Designer Profile

Carolyn Roumeguere grew up with the Maasai. They instilled in her a sense of shape, color and design from a young age. She used to spend hours sitting with the women under a tree threading beads while her mother, a social anthropologist, spent her life exploring the mysteries of their society. Roumeguere collected beads, rocks and seeds and filled little baskets and boxes with treasures, which she would sometimes turn into necklaces. In her twenties she worked internationally as a model and continued to collect beads and objects from around the world and create necklaces for friends as presents. After a decade she then decided to move in a different direction and collate her childhood memories before she lost them forever, putting pen to paper.

In order to write, Roumeguere returned to Africa, building a hut on the edge of the Mara River. She would spend weeks there, and in order to support herself she put together a collection of necklaces which sparked global interest. This popularity meant that before long she was threading more beads than words.

Living between Europe, America and Kenya, Roumeguere would always return to her childhood playground in Maasai-land to spend a few weeks alone, writing a little and making lots of necklaces in a wide variety of shapes, metals and colors.

Maasai women have a long tradition of making incredible beaded jewelry and Roumeguere works with a group of them, using their techniques while utilizing precious gemstone beads and gold. Everything Roumeguere does relates back to Maasai culture; she and her husband work to keep the culture and environment intact enough to sustain the traditional lifestyle of the Maasai people, building schools, nurseries and providing teachers, nurses and transport for the community. With the women who help to create her necklaces Roumeguere has started a collection of clothing and accessories which provides them with income.

Most recently Roumeguere has found inspiration in Jaipur, fascinated by their timeless tradition of jewelry. In her words "I love taking African pieces like the Dinka warrior s bone rings and having hand-cut Indian diamonds set into them, bringing together the raw beauty Africa has to offer and the subtle and delicate elegance of India".

CoutureLab has a collection of one-off pieces which have all been hand-made by Carolyn Roumeguere in her Maasai land studio.