"You’re Not Just Buying a Piece of Jewelry, You’re Buying a Whole Continent" Says Local Designer

The brainchild of Yaa Anima Opare Appiah (also known as Nani), Nani’s Creations uses African materials to produce colorful jewelry and accessories. An engineer by profession, Nani left Ghana in 2014 to study for a master's degree in Beijing. She now juggles running Nani’s Creations – spanning everything from the aforementioned fashion items to African-inspired passport cases, notebooks, tablet cases, and bags – with parenting two small children and working full-time as an environmental engineer.

We spoke to Nani about how she got a start making her eye-catching accessories as well as how she maintains the business alongside being a mother with a full-time job.

How did Nani’s Creations get started?
It started in October 2016. I was conversing with my roommate about what we could do in our spare time because we were studying for our degrees. We decided to start our own businesses on the side while we studied. So while she started a travel blog, I started Nani’s Creations. My roommate named her blog “Marie Magesha,” which is where the name of our latest head wrap collection, Magesha Headwraps, comes from.

I enjoyed sewing, and I had apprenticed at a sewing establishment when I finished my bachelor’s degree so I already knew a bit of sewing. I didn’t want to make clothes because I wasn’t too confident about my cuttings, so I decided to make jewelry. I chose to use jewelry as my niche, and coming from Africa, I decided to use African fabric.

Why did you choose the name “Nani’s Creations?”
Nani is a name my sister used to call me when we were younger. I chose it because it has a ring of sisterly love to it. So, when you see me and call me Nani, I’ll just respond because after all, I’m the Nani behind Nani’s Creations.

Tell me about the first sale you made?
The first items I made were a pair of earrings and a bangle. I had brought the material with me from home to China so that I could show it off to people on the national festivals or something. I didn’t think I would use it to make anything. When I met my first customer, Miatta, she added me to the PUASA (Peking University African Students’ Association) WeChat group, and she helped me market my business, by inviting me to a PUASA event. I went and spoke about who I was and what I did. Nani’s Creations took off from there.

What have been some of Nani’s Creations highlights since beginning in 2016?
In 2017, I came out with two collections, and that really helped me propel my business. By participating in fairs, markets, and cultural festivals, I was able to push my brand name forward. In 2018, I was a part of the Africa Week pitch competition, and I won first place. Last year, Nani’s Creations also won the Pride of Africa award for best community service business.

Another highlight was being commissioned by Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) to be one of the people who makes their official souvenirs for the 2018-2019 cohort; we made customized notebooks. We were also contacted by The Bookworm and asked to partner with them selling our notebooks as well as tablet cases.

What does Nani’s Creations have in store for 2019?
I have just launched my website, allowing people from around the world to purchase my products. They’ll also be able to see which fairs we are participating in and when they subscribe they can see the giveaways and deals. There will be newsletters and blogs about the African fabrics we use. We also want to help people learn about African culture because that’s our mission: to sing the unsung songs of Africa, to show people another side of Africa – that Africa can be beautiful.

What type of material do you use for your creations?
I use fabric from across the continent. Right now, I’m using wax print from all over West Africa. I have material from Angola, and I’m starting a new collection that’s going to feature fabric from Cameroon.

How do you balance being a mother, working full-time, and running a business?
After I get off my 8-to-5 job, I do my Nani’s Creations work. It’s so hard. So, what I do is try to rope in my family. I give the kids scrap fabric to cut, and I let my husband make some parts of the earrings then I finish it off. So, it’s a family affair. It’s also another way of spending time with my family – it’s a profitable time!

What advice would you give to somebody who is contemplating launching a business?
Just go for it. Even if your business doesn’t do well, you still come out with a learning experience, and you learn what to do and what not to do. There are going to be a lot of naysayers but believe in yourself and what you have to offer. Another piece of advice is to never compromise on quality because, in the end, it’s quality that sells. In our business, we put this into practice by refusing to use inferior fabrics.

Who is your typical customer, and what do you think attracts them to your work?
I have found, that although a majority of purchases come from the Black Community in China, the statistics and variance are changing as the internationality of Beijing and China as a whole, grows. This has translated into exposure of the brand to a wider array of communities. 

I think that what makes people fall in love with Nani's Creations, at first sight, is the rich, vibrancy of the colors of the fabrics used. I know for sure that that would attract me if I were on the other side of the table.

How do you feel about people from different ethnic groups wearing Afro-inspired creations like yours?
I believe that cultural appropriation comes into play if you are taking something of importance into one's culture and using it in a derogatory manner. I do not think that someone of another race wearing Afro-inspired jewelry is cultural appropriation if they acknowledge the source or spirit behind those items, take the time to know the history behind it, and all in all, do not downplay the intelligence of the originators or rationale behind how that item came to be.

What distinguishes Nani’s Creations from other brands?
Each piece is unique and truly one of a kind. If I use a piece of fabric to make five pairs of earrings, they won’t be the same because each part of the fabric is different. I can get five different styles from the same piece of material. When you buy from Nani’s Creations, you’re not just buying a piece of jewelry, you’re buying a whole continent, culture, diversity, integrity, and quality. So, it’s not just jewelry, it’s everything.

You can contact Nani via WeChat (ID: Yaa_Anima) or email, or browse her items via her website mynaniscreations.com.

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This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids. Additional reporting by Anna Pellegrin Hartley. 

Photos courtesy of Nani’s Creations