In 2009 Femi Olayebi—the founder, CEO, CCO and designer of FemiHandbags—was making her way through Italy by train. There as a visitor of the international trade shows, including Lineapelle Milano, MIPEL, and MICAM, she had with her one of the colorful bags she had created. A woman and man were sitting not too far away and chatting to one another for most of the ride but just before disembarking, the woman approached her to inquire about the colorful purse sitting atop Olayebi’s lap. She wanted to know what brand was behind it. When Olayebi responded with a simple “me”, the woman looked at her curiously and said, “Who are you?”

A self-taught entrepreneur, Olayebi laughs heartily when she recalls this story over a phone call with Industrie Africa. “I suppose she was expecting to hear me respond with one of the big brands. I said to her, ‘My name is Femi and I’m nobody’ to which she responded that I just had to participate in Pure London. When she said that I pretended that I knew what Pure London was,” the designer continues, letting out another chuckle at the memory. The woman gave her card to Olayebi, promising to try and arrange a concession stand for her at United Kingdom's leading fashion trade show. That February, FemiHandbags participated in its first stand-alone foreign exhibition. 

She ultimately found herself at the head of her own handbag company, her perfectionist streak and deeply embedded work ethic serving her well on her and FemiHandbags’ road to success.

Bold, bright, and handcrafted from the finest Italian leather at Olayebi’s factory in Ibadan, FemiHandbags is a luxury leather handbag line that offers a range of showstopping arm-candy inspired by simple, classic shapes and vintage-styled silhouettes. Elements such as whipstitched sides, hand-stitched, rolled handles, and hand sewn straps have become some of the brand’s signature features. There’s also an unabashed confidence to the brand’s artisanal creations, a confidence that it no doubt imparts to its wearer: the color blocking and combination of unexpected shades speak to the brave while the touches of nickel hardware, Aso-Oke (a type of hand-woven cloth created by the Yoruba people of west Africa), and fringe detailing bestow upon them a little fun, movement and cultural significance. The pieces saturated in color, prismatic tones and a vivid color palette have come to form part of the brand’s signature.

Take, for example, their Ameena Midi bag: though its structured, almost rectangular silhouette, and flap closure is that of a classic shoulder-bag, the rainbow stripes and elegant touches of fringe render it anything but basic. Then there’s the brand’s office-ready Aliyah, an eccentric spin on the classic doctor’s bag, whose solid structure and tasteful color combination serve to smarten up everything from work attire to a lunch date look. But when it comes to Olayebi’s favorite, she’s quick to name the FH Maxi-Maxi Tote: available in three different colorways, the oversized bag is primarily made from aso-oke cloth, features leather side panels, and has short, double rolled handles. Despite the size, the tote was expressly designed so its wearer does not carry it over the shoulder, something its designer considers a chic and unique touch. “I’ve always been intrigued with vintage styles and shapes,” explains Olayebi. “I wanted to take a style that could perhaps be considered outdated and transform it into something really modern and wearable.” As for the type of customer she’s designing for, the “Femi Woman” she tells us, that woman knows exactly what she wants and is not afraid to stand out with something that's strong, bold, and captivating.