Donyale Walton wanted to create something that speaks to the culture of women of color, so she started selling jewelry to promote self-expression.
"Hoop Mobb was created for every time you've questioned if your hoops were appropriate. For every room you've walked in and felt the need to water yourself down. And to create a space to encourage you to be exactly who you are, at all times," according to the website's About page.
At Hoop Mobb, you can purchase hypo-allergenic hoop earrings and cuffs. They can be either gold or silver, come in different shapes and sizes, or have unique designs and embellishments. For example, you can find a pair of bamboo hoops, hexagonal ones or hoops shaped like the African continent. Walton, who is the CEO and founder of the business, said the store is open to all women.
Another appealing aspect of the online store is that you can purchase charms for your hoops. You can find champagne bottles with "BOUGIE" engraved in them, Ankh symbols and five other options to add some flair to your hoops. Walton said the charms were designed by Black designers, and hopes for more charms collections in the future.
“These charms reflect our customer’s personalities. One charm... is a sneaker, one is a peace sign, and another embraces curves and curvy women,” she told BlackNews.
The founder said she was inspired to create hoop charms after working in the corporate world. Her background is in fashion, marketing and e-commerce, and she wanted to apply her skills to her own brand.
“I had to adjust to numerous expectations from other people, but those expectations weren’t true to who I am as a Black woman," she said. “I wanted to take everything I learned in the corporate environment, and use it to establish a brand that spoke to who I was,” she says.
If you're interested in checking out the online store, click here.
Photo: Getty Images