ABOUT US

The MAKENA story

MAKENA is far more than a name: it is a promise.

The name comes from the Kikuyu of Kenya, where it is sometimes carried by men as well as women. It means "the one who brings happiness". Its softness and its symbolism resonate within the African diaspora, and they carry the spirit of the brand: jewellery charged with a positive, sincere energy.

The founder is Kenyan. In creating MAKENA, she wanted to honour her roots and pass on what her culture gave her. She turned first to Maasai heritage — the people of Kenya and Tanzania whose colourful adornments are recognisable among all others. Then to the baya, the beaded piece worn around the hips, found across several regions of Africa and in East Africa in particular.

One is a people, the other a piece of jewellery. MAKENA does not confuse the two: from the Maasai it borrows a language of colour, from the baya a gesture that has accompanied women for generations.

Our values

MAKENA rests on three pillars.

Integrity: a respect for cultures and their history that is not up for negotiation.

Sharing: passing on knowledge, inspiration and energy, beyond borders.

Confidence: offering, in every piece, something that calms, that strengthens, and that reconnects you to yourself.

The MAKENA mission

Every MAKENA piece connects a heritage to a personal energy.

Drawing on her roots and her taste for other cultures, the founder built a brand that celebrates African traditions while speaking to the whole world.

MAKENA, the one who brings happiness, wants to give every woman — and more widely, everyone — what they need to reconnect with their story, grow in assurance, and show themselves as they are.