About Us
About us
Responsible Luxury: From Africa to the World
We’re sharing our stories with the world, through craft. Meticulous craftsmanship sits at the heart of our leather accessories brand, as well as sustainability, by way of responsible sourcing, fair trade and seasonless styles – designed to never leave fashion.
About the Designer
Morin Obaweya charted an unexpected course to the fashion industry. Always interested in science and the arts, her first career was that of an executive pharmacist before moving on to co-found an art décor and gifts company with her husband in 1992. Serving as curator and promoter of indigenous arts and crafts, her first exhibition – held in late 1994, was a nationally-lauded success. Obaweya went on to start Lifestrokes Gallery in 1995, furthering Nigerian and African arts and crafts and organizing exhibitions around the globe – from Cairo to Miami.
In 2013, the curator and contemporary African art collector launched her leather accessories brand, Morin.O Designs in her Lagos atelier. A feature in HuffPost (formerly “The Huffington Post”) gave her international recognition in 2015, and she opened her first store in Lagos two years later. Obaweya received further recognition as the 2018 Ace Awards (Bellafricana) Craftsperson of the Year and through two Fashions Finest Africa nominations that same year- Accessories Designer and Handbag Designer of the Year. She also opened her second store, debuting in the second largest commercial city in Nigeria, Kano.
Obaweya presented Morin.O Designs at both the PROJECT and MAGIC trade shows in Las Vegas, USA – proudly supported by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and she’s an alumna of Vital Voices Entrepreneurs in Handcrafts Leadership and Business Development Program(2010) and an alumna of Creative Learning, inc Aid to Artisans Market Readiness Program (2019) held at the NY Now Show.
– ‘Morin.O’ –
