Words from our Founder

"I started Maison Motema because I believe that true luxury is rooted in intention. Each piece is designed for women moving through the world with confidence, carrying not just what they need, but who they are becoming.

Our bags are imagined in New York and brought to life by master artisans in Senegal, whose craftsmanship, heritage, and hands shape every detail. Through each creation, we honor their work, their stories, and the women who carry them forward. Thank you for being here."

Maison Motema is a luxury house shaped between New York, Dakar and Paris, where modern design meets exceptional craftsmanship.

Rooted in a pursuit of excellence, the Maison brings together contemporary silhouettes, rare materials and the savoir-faire of our Dakar atelier to create pieces of character, distinction and enduring beauty.

New York brings the energy and modernity. Dakar, the wisdom, the hands, heritage and savoir-faire. Paris, the language and tradition of luxury. Together, these worlds define Maison Motema: a house with its own point of view, where craftsmanship is elevated through contemporary design.

Every piece is conceived with intention and made slowly, with an uncompromising attention to construction, materials and detail. Our ambition is not simply to make beautiful objects, but to create pieces that are recognizable, desirable and made to endure.

Maison Motema means “House of the Heart.” Motema means heart in Lingala—a name that reflects what remains at the center of the Maison: the people, the hands and the stories behind everything we create.

—Verlaine-Diane Soobroydoo

Founder & Creative Director, Maison Motema

Our Vision

Our Vision is to honor the artisans who shape our craft, and the women who carry our pieces. Shaped between New York, Dakar and Paris, we create leather bags and bronze jewelry meant to last: quality pieces you'll wear for years, not one season.

A house made to endure.

"Our master artisan at work in the Dakar atelier."

Our Atelier, the Art. 

Maison Motema creates handbags and objects defined by sculptural form, exceptional leather and distinctive bronze work in our Dakar Atelier. 

Each piece begins with a study of proportion, material and movement, before being brought to life in our Dakar atelier, where leather is cut, constructed and finished by hand. Our work with bronze extends this language through sculptural hardware developed for the Maison.

We believe luxury begins with the object: how it is conceived, how it is made, how it feels in the hand and how beautifully it lives over time.

In 2025, our founder was invited to share Maison Motema’s vision for sustainable luxury with the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General.  Learn more about our sustainability commitments here.