Launched in 2007, suakoko betty (pronounced SWAH-ko-ko) transforms authentic West African wax and resist-dye prints into dresses and separates that are flattering and current.   

"suakoko" means place of new beginnings  in Kpelle, a West African dialect and is also the name of reknown female warrior-chief in Liberia.  Translation: we bring fresh, lead-don't-follow thinking to African-inspired design.

 suakoko betty is available at the beehive  store located in Atlanta, Georgia. You can also get your "betty" look from our online inventory (S to XL) or by selecting fabric from our design room and providing your measurements. Our tie-dye fabrics are hand-dyed in Liberia and limited quantities of each print means you'll get a unique garment. All garments are hand-made in the USA.

Designer Charlene Bendu Dunbar lived in Atlanta and her hometown, Monrovia, Liberia as a child, so her point-of-view draws from both traditional African and American influences. Charlene has an engineering degree and earned a bachelors degree in Fashion Design from American Intercontinental University in Buckhead.  She has worked with Reco Chapple of House of Chapple and was named the 2010 Designer of the Year by the Liberian Entertainment Awards.