A new concept store is born in the heart of Wynwood…

by Alix

At the grand opening of their beautiful store, I had the chance to meet with Sophie and Sandra, friends since childhood and hotesses of a unique new place in the heart of the Wynwood District in Miami. It was under the African sun, where they both grew up, that these two designers were inspired to partner in order to pass around their love of this beautiful continent by creating the INIVA concept.

INIVA is not only a chic and trendy place but it’s also a lifestyle education about the African past and present where art, fashion and design mingle. Sophie and Sandra are committed to preserving what they love in  their gorgeous store and  through various actions,for example, this year creating a home fragrance candle INIVA which benefits the “Burkina Boost” association that helps the school reintegration of disadvantaged children. They also participate in the promotion of African artists and support several charities through many products they market.

INIVA is the baby that these two friends carry inside themselves. So the adventure began in 2011 with the opening of the first store INIVA in Port Gentil, Gabon in 2013 and followed by the one in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

And then naturally  they turned their eyes towards Miami,a city that they have known and loved for such a long time. They managed to find a gorgeous space in the heart of the trendy Wynwood District.

Beyond the warm smiles of its two owners, the place is full of products that combine tradition and modernity. The idea is to make fashion useful and also to promote a chic Africa through well-chosen pieces! Sandra and Sophie created their motto “ethnic chic”!