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ABOUT ELUKE

ELUKE (pronounced AY-LUUK-AY) is a lifestyle brand for individuals who value conscious living and are bold by their own definition.

 
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Ranging from women’s and unisex jewelry, statement accessories and artisanal home goods, ELUKE is a treasure trove of beautiful, luxurious objects that transcend the ordinary and invites its passengers on a colorful journey.

We produce our pieces in our Chicago studio and source many of our materials throughout West Africa. Every ELUKE piece is consciously crafted by hand to complement YOUR individuality, anytime and anywhere you choose to present it. With an ELUKE piece, "wear your bold" like an accessory for the world to see.

#WearYourBold


THE Journey

Founded in 2017 by metalsmith, textile artist and recycling enthusiast, Etiti Ayeni, ELUKE is based in Chicago and gains its visual inspiration from Etiti’s West African and American Gullah/Geechee culture.

Originally born in Atlanta, Georgia, she considers herself a nomad - a passenger of life that embraces color, beauty, innovation and equity. Growing up, Etiti recalls being a “painfully shy kid” and struggled to open herself up to others. Creativity was the way she communicated with the world - color, art and fashion was her language. Fostered by her painter and photographer father and spiritual and entrepreneurial mother, Etiti began experimenting with found objects, which transformed into one-of-a-kind adornments.

During and after college, Etiti traveled frequently to West Africa where she scoured markets for fabric that local tailors would otherwise discard. Repurposing these materials for her own work turned into a life-long mission to create, reuse and rebuild.

the identity

Being half American and Nigerian, Etiti uses tactile design as a tool of self-expression and a vehicle to explore the depths of herself and her dual ancestry. ELUKE intentionally confronts identity and how it shapes our human experiences and the ways in which we choose to express our individuality. With that aim in mind, ELUKE aims to navigate cultural settings in a manner that uplifts, educates, and delights.

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THE VALUES

ELUKE believes “ethical is the new luxury” and practices this belief by promoting artisanal traditions, sustainable sourcing, waste reduction, and community-driven economic building.

Aside from the sweat and effort ELUKE’s founder, Etiti Ayeni puts into hand-fabricating each piece herself, as the company expands, ELUKE is committed to employing marginalized craftspeople locally and working with skilled artisans who have specialized training in jewelry fabrication, textile dyeing and other artisanal traditions throughout West Africa. In the face of wasteful over-production and “slash and burn” practices wrought within the industry, our company repurposes such materials and handcrafts each collection in small batches to reduce waste.

 

The Process

ELUKE combines modern and traditional metal-smithing techniques with textiles and other objects to create harmonious pieces of art that can be worn.

Shying away from generic factory produced elements, we incorporate tactile objects like fabric, clay, beads, wire, leather and stones to match the organic uniqueness each of these objects possess. 

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