A fusion of stories, culture and heritage, JON WESLÈ encourages women to explore beyond one’s cultural milieu.
A
CELEBRATION
OF ARTISANAL CRAFT
Genuine Bolga baskets or ‘tehei’ are woven by the indigenous Gurune people, around the town of Bolgatanga, the craft centre of Northern Ghana. Each JON WESLÈ piece embodies artisanal flourish and incorporates generational knowledge at every stage of production. We contemporise these living traditions for the modern woman, which are overseen by our founder’s creative-director family members who ensure the respectful interpretation of North Ghana’s regional craft.
Farming in the region can be precarious due to poor soil, erratic rainfall and harsh conditions, thus handicraft activities, such as basket weaving, leatherwork and pottery supplement farmers’ incomes. Mostly performed by women, each Bolga basket is hand woven from elephant grass (veta vera) and is finished with a goat leather handle sourced from the leading local Ghanain supplier, which is then finished in Sydney, Australia. A round Bolga basket has over 25,000 knots and can take a week to create after splitting, twisting and dyeing the straw materials by hand. Luxurious by virtue of the labour involved, JON WESLÈ resides at the intersection of fashion and charitable cause.
Singing while they work, our artisans weave literal joy into every piece, so you too may carry our bags with aplomb. We value personal touch and family involvement and place emphasis on fair trade, ethical and artisanal practices. This fusion of stories, culture and heritage is woven into each JON WESLÈ piece; each intricate knot forming the bag’s fabric that will become part of your own personal history.