carrying a piece of history… wherever you go
If you’ve noticed that the lady sitting next to you on the bus has a fantastic little leather purse in her lap or if you’ve been distracted in line at the bank by the gorgeous African-print clutch that this woman is holding, you’ve probably been bitten by the même bete… bug – and it’s no import! These eye catching luxury accessories are made by a homegrown Lucian – Mrs. Taribba Joan do Nascimento, founder of même bete… bags, and for now, Taribba is the head craftswoman.
While living in Ethiopia working in international development, Taribba became enamoured with the bright bold patterns of traditional African cloth.
“It really all started after I had my first child. My career was really important to me but I just couldn’t see myself leaving my son at home with a stranger to go back to work”, says Taribba.
She began by buying and selling small bags at a local bazaar, until another bag maker approached her stall.
“He said, ‘wow these are so nice, I would like to see your workshop.’ He was stunned when I told him I had no idea how to sew a bag!” Taribba recalled.
That kind stranger would later become a mentor of sorts, showing Taribba how to buy cloth at the right price (as a foreigner in a strange land), guiding her on the purchase of her first sewing machine and making emergency house calls when she just couldn’t seem to thread her machine right.
“It was easier said than done. Making a leather bag is so labour intensive. You have to glue the bag first before sewing it. It’s a very precise process. I’ve gotten really good at it but I never feel like any of the bags are ever perfect.” Taribba explained.
Perhaps the popularity of the même bete… bags lies in the imperfections of the pure originality. Each one is made of African Dutch wax and Ethiopian leather.
“The high demand for these bags is something I never expected, because they are not cheap. For example, my best seller costs EC$250 but the kinds of women who buy my bags are the ones that appreciate the stories behind every piece of authentic cloth.” Taribba said.
So how did this former diplomat and island scholar end up spending most of her time on a sewing machine? Taribba graduated from Sir Arthur Lewis Community College as an island scholar with the prize in Academic Excellence. She graduated from the University of Toronto with honors in 2001 with a specialisation in English Literature. She began volunteering at Save the Children Canada and eventually found her way to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital.
“Although my background is mostly academic, inside I always had this creative flair and the bottom line is… this makes me happy.” Taribba said.
Taribba cites her mother as one of her strongest supporters: “She never made me feel like I was doing something silly. To stop working and sit and make bags, she never made me feel I was disappointing her. While other family members have had their reservations, she never has. I never allow any negativity to discourage me.”
In fact, même bete… is a bit of a family affair. Taribba’s husband (who she met in Ethiopia) is constantly pushing her to expand and when things are busy, everyone from her mother, her mother’s friends, to the helper and gardener pitch in to make même bete… a success.
The même bete… bags are fashionable and functional. They are not overly ornate or designed, as not to take away from the overwhelming beauty of the African print.
“My inspiration for the bags comes from just wanting to have the kind of pieces that work for me. Sometimes you just wish your bag had a pocket or a zip in a particular place for a certain sized item. Those are the kind of details I think of.” Taribba said of the bags.
The name of the brand même bete… is derived from a Lucian Creole saying which translates to “we’re all the same”. The unique pieces from Taribba’s line, however, are anything but similar, keeping these one-of-a-kind handbags in high demand all year round.
Taribba takes a special enjoyment in describing the stories behind the cloth to her customers when handing over her prized creations.
“These pieces are the real thing! Every African cloth has a different name – a different story. I talk to my customers about how it is dyed, that you can feel the texture or see that it is printed on both sides – which are all key signs of the authenticity.”
It’s a risky move in a market where China has taken over but Taribba says she refuses to ‘water down’ her product: “I try to buy all my cloth in Africa. I get batiks from Ghana, and these are hand dyed, they are not printed. Often the cloth alone costs more than the leather but it’s important for me to offer authentic African products.”
With the Jazz Festival coming up, Taribba is working overtime to produce some new designs to offer music lovers. “A lot of people don’t expect there to be amazing things like this for sale at the Jazz Festival but I’ll be there!” she says with her beaming signature smile.
Her busiest season by far is during Jounen Kweyol, she explained: “It’s all about the outfits! Women want five different bags for every day to match their outfits. So, I mix in the madras with the African cloth and customers are able to get a real piece of history reflected in their accessory.”
With orders pouring in from airports across the Caribbean including Trinidad and Barbados, Taribba knows she may have to step back from the process she loves so much, in order to grow the business.
“That’s kind of what I fear. I never wanted to be just a manager of a business. I went from not knowing anything about sewing bags, to being completely in love with the process.” She said.
“Actually, sitting and making the bags is what I enjoy most, believe it or not. It’s a challenge for me, which I love. It is really hard work but it’s almost therapeutic for me. To come home after my day job and sit at the machine and sew for a few hours is pure joy for me,” Taribba continued.
With the increasing popularity of même bete… bags, Taribba is on the brink of a huge expansion.
“I also do bags for conferences, so there are times when I make 200 bags in six weeks and all of my customers are repeat customers. Once they buy one, they just keep coming back.” Taribba said.
Most customers contact Taribba directly at meme.bete@gmail.com to make an order. But you can also find her bags online at https://www.facebook.com/meme.bete, at St. Lucia airport kiosks or at any craft festival on the island.
