Bulls n Bears Entrepreneurship Zone :: Laura Nyahuye - The startup story of an avant garde Zimbabwean designer challenging existing notions of jewellery design

[Bulls n Bears]

 <http://www.willdale.co.zw/> 


 


 


There is a real sense of drama about the design work of Laura Nyahuye and
her brand, AdornU, who is challenging convention and creating sculptural
adornments for the body that speak volumes for the individuality and
confidence of the wearer. 


LoA chatted to Laura recently about her inspiration and her passion for
story telling through her highly unique sculptural work.

Tell us more about your highly individual company, AdornU

At AdornU, I design and create Body Adornments. Jewellery is a word I
rarely use for the pieces. I normally call them adornments because of their
individuality, size and uniqueness. AdornU portrays a bold and resilient
design concept which tells a story about removing limitations and
challenging how an accessory looks, whilst at the same time creating a sense
of drama for the wearer. Whilst we specialise in ''jewellery'', our pieces
are more like adornments due to their sculptural quality. AdornU uses
medical plastic tubing, metal, wire and up cycles a variety of other source
materials, aiming to create avant garde, highly individual pieces with a raw
edge. All our pieces are handmade and no piece is the same, thus embodying
our 'No Limits, No Boundaries!’ mantra.

 

 

 

 


"AdornU portrays a bold and resilient design concept which tells a story
about removing limitations and challenging how an accessory looks, whilst at
the same time creating a sense of drama for the wearer."


What inspired you to start your company?

After completing my studies in Applied Arts at Coventry University, my
desire was to go on to study art therapy, practicing as a part-time art
therapist whilst running my creative business, AdornU. However, the reality
of financial constraints restricted my plans, and I had to put aside my art
therapy ambitions in the first instance and start-up my creative business,
AdornU, as the first priority. Happily, I have still managed to transfer
therapeutic concepts and elements into to each body adornment piece I create
for AdornU, and I remain very passionate about telling a story through each
of my pieces. 

The inspiration for the brand name, AdornU, is derived from a particular
piece of biblical scripture, which says: “Do not let your adorning be
external, the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewellery or the
clothing you wear ... but let your adorning be the hidden person of the
heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in
sight is very precious’’. My own personal journey in creating each piece is
centred on this verse, thus the name of my brand AdornU, translated as “it’s
inside of you.”

 

 

 



Tweet this....


"I’m thankful for my struggles because without them, l wouldn’t have
stumbled upon my strength."


- Laura Nyahuye, founder of AdornU @LauraSibs

 <http://ctt.ec/Ak8UV> 

What makes your pieces so unique and appeal to the women who buy them?

My pieces are all handcrafted and totally unique - in fact, not one piece
is the same and they are most importantly celebratory pieces. My aim is to
celebrate WOMAN, and to tell a story about the woman within. I want to
remind her of who she is on the inside, perhaps in spite of how the world
perceives her, for example being labelled as the wife, the chief executive,
the mother, the big woman, the small woman, the perfect woman, the good for
nothing woman. The list is endless. Every piece I make has a name, and my
aim is for the pieces I make to personally and intrinsically connect with
the wearer. It is very important to me as a designer for every piece I make
to carry its own message.

Tell us a little about your team

I currently work alone, however I look forward to having a partner one day
soon - as the saying goes, two heads are better than one.

 




 


"My big aspiration is to see AdornU change the lives of women and children
for the better, and to create job opportunities and empower women in any
positive way possible."


 

 

Share a little about your own entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come
from an entrepreneurial background?

>From a very young age, I’ve always had an avid interest in doodling cartoon
characters. However, this stopped when I became a young mom. A few years
into motherhood, I took a short course in interior design. I embarked on a
business of designing, making and selling soft furnishings. Fast forwarding
to 2004, I took up a degree course in applied arts. During this period of my
studies, I had my fare share of challenges - I stumbled and fell, I got up,
I fell again, but once again managed to get up again. My design style and
concept was not initially understood by those who were mentoring me. Despite
this setback, I had an inner conviction that I had found my own personal
niche/design concept.

Yet, despite having what were categorised as ‘good designs’, nothing seemed
to be happening. May I say, a woman can be passionate and have a vision,
however life can bring some packages that might end up distorting that
vision if we allow it to. The amount of challenges and responsibilities that
women have to deal with each day, can unfortunately steal the vision if we
are not careful. Pressure mounts when you are a single mom. For years l got
caught up in the midst of juggling family life with personal struggles. I
went through a phase of compromising my design concept in order to ‘fit into
the commercial category’ - NEVER AGAIN! I felt I was creatively drowning,
going around and around in a vicious circle. The only thing that kept the
small flame of creative and entrepreneurial hope flickering inside of me was
the still small voice that kept saying ‘you didn’t choose this profession,
God put it inside of you’. I was barely hanging by a very thin thread until
one day l had the fortune to be introduced to Pam Samasuwo-Nyawiri, the
Creative Director at VanhuVamwe, an inspirational and innovative accessory
design company, and the founder of 54Faces. What a mentor! 

I’m thankful for my struggles because without them, l wouldn’t have
stumbled upon my strength. My work has a huge connection with my challenges
and I love that! The more pieces I create, the more I understand that
saying: “it doesn’t matter how many times you fall as long as you remember
to get back up again.” Growing up I used to see my mom designing and making
clothes for friends and family. We would go to bed at night and wake up the
next morning to see an amazing new dress. Admittedly, I come from an
academic background, however working for someone as a secretary or as an
accountant has never appealed to me.

What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?

I have a strong desire to see our pieces on the catwalk, to move into the
international marketplace, and to be worn by royalty. I would also like to
creatively collaborate with other designers. My big aspiration is to see
AdornU change the lives of women and children for the better, and to create
job opportunities and empower women in any positive way possible. By God’s
grace, creativity has helped me to find myself in the midst of trying times.
This is why in the future, through AdornU I would like to open a creative
school to empower underprivileged women and children.

 

 




 


"To every woman out there thinking of starting up in business, l says yes
you can! It’s inside of you! Desire is the starting point of all
achievements. Don’t be scared to take more risks when you have a passion."


What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?

The freedom to envision and create with no restrictions - witnessing the
transition from an idea in the mind’s eye, to the physical. I’m always,
always humbled to see the tangible end results.

What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to
start-up?

When l was a little girl, and whenever l fell, my parents would say ‘wow
Laura, look at you - you’ve grown bigger, stronger, taller!’ Yes, l would
shed a few tears initially having fallen, but I would get up again,
genuinely believing that l was stronger, taller and bigger! That taught me
that I should not be afraid to fall.

To every woman out there thinking of starting up in business, l says yes
you can! It’s inside of you! Desire is the starting point of all
achievements. Don’t be scared to take more risks when you have a passion.
Let’s do this!--Lionessofafrica



Laura Nyahuye, founder of  <https://twitter.com/LauraSibs/> AdornU
(Zimbabwe`)

 

 

Invest Wisely!

Bulls n Bears 

 

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