Yumnah Najah | Become the Masterpiece

The journey towards self-love and acceptance is something that we all must embark upon. It allows to venture away from our comfort zone. It invites us to new joyful, gorgeous discoveries about the person in the mirror…join me.

Her stated mission is Confidence.

I adore this, because it is atypical for a designer to have a mission that really has an angle other than visual beauty – let alone one not commonly or directly relating to a non-tangible goal.

 

Yumnah Najah has a unique drive and empathy that combined, will lift her as she continues to flourish artistically and professionally. With the likes of Estelle and models down the runway donning her signature pieces as she also leaves her mark through volunteerism and donations through Yumnah Najah Designs – there is no stopping her.

 

Yumnah discovered this creative endeavor to be her passion as a result of not finding the type of jewelry she was looking for, that represented her need for bold beauty – and substance.

My frustration with not being able to find accessories that spoke to my imagination and my fashion needs. I was on a quest to find bold, unique accessories and couldn’t find anything to match the vision in my head. That’s when I decided to merge my love for art and painting with my love for accessories, and I launched Yumnah Najah Designs …

A step ahead of the game, she graduated from high school a year early so that she could focus on building and framing Yumnah Najah Designs. She ended up doing so and more, following her father’s advice of to her and her six siblings: a career that would allow her to give back to her community in Harlem. Yumnah volunteers with Urban Roots, to encourage local individuals to pursue their entrepreneurial goals as well as The Susan B. Komen Organization through Yumnah Najah Designs contributions.

What is particularly engaging in regards to Yumnah‘s designs is that these pieces are very much like miniature portraits that you can truly and gracefully carry with you. While they have an undoubtedly  distinct look – there is something very universal in their appeal. I think this ties very much into Yumnah‘s process, in that by embracing and celebrating our identity and personal design through our adornment selection and ‘wearing’ – we are in turn opening  ourselves upto being more in tune with ourselves and each other – on both a personal and universal level.

Yumnah handpaints each piece herself – which is quite a feat when you look at the volume of her stock, ensuring that each piece is unique and that the wearer has their own piece of art, handmade for them. She layers the various techniques she learned as a child in addition to what her mentors, who she makes a point to mention and thank, have taught her both artistically and in regards to business building.

“You don’t realize how many people, who are so close to you, have so many talents. A lot of the older women in my neighborhood and a lot of my dad’s friends … helped me.”

Wearable art that illuminates your bold and daring side encouraging you to embrace every stroke of who you are…so you can become the masterpiece you are destined to be.

All images courtesy of Yumnah Najah.