Our Story

Al Maktoum Goods is owned and operated by Aliou Lo from Senegal, West Africa. Aliou began his life in the USA selling baskets and bowls at flea markets throughout NYC. Aliou has partnered with the AGOWA cooperative to source his beautifully crafted handmade fair trade products. the cooperative was formed in 2014 to empower women in West Africa to be self sufficient by teaching them weaving skills while paying them a livable wage for their work.

In Senegal, basket weaving is a tradition that has been passed down for generations to women in rural villages to generate income. Our handmade baskets are crafted with meticulous attention to detail while respecting the traditional Senegalese Wolof art of weaving.

Our products blend traditional weaving with modern designs to create beautiful storage and décor that is stylish and practical. The baskets are woven from local NDIOROKH (sweet grass) and long strips of recycled plastic traditionally used for making mats. As a result, these products are environmentally friendly and smell great! Weaving the plastic tightly and closely together ensures that the baskets are sturdy, durable and built to last for many years. Some of our largest baskets take over a week to weave.

AGOWA works with more than 100 women across 15 remote villages in Thies.

Each basket is made and then quality checked in Senegal and again when it arrives in the US. We are always working to expand our designs and color combinations so we can continue to offer unique handmade items.

In the fall of 2019 after becoming very popular in the weekend flea markets at PS321 and the Brooklyn museum and at the urging of his customers, Aliou opened a storefront at 417 Seventh Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The store quickly became popular and he was soon flooded with requests to purchase products online. Thus this website was built to serve those who do not live close by.

In May 2023 Aliou moved to the west coast where currently he is Selling at street fairs and in flea markets in the greater Seattle, WA area and online through our this website.

Our number one priority is for each customer to love their purchase and our customer service, so please feel free to give us a call at (646)301-8971 whenever you have any questions or concerns!