Meet Olayinka Oni-Orisan | Jewelry Designer & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Olayinka Oni-Orisan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Olayinka, what inspires you?
I’m inspired by Nigerian heritage and my parents. Both of my parents were entrepreneurs and their consistency and dedication to their craft and clients is the energy I lean into to push me. My dad is from Lagos and my mom is from Delta state and the fusion of the cultures impact my artistic view on design. Growing up my mom and aunties always wore beautiful bold lace and woven fabrics with and gorgeous jewelry to accessorize their looks. My brand YINKA ORISAN is a collection of handcrafted jewelry and accessories inspired by the art, architecture and culture in Nigeria. My jewelry is influenced by clean lines and bold geometric details found in West African wax fabrics, which she has been surrounded by her entire life, each YINKA ORISAN piece aims to transition seamlessly from trend to trend and season to season.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a jewelry designer it’s such a fulfilling feeling to have people wear my pieces as an everyday piece, to celebrate an accomplishment or highlight a milestone in their life. My introduction to the world of jewelry started when I was a sophomore in high school and I showed my dad an expensive prom dress I wanted to buy for my junior prom the following year. He spoke with my mom and they agreed that neither of them would spend that much money on a dress and he insisted I learn how to do a trade. One weekend he told me that he met a lady who knitted and told her about me and thought it would be a good idea to sign me up for a kitting class. After she taught me the knitting basics, I noted she also had beads and jewelry in her studio and asked he if she could show me how to make a pair of earrings. After the class I told my dad that I like making jewelry and if we could go to Jo-Ann fabric to buy beads and my line AKEYNO was born!

I spent the summer making all kinds of jewelry and reading about the different types of jewelry design. My dad would also bring me back gemstones and beads from Nigeria, so that I could use them to make more jewelry. My mom would also buy beads and have me make custom pieces for her when she would go to events. I started selling my jewelry at church and at school and slowly began to raise money for my prom dress. I created my first website and would also sell my jewelry a different festivals in Baltimore until I went to college at Howard University. While at Howard I would sell my jewelry every month at Blackburn Center and sell every year at Howard Homecoming as well. After graduation, I decided to re-brand and YINKA ORISAN was born.

Today YINKA ORISAN has evolved into a brand that infuses classic style with timeless luxury and AKEYNO is my jewelry collection consists of pieces designed with a minimalist, but bold aesthetic, that is heavily influenced by my Nigerian heritage. I got to where I am in my creative endeavors by focusing on my brand and how I want people to feel when they wear my pieces. Lessons I’ve learned during my creative journey are to focus on your clients and people who support your brand and channel your energy on meeting their needs. I’ve also learned that it’s so important to invest in yourself and your brand. Take classes, learn weekly and re-invest into improving your business operations.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my bestie was visiting me in my home state of Connecticut, on Friday we would he’d to Greenwich to grab lunch at South Bay and catch a ferry to Island Beach to soak up the sun. On Saturday we would have breakfast at The Place to Be in West Hartford and then head to Elizabeth Park for a picnic. Pack our overnight bag and then drive down to Foxwoods Resort & Casino to have dinner at Caputo Trattoria then party at Shrine. Then on Sunday we would head to the Liquid Sunday’s Pool party to end the weekend with goof food and good music.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is dedicated to my mom, Bessey Ikem and dad, Gbolahan Oni-Orisan. Without their endless (tough) love and support my passion for jewelry and love for all things haircare wouldn’t exist. They are the backbone of my entrepreneurial endeavors and have always supported my dreams and projects through the years.

Website: www.yourstrulyyinka.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/yourstrulyyinka

Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/yourstrulyyinka

Image Credits
All photos by: Norman Oates Photography (@noatesphoto)