Meet The Designer

Charlene Dunbar

suakoko (SWAH-ko-ko) betty brings joy and authenticity to everyday style. We help women from all backgrounds express themselves with beautifully made pieces that are joyful and easy.Owner and creative director Charlene Dunbar founded suakoko betty because she loved the boldness and authenticity she felt when wearing West African prints and wanted to share that feeling with the world. She was born in Liberia, West Africa and moved to Atlanta when she was 11. As a teenager, she took style lessons from her mom and Liberian church ladies, mixed them with her classic womenswear point of view, and suakoko betty was born. As the designer behind suakoko betty, I personally curate or co-create all our textiles and design them into styles that are effortless, beautifully-made and fit the busy lives of our clients. By partnering with West African batik and tie-dye artists for our handmade textile pieces, we also ensure that they can build a livelihood and sustainable business from their craft. Our pieces are made in small batches with lots of love and attention to detail. Clients always come back and tell us how amazing they feel, how they wore suakoko betty for a big presentation and how many compliments they get when wearing suakoko betty.

About Us

Style options for powerful women are usually bland, cookie-cutter looks that sacrifice ease and personality for trends. Not suakoko betty! We embrace vibrant color and memorable prints that feel good and let your authentic self shine through. We curate or co-create all our textiles and design them in Atlanta, Georgia into looks that are effortless, beautifully-made and fit the everyday lives of our clients. By partnering with West African batik and tie-dye artists for our handmade textile pieces, we also ensure that they can build a livelihood and sustainable business from their craft. Our pieces are made in small batches in Atlanta and Lagos with lots of love and attention to detail. Clients always share stories about how amazing they feel, how they wore suakoko betty for a big presentation and getting tons of compliments when wearing suakoko betty.suakoko betty has been featured in Belk stores and major brand collaborations. Our collection can be found online, at pop-up events and boutiques throughout the Southeast US. We are proud to import authentic hand-dyed African textiles and manufacture our original designs in Nigeria and the metro Atlanta area.