In partnership with Oregon and California based designers, the transnational jewelry company Nakate has released four unique lines for Fall 2011. The Portland based company supports female artisans in the third world through buying their goods at a rate higher than the market price, and seeks to bring attention to cultural, religious and economic issues surrounding individual women through bringing their designs, and their stories, with them, to the fashion industry’s forefront.

This fall is the company’s first time releasing several lines at once. Their designs feature boldly colored pieces imported from Kakooge, Uganda, along with pieces with hand-crafted additions from Portland based designers Andrea Angell and Jamieson Diemer, and California based designer Selena Martino. Nakate's jewelry is primarily comprised of eco-friendly materials.


Nakate launched its first line in January of 2011. Recent graduate Shanley Knox founded the company after spending an extended period of time reporting on AIDS in Kakooge. The company supports over thirty Ugandan artisans, and has plans to expand their client base in rural Uganda.

“Our goal at Nakate is to partner with designers that have not been brought into the fashion industry because of their rural location or the state of their country’s economy,” Knox said. “We want to bridge the gap.”

Knox will return to Uganda in November where she said she plans to work with artisans individually, helping them to understand the importance of exactness and quality in their product, as well as financial management of the salary Nakate is providing to them.

The company’s fall line focuses on shades of turquoise, orange and brown, colors Knox said are not only chic for fall, but celebrate the vibrant culture their pieces come from.

Nakate’s fall line can be found online at nakateproject.com, as well as in boutiques in Portland, Sacramento and Los Angeles.