Funke Majekodunmi

ARA means wonder or miracle in my native tongue of Yoruba.

ARA Emporium is a concept store that has its own small in-house production team specializing in producing contemporary fashion for women in small quantities using fabrics sourced from different countries around Africa. The idea for the store came from wanting to buy products that were unique and produced locally in a country where European brands have cornered the market with fast fashion and mass production. Our ethos is for all our customers to be able to express themselves in our outfits without following the so called rules and also making items that last in the wardrobe for a long time. We started out in Workshop Newtown Johannesburg and have now moved into a new space in Melville. As a British born Nigeria woman, I have been blessed to live on 3 different continents which definitely defines most of our designs. The most important aspect of ARA Emporium is also giving back to the community by creating employment and using offcuts to create items that we donate to help young women in the community and other creatives.  We also stock hand-made accessories like bags, shoes and earrings from other female African designers in the store. One thing for sure is if you purchase an ARA item you definitely will not be seeing it massed produced. A fearless woman who is not afraid to stand out is the vision of ARA woman.