INTERIORS
GNALA TRADING INTRODUCES THE
NEKEIA ARTISAN LEATHER LIGHTING COLLECTION
| BY SOMNATH CHATTERJEE
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gala Trading partners with NeKeia (Keia) McSwain, owner and principal designer at Kimberly along with Cameron Interiors and CEO /president of the Black Interior Designers Network have created a capsule collection of handcut leather lighting designs made in Johannesburg, South Africa. The artisan leather lighting collection is designed by interior designer Keia McSwain and made entirely by hand. The NeKeia Collection for Ngala Trading consists of the NeKeia chandelier, the Nairobi pendant, and the Ndidi wall sconce. In addition to the three lighting designs, McSwain has also created four new leather color offerings: Nile River, Saharan Sunset, Oxblood, and Baobab Tree, which will be offered alongside Ngala Trading’s existing 10 leather color options. The collection is the first designer collaboration for both Ngala Trading and McSwain. Also, this was designed remotely in its entirety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Designing this collection has afforded me the longawaited opportunity to pay homage to a people and land with a phenomenal 401-year-old influence that will never diminish but forever remain inspiring— that being the influence of the Mother Land,” says Keia McSwain. “I am greatly
honored to share in this work with African artisans whose amazing skills in this arena are a gift to the world of design.” “Having just celebrated our fifth anniversary, partnering with a designer who understands the history and background of our company and the products we offer feels serendipitous in its timing,” says Lawson Ricketts, creative director and co-founder of Ngala Trading. “Keia understands, respects, and embraces the stories of our pieces. She shares our desire to bring luxurious African design to North America in a previously-unseen way. This collection is the culmination of our artisans’ skill and passion, along with the incredible design aesthetic and eye for luxury that embodies Keia McSwain.” The NeKeia Collection for Ngala Trading will be available to order online starting July 1. The collection will be on display at Ngala Trading showrooms, located within the New York Design Center and AmericasMart Atlanta.
31 | UPSCALE LIVING MAGAZINE | FALL 2021
