The Spring Collection, through Our CEO's Eyes
Even though it may not feel like it, spring is in full bloom here at Vi Bella! Our Spring 2020 line launched this week and everywhere I look, I see soft colors of peach, green, and blue. The skills our artisans have mastered are truly impressive and I marvel at how far they’ve come. Many of our artisans had never followed a pattern before they came to work for us and now they are handcrafting a detailed pair of beaded earrings with ease.
I felt it would be nice to share a little insight from our design team on the inspiration for our line. Elizabeth Davelaar, our talented Sewn Goods Designer, shares, “Natural elements and soft colors are very on-trend this coming season and I drew off that for the bag collection. Sustainability in design is the direction that the industry is going and I am glad to be able to use sustainably-sourced materials that are making a difference. It is our goal to eliminate materials going into landfills, so many of our bags feature recycled polyester which is made from plastic bottles collected in Haiti.”
We are excited to expand our home goods line with a new product offering; artisan-sewn pillow cases. We have recently hired a new sewing team in Mexico and they are busy refining their new skills on our pillows and scrunchies. We are quite pleased with their sewing abilities already!
Emie Andrulewich, our lead Jewelry Designer, shares that she leaned towards a natural feel and organic theme with the spring jewelry designs. “The jewelry collection is very neutral and versatile, making each accessory easy to pair with many different outfits,” Emie shares. She was happy to report that our artisans excelled on a new beading technique for the Hannah, Justine and Mikaela earrings. This strong, versatile bead weaving stitch is an off-loom technique that looks just like beadwork woven on a loom. Artisans follow a design, and weave it with Delica beads or seed beads to make intricate, lightweight jewelry. They also have continued refining their resin skills in the Clementine and Ida Earrings. Our resin jewelry is made of non-toxic epoxy resin that is carefully mixed with colorants and poured into jewelry bezels. When hardened, it takes on the look of enamel or porcelain. We've added on-trend colors to our resin collection to keep things fresh for this season.
It is our great joy to watch our artisans step up to a challenge and succeed. I am reminded of Philippians 4:13; “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” God certainly is present with our artisans, giving them strength and empowering them to lead more beautiful lives. If you feel compelled to get involved with the Vi Bella Movement, you can support our artisans by shopping the Spring Collection, or by donating to our sister non-profit, Vi Bella Serves. Thank you for your important part in this empowerment circle.