MADE IN KENYA: How Epica Jewellery makes wearable jewellery for fashion enthusiasts

To meet this demand, Sharon Wendo founded Epica Jewellery to make African jewellery with a modern touch, and has since dressed some of the well known names in the entertainment industry in Kenya and beyond.

In 2018, her journey into entrepreneurship began when she joined the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project, a government-led initiative aimed at boosting employment for young Kenyans.

Having learned beadwork, she founded Epica Jewellery to make wearable jewellery to complement the fashion industry in Kenya. 

"I started the brand back in 2018 after doing the program called the Kenya Youth Empowerment Project (KYEP) and I got a 3-month internship where I learnt basic beading. I have always loved fashion, so I was doing a lot of research on beading because I already had the basic skills, and I realised I could do a lot with it," Sharon says.

From body pieces, to chokers, caps and bracelets, Sharon spends tens of hours designing and making the products from beads and thread sourced locally, with the help of her business partner.

Sharon has styled some of the big names in the entertainment industry in Kenya and beyond. She says this has helped to grow her brand and indeed her confidence. 

"Working with artists and celebrities is a good thing for business because it gives you a lot of credibility as a business. The biggest would be Yemi Alade, she wore our pieces during Afro Nation in Puerto Rico a couple of years ago, and also we’ve styled quite a number of local celebrities; we’ve styled your own Yvonne Okwara, we’ve styled Kambua, and quite a number of people," she adds.

Sharon leverages social media to market her products, and her hope is that one day Epica Jewellery will be a continental powerhouse.