Today we’d like to introduce you to Raymond Egbo.
Hi Raymond, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Where do I start? Hmm, now that I think deeper into where my journey began, I’d like to say it started with my mother. My mother is a Nigerian immigrant from Edo state. She studied pattern making/dress design in school back home in Nigeria. She always loved fashion and clothing but to find a better life for the future, she came over to America in the late 80s. I was born soon after in Queens, NYC and spent most of my adolescence raised there. Fast forward, at the age of ten, I remember helping my mother get ready for social events and parties. I’d act as her personal consultant/stylist (haha) by adding my input on coordinating bags with shoes, colors of native head-ties with accessories, and anything else in-between. All the years as a youth helping my mother out I didn’t realize where my interest in fashion came from.
It was a no-brainer. My mother was BIG on presentability and carrying yourself with decorum (as many Nigerians strive to do). So this stuck with me innately and it manifested into my creative nature over the years. I always wanted to create something. Whether it was written poetry to mini-comic series or even gluing anime cutouts to cardboard and recreating fight scenes. All of this developed into a passion of expressing myself within fashion. In college, I started to design Perler Bead pins and pendants for students on campus. I also started making accessories for myself to wear. I made accessories like beaded necklaces and bracelets, perler bead pendants on wood talismans and dollar store beanies with crazy glued chains on them. I fell into designing clothing/men’s accessories with a few college mates for a short period of time. We debut the collection at our college and the feedback was stellar. I eventually started to feel disconnected to the project because I wanted to spend my time focusing on something id create for myself. Sometime after, a few friends started to notice the accessories id make for myself and I was encouraged to focus more on making them.
At first, I was a bit apprehensive but a part of me felt there was something missing in the market. I wanted to wear jewelry/accessories that represented my heritage/culture and at the time there wasn’t much of that. Even with that in mind, I still didn’t have a direct vision, how I wanted to structure a brand, create its ethos or even know what kind of jewelry I exactly wanted to make. It wasn’t until the year(s) that afro culture began to see more light. Thanks to the increasing popularity of Afrobeats artists like Ayo Jay, David O and Wizkid on mainstream radio in the states, Africa was becoming a focus and it was happening fast. I wanted to make my impact and be a part of this change. I wanted to represent my heritage and African culture. The way in which I chose to do that was through using jewelry as my medium. I wanted to create a brand that represents the culture in its truest essence not in a generic way. Africa is so rich in culture and history that I know one day my brand will outlive me and carry on to represent as many cultures as it possibly can. I wanted it to be meaningful, precious and luxurious. So I decided to focus on creating the fine jewelry brand, Egbo Collections, that would best complete my mission.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey on the road has been somewhat smooth but a very slow and emotional one. I wouldn’t say that I have direct business struggles on my journey. I would more so direct it towards mental battles, tests of patience, benchmarking peers and some financial struggles that slowed down R&D. I have a very rational outlook on many things in life but this is coupled with faith and passion. So it’s an interesting duality to balance when I could be very critical about myself and the work that I put out and then leaving my path and work in the hands of God. I am elated when things go very well, but then very calculating when I face challenges. This leaves my mind in a constant dance that at times becomes crippling to my work. I am learning day by day to better deal with this challenge. Staying grateful to the grace I’ve been given to create beautiful and meaningful work is what grounds me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a jewelry designer and my focus is on creating pieces of jewelry that encapsulate African culture. My brand, Egbo Collections, mission is to bring forth awareness and appreciation for African culture, heritage and the arts through fine jewelry. By becoming the bridge that connects the African Diaspora to the world, I aspire to create my own legacy. Every collection and piece tells a story by taking root within the richness of African heritage, culture and personal reflections. I am most proud of being able to share a story through my creations. Anyone with interest or connection to the African diaspora could be enlightened to a deeper aspect of Africa all while acquiring an item that could potentially stand the test of time. I love sharing stories through this medium. Not only does a design tell its own story (what you first tell yourself when you see the jewelry) it also has its own origin story (what you then learn of after diving in deeper). I believe what I am doing, connecting the diaspora to the world, truly sets me apart from others within the industry. There are many talented designers that create stunning jewelry but for my culture, for the history that could be shared from many countries in Africa, the representation is low. I am standing to make an impact. Egbo Collections will continue to develop into a mainstay brand that tackles its mission collection by collection.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory has to be the countless times I played outside with my childhood friends. I spent a bunch of time with most of the same kids in my neighborhood in elementary school into middle school. We’d all walk home like a band of goonies stopping at parks to play two-hand touch football or buy snacks from the corner store sharing them with each other. There were many good days just being young and free with friends.
Contact Info:
- Email: egbocollections@gmail.com
- Website: www.egbocollections.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/egbocollections
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/egbocollections
Image Credits:
Kash Photography Omopastorr Little Wolf Collective
