Mahogani Collections started off making jewelry in the Detroit area marketplace. Their goal is to open a brick and mortar, but online is where they can be found for now.
The mother daughter team began in Detroit with a unisex jewelry line and then expanded into fashion. Their jewelry was featured on R&B and hip hop stars like Omarion and and Jidenna among others. The line specializes in necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings. Following local fanfare, the mother daughter duo then was invited to London Fashion Week and now the RISE showcase as part of New York Fashion Week next month.
I talk to the mother daughter fashion stronghold of Mahogani Fashions from Detroit about their jewelry line, their fashion lines, and what it takes to prep for NYFW.
Where are you based out of?
Detroit.
What made you decide to start a jewelry line?
Well, we started looking at the reality shows like Love and Hip Hop and Basketball Wives. They started wearing this paparazzi style jewelry. The prices were very expensive, and the earrings were very heavy. So, we tried to make it ourselves. We wanted to start selling jewelry at my job and my daughter’s job and then we started selling at vendor events. So, we decided to keep going. We were featured in our local newspaper, and we started doing fashion shows in Detroit.
Your jewelry line was featured on Omarion, Jidenna, and Rotimi among others. How did this happen?
These artists came through Detroit for a concert, and we met them at a meet and greet and they gave us a shout out. When Jidenna gave us a shout out, our sales did go up.
Why expand your line into clothing in 2019? How difficult or easy was it to complement your jewelry line with fashion?
We always wanted to be fashion designers. We started selling tutus and t-shirts. We wanted to display our jewelry, so we reached out to other fashion designers they had to see what they matched to see with what they had. So, instead we started making our line and worked out well and were featured in Michigan Fashion Week.
How difficult was it to stay above water during Covid?
I started making masks. That’s what really got me comfortable with my sewing machine. I made twenty thousand masks during covid. I mailed out of state. I started before making masks way before they started selling out of them. We had to transition to started making masks to stay above water during Covid.
How important is it to expand the promotion for your line?
Very. Right now, there is a strong promotion. We are headed to New York Fashion Week now. We also did London Fashion Week.
What made you decide to do a unisex jewelry line?
One of my guy friends introduced me to some different styles of bracelets that he wanted to make. He was telling me to look for different stones he liked. Then when he did fashion shoots, the word spread about us.
You create Mens fashions as well. What would you dress me in?
It depends on the show if we are doing streetwear or couture.
How important is the RISE NYFW showcase and what does it take to prepare for a show like this?
A lot of work and sewing. Trial and error. Making more pieces than you will need just in case something goes wrong.
Check out Mahogani Collections at The RISE NYFW Showcase at the 4 PM show on September 6.
