Behind VOONS: Vanessa Campana

How are you doing today? What have you been up to recently?

Recently, I've been working on a styling job and custom orders. I haven't had the most time to work on personal projects for Voons, which sucks because I'm in the process of starting something new. I'm starting to work with silver jewelry. Voons has only really been like glass, clay, and beads. So I’m really looking forward to starting a fine jewelry approach and playing with new materials.

So with the jewelry that you already make, you hand-make all of it yourself, right?

Yeah, everything is handmade by me. Usually, for the most part everything is one-of-a-kind. Sometimes I'll do styles that are easier to make, but a lot of the jewelry is one-of-a-kind-- nothing's exactly the same. I often get bored recreating the same thing over and over again.

Would love to hear a little intro about yourself, who you are, some of your fav things!

My name is Vanessa Campana and I'm from Toronto, sort of - I grew up in the suburbs and then went to school in the city. I went to Ryerson University and graduated with a fashion communications degree. I started styling in university because we needed to get internship hours in my program. One of my friends at my retail job at the time had a sister who was a stylist in Toronto, and I started assisting for her, I really loved it. I still style a lot, but most of the work is commercial which doesn't really fulfill me in the same way editorial does. In my senior year of university, I took an accessory design course and I really fell in love with jewelry design and I sort of based my whole thesis on it. I officially started Voons after I graduated, and now I balance both my small business and working part time as a stylist.

So where does the name Voons come from?

It was a nickname. My sisters and I always made silly code names for each other growing up, so it only felt fitting that my brand was based on one.

With your childhood nickname being playful I feel it translates a lot into your designs as they are also really playful and whimsical. Would you say that that sort of an underlying inspiration behind your design work?

When I first started Voons it was still a thesis project. The theory behind it was that I really wanted to highlight my feminine experience through the lens of my childhood, and sort of what I thought femininity was like growing up. We had to do a lot of inward research when doing the thesis and it was sort of like I was focusing on my upbringing. My parents are super traditional Italian and don’t really understand fashion or art the same way I do. So, I think when I was a kid, I was always really afraid to express myself creatively. As I got older, I sort of got more comfortable doing that. I went to Catholic school my whole life and I was never allowed to dress how I wanted to. So as I got more comfortable in my femininity I had a lot of unexplored curiosity towards fashion and sexuality and I think I channel all of that into my work.

What were some of the early inspirations that you can remember that sort of awoke that need in you to explore that creative side?

I was really obsessed with Gwen Stefani when I was a kid, Iike obsessed. I was mesmerized by her sex appeal. I think I was inspired by how she dressed and was unapologetically herself. Looking back I probably had a little crush on her, but I think she also embodied a lot of the things I wanted to be myself that in my head that I felt like I never could. When I was in elementary school and in high school especially I was really insecure, and I kind of felt almost embarrassed to stand out. I was always just so inspired by girls who didn’t care what other people thought of them.

Can you remember sort of a turning point where you finally felt as if you were able to express yourself how you wanted to?

I think university was the turning point mostly, because in fashion school you're faced with so many different personalities and archetypes of people. I feel like I slowly got more comfortable with the idea of experimenting with my style and getting you know, in touch with my interests. All of my friends now completely embrace who they are and don’t judge things that are unique. So I guess I eventually felt a lot more comfortable like, "Okay, there's really nothing wrong with this." And I think when it came down to my thesis, it really challenged me to look inward, and gave me a new appreciation for why I like things I like and like, why I am inspired by the things that I am. Growing up, I was always really fixated with gemstones and stuff like that. I remember I would always go to my grandmother's house and she had a display of glass figurines, and I would always want to play with them. I was always inspired by that stuff and I think it was just a matter of knowing what to do with that.

Is there anything else that you draw inspiration from when you're designing new pieces?

I think I am mostly inspired by personal experience. I am a super sentimental person so just anything I feel immediately affected by. I started off making beads out of everyday things that I felt connected to. The first project I did, I wanted it to be really nostalgic so I used shells I found, trinkets I collected, gemstones and glass figurines I thought were beautiful, all things that just meant something to me. I always want designing to be an empowering sort of thing like feeling really inspired throughout the process. Everything I make is somewhat an extension of myself. Lately I’ve been really into cross motifs and I think that is my catholic guilt speaking.

Where do you feel your most creative?

I think I feel most creative when I'm out of my element. When I'm away from home or away from my routine, like being in a different country. I really like traveling when I feel like I’m in a creative rut. Or even just a new environment within my own city. I love going to museums and nature spots, it just makes me think in a different way. Breaking away from routine is a really good way to reignite that creative spark.

So besides making jewelry and styling, are there any other creative outlets that you pursue, or you would ever want to try pursuing?

I tried glass blowing classes, which was really fun and challenging. Working with hot glass is like trying to sculpt with honey that will burn your fingertips off. I made a bunch of beads for Voons. And I definitely want to continue to pursue that. I also used to be a figure skater and I'm trying to get back into that this winter just because I miss it a lot and I think that was also a really good artistic outlet for me.

I also noticed you with your jewelry, there's sort of that aquatic element to it. Just reminiscent of being by the water and being by the ocean. Did those sort of influences have a really big impact on you and your jewelry design making?

Absolutely. I love mermaids, or anything ethereal or fantasy in that way. I feel beautiful when I'm swimming, there's something so healing and grounding being in the ocean. I have spent a lot of time in the mediterranean sea and it’s my favorite place to swim since I have so many fond memories there. It's just this calming sense of simplicity, where you're just floating in the water. It's sort of like, nothing bad can happen to you, you know?

Let's talk about your personal style a little bit and where you get that inspiration.

I think if I had to sum it up, it's very eclectic, for sure. I like to juxtapose hyper-feminine things with things that are more unexpected. I tend to be drawn to comfortable clothes lately but styled in an elevated way if that makes sense. I'm notorious for buying things that I never wear but hang in my closet like a piece of artwork. I have so many antique silk slips that I am afraid to touch because they are so delicate. I just love looking at them on my clothing rack. I am in the middle of a personal wardrobe rebrand and really trying to rework my entire closet and buy things that have longevity and are more wearable.

I think this is a really fun, just random question, but I love hearing what people have to say. If you could spend a day and hang out with either your great, great, great grandkids, or your great great, great grandparents, who would you choose? And why?

I would definitely choose my great, great, great grandparents. I think I would just be really curious to see my lineage, since I am so nostalgic and drawn to the past. Also, a lot of my work is inspired by antique things so maybe they would have interesting things to gift me. Hanging out with my great, great, great, great kids in a way would scare me..I don’t want to know my future. I'd be more curious to see the past and have a better understanding of who I am now.

I don't even I don't know which one I would pick either. I think maybe parents would be cool.

Yeah, right? I just think it would be cool to see where you come from and I think it would give you more clarity on yourself, in a way.

I feel like you're also the queen of different emojis. If you had to pick three different emojis to either describe yourself or Voons what would they be?

The pink ribbon bow, the tooth, and the anatomical heart.

If you could describe the Voons girl, who would they be?

So the Voons girl would be somebody who is playful and silly and one-of-a-kind.