If you haven’t heard of Ọmọlola Jewellery, then get ready to have your world rocked. This is a brand creating beautiful West African inspired jewellery in order to capture “the essence of the quintessential Black beauty wherever they are in the world”. We had a chat with Ope, one half of the sister duo that founded the brand and learned a bit more about them, their inspirations and where they would like to go next.
1. When did you launch the brand and what inspired you?
We launched Omolola in 2018 and we are inspired by our West African heritage.
2. What does Ọmọlola mean?
It means ‘child is wealth’ in Yoruba and this is the name of our princess, Omolola, our cat.
3. How would you describe what the brand stands for?
We stand for the beauty and wealth of West African cultures, heritage and art.
4. Can you tell us more about your upbringing and how this heritage shaped you?
Growing up, we were fascinated by our traditional jewellery which were passed to us by our Grandmother. The beauty of this heritage reminded us of home and who we are. We are very proud of our Yoruba-Ondo heritage and our rich lineage of strong entrepreneurial women.
5. How do you think being of the diaspora has affected your cultural identity?
Being in the West, we were taught explicitly and implicitly that to be African, Nigerian in particular, was not desirable. However, we always felt that this was silly. We do not have to prove ourselves like Chinua Achebe said. Instead, we want to share the beauty of our culture with others like us, contributing to building bridges of unity and community across the diasporas.
6. Why do you think it is important to offer afrocentric jewellery?
It is important because we want to be seen and represented in what we wear.
7. What do you enjoy doing the most within the business?
I enjoy naming the jewellery, giving our pieces West African and diasporic names gives us so much joy because it means that our people feel seen. We also enjoy creating and curating our pieces, it is such a fun and nerve-racking process.
8. What impact did Melissa’s Wardrobe endorsing your brand have?
It has amplified our brand. We are really grateful for her generosity. She not only purchased our jewellery, she also shared it on her platform. The impact came at a time when we were struggling financially.
9. What’s next for the brand?
World recognition! haha! We want to continue to reach and serve our community across the world.
10. What do you want your legacy to be?
Contributing to the invigoration of West African jewellery making communities and artisans, and helping Black people to stand taller by contributing to the celebration of African ways of being, knowing and existing.
Keep up to date with the exciting things Ọmọlola are up to through their website, https://www.omololajewellery.com and their Instagram page @omololajewellery.