My obsession with metal: Elizabeth Dankaro's

Her jewellery can be summed up as bold, eclectic and at the same time luxurious and elegant, a balance that is often difficult to maintain.

Additionally, her work has been featured in In Style, Vogue, Cosmo, OK! Magazine, Hello, and Los Angeles Magazine, a feat most designers can only dream of.

Celebrities like Halle Berry, Thandie Newton, Mary J Blige, Paris Hilton and Janet Jackson have won her work, but Nigeria born Elizabeth Dankaro is no uppity Los Angeles girl; she is down to earth and has a big heart and gift to create beautiful jewellery.

While some people know from the moment they are born what their destiny will entail, others fall into their calling by mistake, more like a game of chances, which is exactly what happened to Tata, who is currently hitting international waves with her jewellery.

Although she was always drawn to the arts from a young age, and even ended up studying Industrial Design/Graphic Arts at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, and then later Graphic designs at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), it was not until she was forced by circumstances to take up a job as a jewellery assistant that she discovered her purpose in life.

Big break

“After I graduated in 1996, I found it difficult to find a job, all the available jobs seemed to want experience, which I didn’t have. Interestingly, the only job I could get was as a beader for Wendy Brigode in 1996, and I ended up working for her for the next seven years,” she recalls.

Here she got a lot of exposure and learnt how to work with different metals. She also began creating her own personal designs after noticing a gap in the market. She would go out in search of unique jewellery pieces and often return empty handed, and that was what inspired her to start creating jewellery. This marked the beginning of her career in the jewellery design market.

“At the time, I did not know how big it would grow. I would make jewellery and sell it at street fairs for as little as seven dollars. I would also sell to friends and family and slowly the order began to expand and at this point, Tebazile was born,” says Elizabeth.

She decided to go at it alone in 2003.

“There is a lot of competition and the fear that everything will not work out haunts you; you tend to easily get frustrated when everything does not happen as fast as you want. When I started, I did not have anyone to help me with orders. I also did not know how to market myself.

I thought the only way to penetrate the market and make a name for myself was through celebrities. I would give them my jewellery for free, but it become too much of a hustle. I knew time was nigh to change my strategy,” she adds.

Elizabeth got her first huge break in 2004 when her jewellery was featured in InStyle magazine.

“After my jewellery appeared in the magazine, I got so many orders. At that time, I only had an assistant who helped me with the beading while I did everything else. It was a very busy time for me. I would be up very early and work until very late in the night,” says Elizabeth.

 However, the hype and exposure would only last for a while as a new issue of the magazine followed with a new list of designers.

 “As a designer, you cannot rely only magazines only. You need to work hard and create your fan base. When I got my first magazine appearance, it was an exciting time and I got so many orders. Soon after, things quietened down. At first I thought the only way I could grow my business was through appearances in magazines, but I now realise that being featured is good, but it is more important to work on creating your brand and let your work speak for itself,” says Elizabeth.

God’s inspiration

Los Angeles lures great design talent from around the world, especially when it comes to jewellery, but what makes Elizabeth’s designs stand out is her approach. She mixes utilitarian chic with her African influence to create exquisite modern jewellery.

Her jewellery incorporates her passion for bold chunky stones with vibrant colours and metals that have clean lines, a combination that mirrors her roots in graphic design.

“I love to use gems from diverse places like China, India and Brazil. Turquoise onyx and a variety of agate, are signature elements often found woven throughout my collection, with accents of wood or leather,” says Elizabeth.

Elizabeth’s eye for designing unique and wearable pieces has led to a jewellery line that is highly sought after in Africa, Europe and the United States.

 In 2010, she launched her company’s first showroom in Accra, Ghana and was commissioned to design and create,  both  the Miss Nigeria and Miss Ghana, pageant crowns. Her products have also been featured at the prestigious South African Fashion week. She has consistently featured in International magazines.

And like every artist needs a source of inspiration, Elizabeth says her inspiration is God.

“Whenever I am designing a new line and I do it on my own, I always get a creative block, but once I go and rest in God’s presence, everything just falls in place. You can be gifted but gifts can only take you to a certain point but God can take you all the way. I got saved in my high school days, but in the last three years, I discovered Him afresh. It has been a real walk with God,” says Elizabeth. 

Plan for kenya

How does she describe her designs? “Tebazile is Elizabeth spelt backwards, and the essence of Tebazile is the reflection of the strength in God’s female expression. This is the ability to exceed old boundaries of defined beauty, without giving offence, rather establishing a strong desire in others to explore till they find their full potential. It is for the assertive woman, who seeks a level of quality, sophistication with soul and individuality.”

Elizabeth was once married, but it did not work.

“The end of a marriage is difficult to deal with and women who go through divorce or separation often feel like failures. I have reached a point in my life where I am at peace. Marriage is a wonderful institution and who knows, maybe one day it may happen for me again, but I am at a place where I am complete in God. If marriage does not happen again, I am still okay,” says Elizabeth.

What is her plan for Kenya? “My plan is to show the beauty of Tebazille. I officially launched my jewellery line in Kenya in  September at Sankara, and it is now available at Mimi Collection.