Okeatta Brown is a trailblazing woman in diversity and inclusion, who has taken her expertise and applied it to interior design and furniture production. An HBCU graduate (Johnson C. Smith University), Brown launched O & Company Interiors last month. Headquartered in Charlotte, her interior design company is headed by all-women including the manufacturer. Having moved around a lot as a child, Okeatta has channeled her story into a business dedicated to helping clients create soulful homes that reflect their culture. Brown created The Victoria Lane Collection, which was created in homage to her mother and great great grandmother.
The Victoria Lane Collection is a custom hand-crafted upholstered furniture collection designed to elevate and create a deep connection to home. O & Company Interiors was born from Brown’s personal quest for high-quality, aesthetically beautiful, soulful décor.
The Victoria Lane Collection honors Okeatta’s mother and grandmother, celebrating the braid as a powerful symbol of strength, beauty, and cultural identity. Brown, a serial entrepreneur and business leader, formed O and Company Interiors because of the importance of entrepreneurship in her family and upbringing and because of the cultural aspect of the soulful décor.
“Entrepreneurship is essential to the strength and resiliency of the African American community,“ says Brown. “When others said, ‘No to us’ we said yes to ourselves and the broader community offering products and services to everyone. It is important to honor our tradition of inclusion and excellence by creating a business that reflects our history and culture while offering a contemporary look and feel for today’s consumers,” adds Brown. An expert in inclusion, she has built a diverse core team made up of mostly women. The Victoria Lane Collection pays homage to the women in her life who made this dream possible.
Women in general and Black women specifically are leading the entrepreneurial revolution, starting more businesses than any other demographic. Brown designed this collection to feature a unique blend of high-quality textiles and thoughtfully designed pieces that bring an approachable yet luxurious aesthetic to any space. Whether in a boutique hotel, in a personal home, or as the “special statement piece” that’s perfect for an interior design project, this collection offers custom, hand-crafted upholstered pieces that elevate any space.
“One of my goals with founding this business is to use all of my knowledge, resources and talents in business and creativity to elevate women in general and Black women specifically, in society and in this industry,” the founder states. “I stand on the shoulders of my mother, great great grandmother and many other women in my life. I hope to be the shoulders for anyone who needs them in this industry.”
The Victoria Lane Collection, will be featured at the world famous High Point Market, April 26-30, 2025.
Learn more about The Victoria Lane Collection at oandcointeriors.com.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on IG @Ntellectual.
