INTRODUCING: VANILO

Sisters Vanessa and Valentina Carrillo founded Vanilo to offer their clients a real taste of Colombia, their country of origin and land of their inspiration. Working closely with their family and local artisans, they aspire to support ancient-old techniques, taking the best from the past and combining it with the innovation of the present, while providing outlets for new design talents and creativity. Vanessa took a moment to walk us through the Vanilo vision, introduce their debut collection and reveal their ultimate goal to become a voice of Colombia.

What is your background and why did you choose to collaborate in a jewelry line?

Born and raised in Colombia, my sister and I have always been proud of our country’s skills and beauty, and fascinated by jewelry. Valentina is a lawyer, and I have a degree in International Business. We decided to use our experience in these fields to shine a light on the complementary mix of Colombia’s rich heritage and the effortless style of today’s modern woman who wants to feel beautiful and express her own style. Bringing these forces together, we created Vanilo, which allows us to bring our true passion to life: jewelry.

How does it feel to run a business with your family?

It is amazing! I live and work in London, and Valentina runs the operation in Colombia. Our father, Ruben, is a very talented artist and oversees the design process, translating our initial ideas and developing them into final designs on paper. Our mother and brother, Carmen and Ruben, have both been incredibly supportive, and always pitch in to help us with the finer workings of the business, particularly when we have been sourcing new artists and suppliers across Colombia. Over the pond in London, my husband, Henry, helps me oversee the business, and has been of great support since we launched Vanilo in the UK last year. It is such a joy to share this dream with all of them and have an excuse to be in daily contact, even though we all live in different places. Vanilo is a real family affair!

Tell us a few words about your debut collection, “Sinai.”

A lot of our inspiration comes from the natural world and Colombian tribal cultures, and “Sinai” really brings these elements to life and provides a modern twist on such rich heritage. Each piece is individually made by local artisans, making it truly unique and one of a kind. We like to think of it as “wearable art.” We are so excited to introduce “Sinai” to the world and have already received great interest.

What is the main technique you use in your jewelry?

Filigree. It is an ancient technique bought to Colombia by the Spanish, and has been perfected over centuries by generations of artisans across our country. Its intricacy demands extraordinary manual skills and involves hand-sewing the jewels with a silver or gold thread. It is incredible to watch, and the result is beautiful! We mainly work with artisans from Mompox, a city famous for its talented craftsmanship, where many families have made a living from this art for centuries. In addition to the technique of Filigree, we work with women who are heads of their families in Cundinamarca, and hand-weave our collection of cotton and silk bracelets. These women have an incredible talent with the Egyptian loom! Finally, we have incorporated a few pieces of fine jewelry into Vanilo’s offering. A very skillful fine jeweler in Bogota, Colombia’s capital city, handcrafts these pieces from our designs.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Precious stones are coveted by many women internationally and it is personally one of our favorites too. In a market saturated with dainty pieces, we like to strike a balance between every day wearability and special occasion uniqueness. The diversity, brightness and unique character that production affords our amazing clients keeps us excited and fully committed to Vanilo. We are also passionate about gold; its color, sophistication and elegance are mesmerizing. This precious metal complements everything and it is perfect for any occasion. Colombia is very rich in minerals and has significant amounts of this metal. In ancient Colombia, gold was used to fashion some of the most visually dramatic and sophisticated works of art that have been discovered anywhere in the Americas. Women across the world love gold, and it is something we will use for the life of Vanilo.

Which pieces are the most reflective of your Colombian heritage?

All of our pieces embody different aspects of our country in their own way. The range of raw materials we have chosen to use, from cotton and silk to precious jewels and gold, encapsulate the different landscapes and cultures of Colombia. Also, the people we work with, from powerful women to whole families of craftsmen and fine jewelers, ensure the scope of ancient traditions to modern development is part of each piece. Ensuring that all of our creations each reflect true Colombia has been the intentional concept for Vanilo from the outset.

What made you sensitive to local production?

Colombia is a country with incredibly talented artisans but, sadly, not all of them have the opportunity to showcase their work. Through Vanilo, we saw an opportunity to show the world the amazing skills of our country, and, also, help sustain the work of a lot of families. Being able to contribute to their craft by helping keep traditions alive is one of our main drives. We want to invest in local work and be able to contribute to communities as much as we are able to through Vanilo.

Are there any challenges in ethical production we do not know about?

There are many challenges, and it is always difficult to negotiate the right production price that ensures all people are treated fairly. We are relatively new in the market, but with time to learn, we hope we continue to make our designs as ethical as possible.

What is your ultimate goal for your company?

Our ultimate goal for Vanilo is to be a coveted collection for women across the globe. We want to remain a voice for the people of Colombia, bringing light to their amazing talents in manufacturing and production. We have dreams of opening our own workshop there to guarantee work and income for our artisans, giving them comfortable surroundings to practice their crafts. Once the company is big enough, we also want to develop a charitable arm of the business, through which we can help women and children across the world. We are taking the first steps of Vanilo’s journey but have big ambitions!

For more information and shopping online, visit www.shopvanilo.com. Follow Vanilo on Facebook and Instagram to never miss an update!

Images © Vanilo
Interview by Alexandra Zografou

This post originally appeared on lesassorties.com.