Enyinne Owunwanne

Creative Entrepreneur + Social Media, Marketing and Business Development Strategist + Cultural Curator + Freelance Writer + International Woman of Mystery

Enyinne Owunwanne is Founder and Chief Curator of Heritage1960, a multi-media destination offering curated access to global African fashion, lifestyle, and design. Enyinne's multifaceted career path has successfully lead her from the Pharmaceutical Industry to Wall Street to the Business of Fashion. Enyinne, who is of Nigerian descent, was raised in Kuwait before relocating to New York. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Neuroscience from University of Pennsylvania and a Masters Degree in Global Fashion Management from Fashion Institute of Technology. Enyinne's studies are underscored by graduate study abroad programs in Luxury Goods Marketing at Institute Francais de la Mode in Paris and Manufacturing & Supply Chain Management at Hong Kong Polytech University. Enyinne is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Design Innovation Council. She happily resides between Brooklyn, New York and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT | Columbia University’s Africa Economic Forum, “African Fashion, Creativity, and the Path To Success”  April 14, 2012 - “For decades, African inspired designs, from Yves Saint Laurent’s collection in the 1960s to Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection, have graced the runways of fashion capitals around the world. In recent years, a new breed of designers from the continent who are looking beyond the clichés of the African aesthetic by embracing both traditional and contemporary garments have broken unto the international fashion scene. With glamorous fashion week events sprouting up around the continent, several talented designers are getting media exposure and into retail outlets around the world.  However, there are still a number of challenges in manufacturing and quality control and the local textile industry has suffered from poor government policies and a lack of infrastructure. This illustrious group of panelists will discuss some of the recent trends in the industry and showcase examples of how entrepreneurs are overcoming the difficulties and blazing new trails to success.” Visit the Columbia AEF site here.
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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT | Columbia University’s Africa Economic Forum, “African Fashion, Creativity, and the Path To Success” 

April 14, 2012 - “For decades, African inspired designs, from Yves Saint Laurent’s collection in the 1960s to Burberry’s Spring/Summer 2012 Collection, have graced the runways of fashion capitals around the world. In recent years, a new breed of designers from the continent who are looking beyond the clichés of the African aesthetic by embracing both traditional and contemporary garments have broken unto the international fashion scene. With glamorous fashion week events sprouting up around the continent, several talented designers are getting media exposure and into retail outlets around the world. 

However, there are still a number of challenges in manufacturing and quality control and the local textile industry has suffered from poor government policies and a lack of infrastructure. This illustrious group of panelists will discuss some of the recent trends in the industry and showcase examples of how entrepreneurs are overcoming the difficulties and blazing new trails to success.”

Visit the Columbia AEF site here.

PROFILE | Moda 24, “Enyinne, Zandile, Terence: i dievi blogger africani che raccontano la moda sfidando i limiti del web” September 21, 2012 - Translation: “Enyinne, Zandile, Terence: 10 African bloggers who tell the fashion defying the limits of the web” Continue reading, if you know Italian, here.
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PROFILE | Moda 24, “Enyinne, Zandile, Terence: i dievi blogger africani che raccontano la moda sfidando i limiti del web”

September 21, 2012 - Translation: “Enyinne, Zandile, Terence: 10 African bloggers who tell the fashion defying the limits of the web”

Continue reading, if you know Italian, here.

STREET STYLE | Cultural Toast, “Joy Adaeze and Enyinne Owunwanne’s ARISE African Icons Front Row Style” September 09, 2012 - “Heritage 1960′s Founder and Creative Director Enyinne Owunwanne and stylist/fashion writer of Joy Loves Fashion Joy Adaeze’s front row style at ARISE African Icons Spring 2013 show was inspiring from hair to accessories! I enjoyed the flying birds printed flowy top Enyinne won with a chic tiny blue belt and her gold Fulani earrings! Is the printed shirt the trend of the season?” Continue reading here.
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STREET STYLE | Cultural Toast, “Joy Adaeze and Enyinne Owunwanne’s ARISE African Icons Front Row Style”

September 09, 2012 - “Heritage 1960′s Founder and Creative Director Enyinne Owunwanne and stylist/fashion writer of Joy Loves Fashion Joy Adaeze’s front row style at ARISE African Icons Spring 2013 show was inspiring from hair to accessories! I enjoyed the flying birds printed flowy top Enyinne won with a chic tiny blue belt and her gold Fulani earrings! Is the printed shirt the trend of the season?”

Continue reading here.

QUOTED | Ecouterre, “Is The African Inspired Fashion Trend A Form of Cultural Appropriation?” May 21, 2012 - “It’s important to remember that Africa consists of 54 recognized sovereign states (“countries”), nine territories, and three de facto states with limited recognition. “Within Nigeria, there are hundreds of different tribes, languages, textiles,” Hertage1960′s Owunwanne said.  Not all textiles are created the same, either. “There’s woven, there’s printed, there’s indigo-dyed adire, and these are not even textiles we’re seeing used in a mass, contemporary way,” she added. “People have to get past that surface level and dip into the history and cultural and gain inspiration in different ways, rather than looking at the same things.” Continue reading here.
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QUOTED | Ecouterre, “Is The African Inspired Fashion Trend A Form of Cultural Appropriation?”

May 21, 2012 - “It’s important to remember that Africa consists of 54 recognized sovereign states (“countries”), nine territories, and three de facto states with limited recognition. “Within Nigeria, there are hundreds of different tribes, languages, textiles,” Hertage1960′s Owunwanne said.  Not all textiles are created the same, either. “There’s woven, there’s printed, there’s indigo-dyed adire, and these are not even textiles we’re seeing used in a mass, contemporary way,” she added. “People have to get past that surface level and dip into the history and cultural and gain inspiration in different ways, rather than looking at the same things.”

Continue reading here.

EVENT RECAP | Vogue Italia, “Osahon Akpata” June 15, 2012 - “At Columbia University’s African Economic Forum in mid-April, I organized a panel discussing the emergence of African fashion and its potential to develop internationally recognized fashion brands. Moderated by journalist Lola Ogunnaike, its speakers included Burkinabe model Georgie Badiel, entrepreneur Enyinne Owunwanne, ARISE editor, Helen Jennings and Max Osterweis from New York brand SUNO, which bases its production in Kenya.  The panelists concluded that with the efforts of new African media, a multitude of fashion weeks on the continent and the inclusion ofAfrican-inspired designs by global luxury labels, there is a growing interest around African fashion today.” Continue reading here.
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EVENT RECAP | Vogue Italia, “Osahon Akpata”

June 15, 2012 - “At Columbia University’s African Economic Forum in mid-April, I organized a panel discussing the emergence of African fashion and its potential to develop internationally recognized fashion brands. Moderated by journalist Lola Ogunnaike, its speakers included Burkinabe model Georgie Badiel, entrepreneur Enyinne Owunwanne, ARISE editor, Helen Jennings and Max Osterweis from New York brand SUNO, which bases its production in Kenya. 

The panelists concluded that with the efforts of new African media, a multitude of fashion weeks on the continent and the inclusion ofAfrican-inspired designs by global luxury labels, there is a growing interest around African fashion today.”

Continue reading here.

PROFILE | Guardian, “Top 10 African Fashion Blogs” August 29, 2012 - “Heritage1960 offers both an editorial view of global African style and an e-commerce arm selling a mix of African-produced and inspired brands, including artisanal gems scouted from across the continent by apparel industry maven Enyinne Owunwanne. Pick up pieces from Jewel by Lisa, The Summit and Jamhuri Wear.” Continue reading here. Continue reading here.
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PROFILE | Guardian, “Top 10 African Fashion Blogs”

August 29, 2012 - “Heritage1960 offers both an editorial view of global African style and an e-commerce arm selling a mix of African-produced and inspired brands, including artisanal gems scouted from across the continent by apparel industry maven Enyinne Owunwanne. Pick up pieces from Jewel by Lisa, The Summit and Jamhuri Wear.” Continue reading here.

Continue reading here.

QUOTED | Style.com, “Is Africa Fashion’s Next Big Thing?” May 18, 2012 -  “Until recently, Africa has largely been underserved within the global fashion and design scene, but the continent has always been chock-full of amazingly talented designers and artists,” Owunwanne told Style.com. “It was only a matter of time before the world stage started to give due recognition to the talent stemming from Africa. Diasporan trailblazers such as Duro Olowu and Ozwald Boateng set the stage for an appreciation of African designers. The fashion industry has barely tipped the iceberg with African designers and inspiration coming from the continent, though. There is so much more to discover—this is truly just the beginning!” Continue reading here.
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QUOTED | Style.com, “Is Africa Fashion’s Next Big Thing?”

May 18, 2012 - 

“Until recently, Africa has largely been underserved within the global fashion and design scene, but the continent has always been chock-full of amazingly talented designers and artists,” Owunwanne told Style.com. “It was only a matter of time before the world stage started to give due recognition to the talent stemming from Africa. Diasporan trailblazers such as Duro Olowu and Ozwald Boateng set the stage for an appreciation of African designers. The fashion industry has barely tipped the iceberg with African designers and inspiration coming from the continent, though. There is so much more to discover—this is truly just the beginning!”

Continue reading here.

QUOTED | Business of Fashion, “The Spotlight: LaurenceAirline” August 07, 2012 - “Brands like Laurenceairline help to demonstrate the creativity, practicality and quality of fashion coming from Africa,” says Enyinne Owunwanne, founder and creative director of Heritage 1960, a New York-based e-tailer specialised in fashion and homewares from Africa. “Their strong and unique design perspective, coupled with their ethical approach to manufacturing, is the future of fashion.” Continue reading here.
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QUOTED | Business of Fashion, “The Spotlight: LaurenceAirline”

August 07, 2012 -

“Brands like Laurenceairline help to demonstrate the creativity, practicality and quality of fashion coming from Africa,” says Enyinne Owunwanne, founder and creative director of Heritage 1960, a New York-based e-tailer specialised in fashion and homewares from Africa. “Their strong and unique design perspective, coupled with their ethical approach to manufacturing, is the future of fashion.”

Continue reading here.

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