Name: Nneka Hurley
Age: 28
Location: Orange, N.J.
Education: B.S. in Marketing from Virginia Commonwealth University
Job Title: Creator and designer of Nneka Saran handbags
What She Does: Nneka designs handbags for women who appreciate being unique, fashionable, and a bit edgy. She describes her collection as arm candy for the trendsetting woman and the fashionista at heart. Nneka also handles the day-to-day aspects of the line.
How She Got Her Gig: Nneka was introduced to the needle and thread at the tender age of 9, making pillows and doll clothes. “It’s kind of something that’s always been a part of me,” she says. For Christmas in 2004, she received a sewing machine from her parents; Nneka began playing around with it until one day, she created a little handbag. Since she thought the bag was cute, she made about 10 more and decided to try selling them. By the next weekend, Nneka had sold them all. “That’s when I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment,” Nneka says.
One-Woman Show: In addition to creating handbags, Nneka also holds a full-time job. Needless to say, her days are pretty busy and hectic. Her workday begins around eight or nine and ends between one and three in the morning. And while she does have some help, she does most of the handbag work herself, including marketing, promotions, filling orders, checking e-mails, creating bags, and updating her sites.
Starstruck: “I think the most memorable moment has been the celebrities I’ve met or [those] that have worn my bag,” says Nneka, whose satchels have been seen on the arms of Vivica A. Fox, Jennifer Lopez, and Eve. To Nneka, one of the best parts of her job is actually seeing someone wear and love something she created. “It’s so surreal to me. Seeing the joy people get from my bags is really amazing to me.”
The Viral Effect: The first time Nneka felt like she really made it was when she was featured on Concrete Loop, a very popular black-entertainment blog. After being highlighted there, she received 8,000–10,000 MySpace hits and 300–400 e-mails. “From that point, I was just like, ‘Whoa.’”
This Job’s for You if: “You are creative, passionate about fashion, and not afraid of working long hours!” Nneka believes that to make it in this industry, you have to be determined, patient, and thick-skinned. She also thinks you have to have faith in your abilities and yourself. “If you’re not confident in yourself and your product, how can anyone else be?”
