As we round up National Black Business Month, I wanted to highlight a brand I’ve had the opportunity to work with for a few months. As you all know, I am a jewelry type of girl and I love good sets that you can wear from day to night.
Yes, I used to wear a LOT of costume jewelry back in the day. Honestly, as I’ve gotten older I realize that I need staple pieces that don’t tarnish or wear over time. And no, I’m not saying that you need to go out and spend a ton of money on new jewelry pieces to look glam. What I AM saying, though, is that it’s worth investing in your jewelry. But if you’re strapped for cash and still want to look good, maybe you’d want to look at a monthly membership.
That’s exactly what Obánj, a Black-owned, female-led sustainable jewelry brand, is doing. You can pick different selections on the site and have it mailed right to your doorway. The best part? You can keep the pieces for as long as you’d like and you’re only paying a fraction of the cost of what the item really costs.
I wanted to spotlight the brand and its owners for this month because, honestly, sustainability is the future of fashion. Read on to learn more about Obánj’s beginnings and check out their site for more info.
What made you want to start Obanj? What are the origins of the brand?
I started my career at 19 as a journalist. I traveled to refugee camps, different villages in East Africa, and spent time with indigenous communities in South America and China. Later, I transitioned to Hollywood where I was surrounded by Black excellence and wealth. I feel deeply honored to have shared space in all these worlds, but I’ve always felt a sense of tension. What does it mean to be a woman who genuinely loves fashion, but also recognizes fashion accounts for 10% of all global carbon emissions? What does it look like to love diamonds, rubies and sapphires while also recognizing the conflict zones these gems are often sourced from?
Obánj is my love-child because it combines my favorite things: luxury fly shit, beautiful Black women, and sustainability. It aligns my aesthetic to my consciousness. On a real tangible level, Black women shape culture and our purchasing power is profound. By shifting how we consume, we can both look good, while doing good.
What are some business challenges you’ve had in the past? How did you navigate them?
COVID was the unexpected beast that rattled many of us in public-facing industries. Obánj is a really new startup, so we were definitely impacted. We had to delay our launch and really scale down our operational plans during all of the lockdowns. While this was challenging, it was also a gift because we had to really hone in on understanding what our customers want. For example, we have an incredibly clear understanding of what our members like (hello Hermés Clic Clacs and Chanel brooches), and we’re currently building out an app that feels really intuitive and is easy to use. Life is tough sometimes, but so am I 😉
What is the future for sustainability? Or for jewelry?
My hope is Obánj is at the forefront of making sustainable fashion cool. I’m kind of a nerd so I love numbers and statistics. According to McKinsey & Company, adopting a more conscious approach to fashion consumption could contribute 347 million metric tons of emission abatement by 2030.
But, even more than that, my hope is our members feel a sense of our appreciation for every order they receive. Black women work damn hard and we deserve places of refuge, ease, and beauty. We also deserve to patron businesses that care for and about our existence. Obánj is being built to be that home for luxury and I’m so excited for what’s to come.
