Nigerian lifestyle brand Hingees is celebrating a remarkable milestone of ten years in business, having grown from a small startup to a comprehensive lifestyle company that champions intentional living through thoughtfully designed products.
A Decade of Growth and Evolution
Founded in 2015 by Hammed Aderoju Okunade, popularly known as 'Goodman', Hingees began with just five T-shirt designs and some leather accessories. Today, the brand has expanded into a full lifestyle catalog that includes apparel, accessories, stationery, drinkware, prints, and travel gear.
During the brand's 10th anniversary celebration in Lagos last weekend, themed 'A Decade of Daring', Okunade revealed that Hingees was born from a desire to create simple, functional products that would bring people together, particularly the young working population.
'The brand name itself is inspired by hinges and their ability to hold things together,' Okunade explained. 'The idea is to create products that could outlast trends, feed purpose, make the mundane feel special and start conversations.'
Beyond Clothing: A Complete Lifestyle Experience
Contrary to popular perception, Hingees is not just a clothing brand but a comprehensive design company. 'Often, people think Hingees is just about clothing – it is actually a design brand,' Okunade clarified.
The brand's philosophy centers on creating products that serve as quiet nudges toward a life that values purpose over noise, progress over perfection, and simplicity over excess. This is reflected in their signature phrases printed on high-quality materials, such as:
- Do more, talk less
- People Matter
- Limitless
- Do it Afraid
- Keep going
- Don't Settle
Sustainability and Local Collaboration
Hingees has maintained a strong commitment to sustainability and supporting local artisans. The brand sources many of its materials locally, including leather from Mushin market in Lagos, and works extensively with Nigerian manufacturers and craftspeople.
'At Hingees we are constantly working towards doing things in a very sustainable way,' Okunade stated. 'For instance, a lot of our leather clothes are made from natural hides. We use full grain cowhide, horsehide, or goatskin.'
The durability of their materials means customers don't need to replace items frequently, thereby reducing carbon footprint. Remarkably, some of the artisans Hingees works with today have been with the brand since its inception ten years ago.
Navigating Challenges in the Nigerian Market
Like many businesses operating in Nigeria, Hingees has faced significant challenges, particularly in sourcing consistent raw materials. Okunade described the Nigerian market as largely informal, making it difficult to maintain product consistency.
'When you go to market to source for things you want for production, a lot of the people in the market don't really have things like catalogs for consistency,' he noted. 'As much as we're learning from suppliers, we also find ourselves trying to educate them as well on having processes.'
Working with artisans in the informal sector has also presented challenges in aligning them with the brand's vision and maintaining consistent quality standards.
Despite these hurdles, Hingees has built a strong community of daring, creative thinkers who carry the brand's message into their daily lives. As the brand enters its second decade, it remains grounded in the same philosophy that started it all: creating well-designed products that encourage people to stay true, keep moving, and live intentionally.
