12 shops you need to visit for Christmas

The second location of the La Maison emporium.Keep an eye out for exhibitions too (sign up to the digital mailing list), especially if Ghanaian artists are involved.A design-savvy edit of home accessories, furnishings, art and decorative items can be found inside this vast and airy space, curated by Nada Moukarzel.

Elle Lokko is a one-of-a-kind concept space situated in the picturesque Lokko Road in downtown Osu, Accra, dedicated to the needs of the modern woman while promoting exclusive Made in Africa brands by young creatives and entrepreneurs.
List of brands currently stocked
Clothes: Osei Duro, I am Isigo, Raffia   Jewellery: Joansu, Osei Duro, elle lokko   Shoes: Monaa   Accessories: Anago Bags   Beauty: Skin Gourmet, Pop Organics, Bio Beauty bar

This high-design store is a sophisticated shopping venue where ladies with an eye for the stylish things in life can browse premium clothing and accessories. Christie Brown specialises in incorporating African prints into wearable high-street trends. Think statement jewellery, business chic and cocktail elegance.

This luxury art boutique set up by Kukua Ampah has recently opened a branch at the new Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel. Many of the elegant and creative pieces here are bespoke, adapted by Kukua herself, who incorporates the rich cultural influences of West Africa into modern works of art. A key range comprises her elegant metal flowing sculptures, partly polished, partly left to gather the natural colours of metal. Beautiful. A great place for a classy souvenir.

Dutch-owned Vlisco was established in 1846, and has since spread its colourful Dutch wax fabric designs across the world. Like Woodin, it sells clothing and bags, but the appeal is really all about the fabrics, which tend to be louder and more colourful than Woodin’s comparatively muted offerings. Of the two stores, the Accra Mall is the flagship outlet.

A glorious grey metal and geometric glass façade greet you at Untamed Empire in Accra’s leafy Ridge. As if this concept store’s contemporary recycled shipping container architecture wasn’t eye-catching enough, its rails, walls and floors are filled with a myriad of high-end clothing, accessories, art and décor pieces from across the African continent. Featured brands waiting here to tempt you include: 1981, Ann Milinery, Bello Edu, Caven Etomi, Totally Ethink, and others.

Run by the delightful Titi Ademola, this boutique sells dresses, traditional kaftans, bags and shoes. See p51 for an interview with Titi. Titi has demonstrated her prowess on the international stage with bold yet wearable designs that sculpt traditional African designs into confident contemporary styles. 

This wonderful store is run by the NGO Women in Progress. Everything sold here is fairly traded and made in Ghana, mostly by women. The range of goods is a tribute to the creativity of the female co-operatives around the country – there are tote bags made from old flour sacks, home decoration items, even body butter and soaps made from shea. However, it’s the clothes for men, women and children of all ages that are really a pull – most garments use colourful batik designs, tie-dye or prints. If you need presents, come straight here.

The loosely defined borders of Makola Market enclose what might be seen as Accra’s most dynamic commercial hub. It’s certainly one of the most entertaining. Hot, noisy and insistent, it’s an initially bewildering sprawl of kitchenware, jewellery, textiles, shoes and anything else your cedi might conceivably buy, hawked from floors, racks, shelves, ceilings and head-perched baskets. Evangelical bands play on stairwells, clothes-filled alleys channel you down dead-ends, sea snails fill plastic buckets and rainbows of peppers lie in towering heaps. Forget the camera, it’s best to just slip into the flow and enjoy it for what it is – a colourful open-air department store spread over several blocks.

In 1996, Kati Torda established the retail shop, Sun Trade Ltd, in order to promote the local and export sale of beads, jewelry, and handicrafts from Ghana. Sun Trade Beads is known for providing jewellery for traditional and social events (such as outdoorings and weddings), the sponsorship of beauty pageants such as Miss Universe and Miss Ghana.