Behind the Brand: Oma The Label
Jewelry can be such a personal accessory—whether because it’s a family heirloom or simply any piece that symbolizes who you are or how you’re feeling at the moment. So much about what we love about Oma The Label, the NYC-based brand responsible for the two gorgeous gold bracelet options in our fall box, has to do with the story its distinctive pieces tell. And that can be attributed to the designer herself, Neumi Anekhe, who makes sure her heritage remains a visible influence on the collection overall.
Anekhe, who is of Scandinavian and African decent, seamlessly blends aspects of both cultures into Oma’s jewelry and clothing, so they’re equal parts minimal and vibrant. It’s this quality that makes the brand such a perfect fit for our CURATEUR members, and we know you’re going to fall for these pieces and the stories behind them as much as we have!
To give you even more background on these beloved bracelets, we chatted with Anekhe to learn more about the importance of inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry, what sets the brand apart, and much more. Read it all ahead! And if you can’t wait to get your hands on more Oma The Label pieces, head to The Shoppe, where members can also access a few more—for an exclusive discount!
How would you best describe Oma’s aesthetic in just three words?
I would say heritage, intentional, and empowering.
How have you been able to make affordable AND long-lasting pieces?
I think that’s one of the things that was most important to me, because I feel like the consumer is so much smarter now. They know about quality and they’re so much wiser about how they spend their money, so I just really looked for a manufacturer that could meet the price point that I wanted without compromising on quality. I feel like we do live in a time we were can make things more inexpensive and we don’t have to buy the most expensive thing off the rack for it to be a quality piece, so I just took the time when it came to finding a manufacturer that could help me create a product that provided those things: Quality and affordability.
What are some of your biggest design influences?
I think when it comes to Oma, the biggest influences are definitely my cultural background, which is Scandinavian—so I have the Scandi aesthetic, which is more clean lines—and African, which brings more interest to the products and sets it apart. Also the fact that I live in New York, which is such a vibrant city and so fashion-focused. I always have those things in mind when I’m creating the pieces because sometimes if I go with only one cultural inspiration, I might not get as unique of a piece, but if I have those in the forefront of the design, it’s something that helps me a lot. And that goes the brand as a whole, that goes for our social media. It’s a fine line between super exciting and fun with African culture but clean and nice with Scandinavian culture, too.
How do you see your brand evolving in the coming years?
It has evolved a lot lately, due to how things have been, which is amazing. I feel like we’ve seen a lot of progress with the fashion industry as a whole and as a result my brand has seen a lot of progress that I would have maybe seen in the next five years. We are in a lot of retailers that I thought would happen way later down the line. I just want to see it continuing to grow like it is growing now because it is amazing to see that people are more open to the industry being more diverse, and when I think about my brand I can’t help but think of the fashion industry as a whole, because that’s what I want to see continue. Of course you want to make more money and want it to grow, but I actually just want the industry to continue progressing and being more knowledgeable and inclusive so that there’s a space for me and other brands like me long term—because it hasn’t always been like that.
Which of your pieces are most in your personal rotation now, and how do you style them?
I feel like I love the more dainty stuff for day to day, and we just updated one of my favorites, which is the Adler. But the Timepiece bracelet is one of my favorites just because it’s such a classic piece and you can stack it with other pieces. I used to wear a watch a lot before and I don’t really that much now. The thing with wearing watches is having that face, but with that removed it makes it less chunky and more timeless and clean, so it’s just easier to use.
Then the Haddy ring, which I’m wearing now. It’s chunkier but it’s a classic dome ring. I’ve become so much better at rotating pieces more, which is fun because it’s a less expensive way to spice up an outfit or it could be more sustainable—just changing your accessories instead of buying new clothes all the time.
Tell us about the bracelets you can choose from for this curation— what made you and Rachel choose them?
We thought they should be dynamic pieces that you could use for different occasions, so you could dress them up, dress them down. But we also wanted something unique and the Timepiece bracelet and Abuja are some of our most unique. I think in the market most people haven’t seen bracelets like those. But then you still want it to be clean and timeless. Both of those bracelets are perfect for that. It’s always nice for a box like this, for the CURATEUR girl to be able to have something that’s a bestseller on the Oma site and those two are definitely bestsellers!