When you are going somewhere special, or want to remember some place fantastic, or if you want to keep some cherished memories in a special place, or you just may simply want to rock a tote that just screams that you're unique, nevertheless, to do any of the mentioned properly, then you must first know about the sisters of Yemila Urban Nomad. They are covering up everything vintage, and unique with images of travel destinations, colorful dots, and sentimental embellishments. They create beautiful fashions out of vintage suitcases, totes, jewelry boxes, shoes, tees, you name it, and they have done it! We caught up with Morolake and Oronike to chat a bit more about their unique and beautiful creations.

ymib: What does the name “Yemila” mean and what do your names mean?

Yemila: YemiLa is a fusing together of different parts of the owners names – Oronike OnaYEMI and MoroLAke. The idea for the name came to us, as the best ideas often do, as we were speeding down the highway singing show tunes at the top of our lungs. The bags are a mixing together of the different aesthetics, cultural influences, styles and images that we like so we decided to do a similar mix-up with the name. Oronike means “Something to be cared for” and Morolake means “Something to be cherished.” Just like our bags!

ymib: Tell us more about the mediums & techniques you use within your pieces and the process you both take to achieve a finished design?

Yemila: The bags are usually vintage train cases, suitcases, handbags and totes that we find by scouring the dank and dusty back rooms of thrift stores. They get a good scrubbing behind the ears and fussing over, new inside upholstery, and mirrors and other fancy accessories before they’re ready to be covered. We gather images from pictures we’ve taken, magazines pages ripped up and reassembled or anywhere else someone with an eye for beauty has left where we can grab it. We apply the images to the bags using a clear drying adhesive. Depending on what the bag is saying to us after the images have been applied, we might add hand painted dots, lines, swiggles, etc. After that it’s off the to acrylic bath where they get coated and then coated again and then coated again to help keep them waterproof and beautiful for years to come!ymib: How long does an average luggage piece take to do?

Yemila: Whew, that’s a good question. Normally a bag takes a solid week to complete but sometimes, when the Wiz is playing and the light is all golden coming in from the window and something’s smelling good on the stove, we can get a bag done in a day or two. Then there are times when all the women in the house are PMS’ing something awful and the heat isn’t working and my day job is getting on my nerves and it takes me a good two weeks to even get the darn thing upholstered. It’s a labor of love, and like love, totally unpredictable.

ymib: How would you both like to see “Yemila” grow...any specific goals for the line?

Yemila: Well we’re hoping to get discovered walking through the mall by some talent scout that sees how beautiful we are and whisk us away to Paris to model and . . . wait a minute, that’s our secret plan. Our out loud plan is to re-launch our website in 07 with a full accessories line that includes spray painted/collaged bags, t-shirts and jewelry. We are throwing into the mix our eldest sister Tomi, fashion designer to such stars as Alicia Keys and 50 Cents and adding some national boutiques to the YemiLa family.

ymib: You have both traveled around the world, so could you share with us one of the most memorable places that you have visited and why?

Yemila: I think we would both agree that Cuba was one of the most wonderful places we’ve ever been. Ironically enough coming from two businesswomen, we found the lack of constant advertising/capitalist propaganda refreshing and liberating. The streets were crowded and dirty, but the people were open hearted and generous. In fact, complete strangers pulled us off the street and filled us with food and liquor, danced us around until we were dizzy with delight and then sent us to our beds all warm and fuzzy inside.

ymib: How do you want someone who purchases your pieces to feel when carrying your totes around or when using any of your other designs?

Yemila: It’s our hope that they feel connected to a larger web of sophisticated urban dwellers the world over. If they find themselves doing a little salsa step, craving Ethiopian food, braiding their hair in a complicated Senegalese pattern, mismatching their colors and prints, then we’ve done our job. ymib: What are some current projects that you are all working on now?

Yemila: Morolake is working on the time consuming and costly project called getting her college degree. We pray it will be done by June 07 so her family can stop eating canned tuna and white rice for dinner every night. Oronike is running the graphic design studio, Diamond Lounge Creative and administering the international artist collective, Taller Portobelo Norte, both of which you can find by adding a .com behind their name. They are both working on mastering the airbrush for the next YemiLa Urban Nomad line which is going to be, if I do say so myself, out of this world. That is, as soon as they can figure out how to turn the darn airbrush on (Curses, you Japanese instructions!)

ymib: Whats the oddest thing that you have “covered” that you just love?

Yemila: Sneakers, sneakers, sneakers! We were in the Sneaker Pimps tour that traveled the country. They sent us two pair of plain white Nike’s that we redid with images and paint. They were beautiful and way to big for our feet and we never got them back. Sneaker Pimps, call me! ymib: Any favorite vintage shops or boutiques?

Yemila: The Goodwill and Value Village are always favorites. Not just because we lived there as children but because you can always find some God awful gold sequin dress that would make the perfect bag interior. Oh, and when you put on a Jakee-from-227-80’s-dress with shoulder pads and ruffles someone is always bound to yell out, “Girl, you’re wearing that dress.” Priceless.

Want to see more of Yemila Urban Nomad, then visit their website at: www.yemila.com