NANA: A Symbol of Community.
The name NANA means "Mother of the Earth", and the pair carries more than a name. She carries a reminder, a philosophy, and a way of being that shaped not just this design, but my entire approach to relationships, growth, and selfhood.
The inspiration for NANA came from a conversation I had four years ago with Maryse, the founder of ASANTII and PINK UBUNTU. We were discussing the Ubuntu philosophy, and she shared a line that quietly stayed with me: “I am not a self-made. I am because someone else is.”
It struck me deeply. In a world that celebrates the self-made narrative, this was a humbling reminder of how interconnected we truly are.
"Life happens through you and for you simultaneously. "
That conversation shifted something in me. I became more intentional with my relationships with the people I call friends, companions, and collaborators. I often say, “We are in each other’s lives because somehow, we are each other’s blessings.”
And that’s the essence of NANA.
The design itself was inspired by the Ubuntu philosophy: Hoops that connect and disconnect, and yet always belong to a whole. Together, they form a community. A visual language that says: “I am because you are. Everything is connected.”
NANA design is a recognition that who we are is shaped, nurtured, and sometimes healed by others. That we do not thrive alone, and that’s not a weakness, it’s a beautiful truth.
This is why NANA holds a foundational place within the NITA Collection, the mother of the earth, the one who grounds the journey of self-love and discovery in the soil of community and connection.
“To love oneself is to recognize the threads that connect us to others.”
Thank you for being part of this journey, one that honors not just selfhood, but togetherness.
With love,
Svetta
