Designer Profile: Saina Creations

Lorna Saina Oloishorua is so bubbly and graceful when you meet her. Only 25 years old, she was just a child when she realized her interest in beading, having been her mother’s apprentice at the time. “I used to watch my mother make the Maasai beaded baskets, belts and bangles. I then learnt from her by practicing once in awhile.”

 

 

 

 

Life’s challenges, which many people face, prompted her to take action and develop her craft bead by bead. “ My late dad was the breadwinner of the family. When he passed away in my first year of university, it was hard for my mother to pay school-fees. I did this all the way through university by selling my jewelry to my fellow students to earn pocket money.”

 

Saina built her network from her time in school, where she was known for her elegant ornaments. As people usually dump their start-up hobbies to fully concentrate on their careers, she ensured that her business ran alongside her first job. Since then, she has been able to embrace digital platforms like facebook and instagram, where she constantly markets her products to most of her clientele.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With this, she has been able to send her creations across the world: the USA, UK, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia and Cameroon.

 

Her clientele is indiscriminatory, where both genders are catered to. She has also ventured into the wedding industry having designed jewelry for a bridal party.

 

For as low as 100 shillings, you can be able to purchase a wide range of products from Saina Creations.

 

From a glance, you can tell that she indeed takes time to create each and every piece. She however explains that she takes a random approach when making her designs. “Each day I wake up, I design anything that comes to mind.”

 

She also custom makes clients’ orders to their expectations. “ I like making my customers stand out and it feels great when you get a positive feedback.”

 

In a world where modernity is slowly washing away authenticity and identity, Saina, who is also Maasai, prefers to stick to her roots. “Doing it more of Maasai or rather African is to appreciate our roots and celebrate our own resources.”

 

A common challenge to many jewelry designers is imitation. Saina creations is not an exception when it comes to this. However, she tries to keep her head above the water by ensuring she retains her customers by appreciating them with discounts and giveaways.

 

She also explained that getting consistent raw materials, especially pearls, is difficult, as the supply keeps on changing in the market.

 

Saina Creations has big dreams. Lorna hopes that her company will transition to an empowerment organization, where she will be able to create employment opportunities to those young and talented, by offering training sessions too. She also hopes to break the boundaries and open up her brand to the rest of the world. This definitely is aligned to her favourite quote, “You hold the success of your future in your hands.”

 

You could visit her sites below to keep up with her trends:

Facebook: Saina Creations