Q&A With Vimeria Jewelry Founder Anna Laskin (Win!)

Established from a passion for connecting sculptural forms in home decor with jewelry, Vimeria is a seasonless jewelry brand created by designer and maker Anna Laskin. Handcrafted from recycled sterling silver in her Vancouver-area studio, each piece embodies fluid, organic shapes that accentuate the wearer. With a cradle-to-cradle approach and minimal environmental impact, Vimeria prioritizes longevity and sustainability. Ukrainian-born and Israeli-raised, Anna’s journey began in Toronto’s jewelry scene before she launched her own brand. In this Q&A, Anna shares insights into her creative process, commitment to sustainability, and her inspiration behind Vimeria’s timeless pieces. —Noa Nichol

Vimeria’s jewelry embodies both artistic expression and sustainability. Can you tell us about your inspiration behind combining sculptural forms found in interior decor with jewelry, and how this shapes your design process?

Art has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I can remember I’ve been making something with my hands, but that never seemed a viable career option. So I finished a degree in Environmental Studies before pursuing a creative path. I always keep in I’m mind the impact that my work has on the planet, and although it’s never a simple solution, I try to keep that a top priority as much as I can. I keep the entire production process in-house, and design pieces with the limitation of what I can produce entirely in the studio. The materials that I do source come from Canadian suppliers. It’s important to me to use locally sourced materials, keep production in house, and re-use what I can. Sculpture, art and interior design have a lot of the same roots, and I love combining worlds and pulling inspiration from different sources to bring into fashion, and jewelry, which I consider small pieces of wearable art. I believe that art essentially takes the viewer to another dimension where they can get lost on the emotions it brings out. That’s a very inspirational concept for me and I try to capture that essence in my jewelry. Creating simple lines and shapes that evoke emotions in the viewer.

Your commitment to sustainability is impressive, with Vimeria adopting a cradle-to-cradle operating model and using recycled sterling silver. What challenges have you faced in maintaining this eco-friendly approach, and how has it influenced your creative decisions?

Thank you. A lot of research has gone into finding the right local suppliers that work with high-quality recycled sterling silver, environmentally friendly FSC certified paper packaging, and finding ways to limit plastic use as much as possible. Keeping production in house, and only using local craftspeople for things that can’t be done in the Viemria studio has been a priority for the brand. Everything from the initial design, mockups, and renders is done in house, but the pouring of metal (casting) and mold-making is done by a local company. As a small business, I love supporting other small businesses in Canada. The raw silver designs are then all polished and turned into wearable jewelry in the studio. This has come with its own set of challenges where it comes to the type of materials are available, and having to create designs that I would like to produce around the materials I can bring in. Working within these parameters however, has provided me with a challenge that I’m excited to be able to solve with my designs. I’m also proud of each piece of jewelry that goes out to a Vimeria customer because they can be sure that the piece of jewelry that down themselves or give as a gift was entirely executed in Canada, with Canadian silver.

With your background in Industrial Design, your designs begin as digital renders before transforming into jewelry. How does your design background influence the precision and artistry of your pieces?

This goes back to the inspiration I take from sculpture and art. Seeing shapes and forms that inspire me, I’m able to translate them into wearable pieces that would look good as jewelry. Having the technical background allows me to map out each design and prototype it before it goes out into the world. It allows me to refine the pieces, and although organic and sculptural, the designs become a stylistic langue of expression. I love being able to look at a design from its artistic appeal, but at the same time to dive in and explore how each part of an unassembled component will look like, and how a piece will all work together. And most importantly how it will look when worn on the body.

You’ve recently relocated to British Columbia after spending much of your life in Toronto. How has this move influenced your creative process and the future direction of Vimeria?

I’ve relocated the brand out west because that is where my personal life took me, but it actually also allowed me to tune into my creativity much more. Setting up base outside of a city setting lets me stay more connected to my own vision and tune into my own direction rather than being distracted by what everyone else is doing. I’m able to pull inspiration from the larger world of design and curate a world that speaks to my design aesthetic and what I envision for the brand. Though my jewelry, I want to create an inspiring world that speaks to the Vimeria customer with its timeless yet modernist appeal.

Any jewelry styling tips for fall/winter, given we’ll be wearing more layers? How about holiday styling tips or gift ideas?

Styling jewelry in the colder months comes with a lot of play thanks to all the layers. I love the Water Petals for winter because pearls are usually a spring summer staple, but the unique sculptural baroque pearls with the contrasting Petal Huggie creates an accent that brings any dark toned winter outfit to life! I find silver is also a great winter staple as it dresses up sweaters so well, especially ring stacks like the flow rings or Opul Ring. Sterling silver makes a great holiday gift as it’s a precious metal that can last a lifetime! But of course staple pieces like the Perous studs, Petal Drops, or the Dulg necklace are a classic option that is unique and times at the same time.

Win! A Pair of $195 Water Pearl Earrings From Vimeria!

One lucky Canadian winner will receive a pair of $195 Water Pearl Earrings from Vimeria! To enter, head over to Instagram, follow @vimeria and @vitadailymedia and make sure to fulfil all the entry rules in the caption of the corresponding contest post. Contest opens October 28, 2024 and closes November 4, 2024. Complete contest rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.