If you're sick and tired of winter like we are, sit down, breathe in, and picture yourself in sunny southern Ghana, where temperatures are currently a balmy 80 degrees and maximalist colors and patterns abound. That's where this week's guest, Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, is calling in from—and where she gets her design inspiration for her woven handbag brand AAKS.

We've been long obsessed with the brand, which uses woven rafia to create crossbody bags, totes, and baskets in joyful colors—and has recently branched out into home decor. We sat down with Akosua to talk about how travel, both in Ghana and internationally, has inspired her designs, how she's stayed creative amid the pandemic, and how she navigated the sales boom that came in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder and the Black Lives Matter resurgence last summer.

Read a transcription of the episode here: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/handbag-designer-akosua-afriyie-kumi-on-finding-inspiration-in-ghana-women-who-travel-podcast

Follow Akosua: @a.a.k.s

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Handbag Designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi on Finding Inspiration in Ghana