Entrepreneur Moana Luu created a jewelry and lifestyle brand during COVID inspired by and celebrating Creole culture.
Born on the Caribbean Island of Martinique, Moana Luu is an entrepreneur, brand architect, and media expert based in New York. Her jewelry and lifestyle brand ManLuu started during COVID and reimagines contemporary Creole luxury.
Luu says the vision was born from a crisis and because the world changed, she decided to refocus on what was important in life and her legacy.
Inspired by Creole culture, the entrepreneur looked at old family photos from the 1900s and noticed an accumulation of women wearing jewelry. At that time, women could not own land, so they started to collect jewelry and beads to commemorate important moments in life like births and weddings.
Passing down heirloom pieces from generation to generation was a sign of resistance and resilience which Luu incorporates in her Manluu brand.
A defining moment in the Martinican’s career was Cardi B’s pregnancy announcement wearing ManLuu jewelry, crashing Luu’s Shopify website. Her team wasn’t prepared for the high demand that it brought saying, “It was supposed to be peaceful and an exhibit for a book, but now we have demand and we have to create a collection, a full-on collection.”
Luu’s advice for taking control of your life is to become an entrepreneur. “You control your destiny and your family’s destiny,” she says. The 42-year-old only wishes she started entrepreneurship sooner.
Watch the full interview with Moana Luu above.
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