importance of buying fair-trade products directly from Africa. They started with only Kenyan artisans, but now carry Ghanaian and Ugandan products as well.
“We are hoping to expand to as many countries in Africa as we can because each country has a unique way of approaching fashion,” she said. “We only want to buy from artisans in Africa because we want to make sure that we are getting authentic, handmade goods. We also love that we are providing income for the women and men who make these goods directly so that we can have the biggest possible impact for them, their families and their villages.”
Setting up shop in the U.S. is important to Jones because she said it brings culture and awareness to people who might otherwise be unaware of the work of African artisans.
“When we sell our products locally, everyone benefits. We can provide a unique product line to customers that would not otherwise have access to it. We also can see our customers enjoy our product firsthand, which is a joy for us,” she said.
“With each item that we sell, we include a card that we make with a picture of the maker and information about them,” Jones said. “We feel that this will give the buyer a connection with their purchase and also make them feel good about knowing how they are impacting a specific person’s life with their purchase.”
Jones said she also discourages buying mass-produced goods at cheaper prices elsewhere.
“To us, it takes the soul out of the item. You also don’t get the intricacies and nuances that you would in individually sourced and handmade authentic African goods,” she said. “The African people are so innovative and ingenious at making things by hand using centuries-old methods because that is the way it has always been done.”
Jones said the sellers she works with also have little impact on the environment and work diligently to eliminate wastefulness in creating their products.
“African artisans have limited tools and resources. They make things the way they do out of necessity. There is no such thing as mass producing these goods by the thousands at a time,” she said. “They use every part of the plant, animal, tree and don’t waste anything. Their methods are also sustainable and easy on the environment because they are not using heavy machinery and harsh chemicals to make these products.”
The Joneses said they are excited to introduce new collections to Birmingham. They also hope to soon start donating a portion of their profits to charity organizations in Africa, although several of their artisans already do this through their businesses.
“We are working with an artisan in Ghana on our summer clothing and head wrap line for women,” Jones said. “We chose all of the fabrics and designs. They are exclusive to Maasai Chic and are not available anywhere else.”
Birmingham’s diversity has helped Maasai Chic since it’s already accepting of many different cultures, offering different cuisines and fashions from local businesses, she said.
“The world does not seem like such a large and intimidating place if we can bring other cultures and their food, fashion and traditions home to wear we live,” Jones said. “When we make it a point to expose ourselves and our children to different people groups and cultures, the world gets smaller, and we begin to see that humans have more in common than we think.”
Massai Chic
Email: maasaichic1@gmail.com
Website: maasai-chic.com
Instagram: @maasaichic1
Facebook: Maasai Chic