I believe I am a world changer and someone blessed to be a blessing, jewelry is just my medium - Doubara, Designer &CEO ZIVANORA
By Kemi Mobuse - Friday, December 01, 2017
Growing up, I have always been surrounded by Jewelries, infact, my mum God Bless her soul, see it as an unforgivable crime for her children to go out without Jewelries, in her mind, she was like..."God forbid, they think she is poor" and to show how rich she is, Mama end up dressing us girls in colourful beads, bangles and earrings all at once, she would round off the look by dressing us in high heeled shoes thick enough to break cement 😀😀😀. One would think the boys would be left out, for where? they had to have their hairs parted and creamed till its shining like that of a peacock....in short, mama no dey carry last, kapish!
Since then, I have found it extremely difficult to step out without jewelries on, and should I forget to wear one, I'll feel totally naked throughout the whole day....
Giving confidence to the wearer is what Designer Doubara is aiming to achieve with her brand, allowing them to express their personality through her jewelries is her mission and making a difference with her brand is her motto.....in her session with KMB, she talked about her passion for jewelries, her dreams for Zivanora and more.....please read below...
ZIVANORA: Zivanora is a fashion and
fine jewelry brand based in Lagos Nigeria. It’s the place where women & men
around the world come to enjoy expressing themselves and own their personal
style through their jewelry irrespective of the location or occasion.
To me jewelry is an agent of
personality. It is a very easy and fun way to show who you are and tell your
story without even saying a word.
Aside the aspect of personal
image & expression, I really desire to see Zivanora change lives around the
world through jewelry. First & foremost, I believe I am a world changer and
someone blessed to be a blessing, jewelry is just my medium. So through my
brand, I want to encourage people to live their best, showcase their inner
beauty & power and also live confidently and brave.
KMB: How did you become a jewellery designer?
ZIVANORA: My journey into jewelry
started way back in college while I was studying computer science. At that time,
it started out as a hobby and something that really captivated my mind. As time
went on, I found myself gifting the pieces I made and later on selling my
pieces as well as reselling other pieces I bought. By graduation, this hobby
evolved into something much bigger and deeper. I found myself reading about it,
watching Youtube videos about different techniques, attempting these techniques
and trying to come up with my own designs. Before long, I started buying
metalsmithing tools and moving past just strung beaded work. Eventually, I went
to school to study jewelry design and technology and the rest as they say, is historyJ.
KMB: Do you have any advice for those hoping to break into the industry?
ZIVANORA: There are many parts to the
jewelry industry and so my advice would be; find out what part of the industry
attracts you, research it and see how you can provide value in that sector or
what problem you can solve. The jewelry industry is not the place for quick
money so you have to actually love gems/jewelry to stay the long haul.
The popular sectors here in
Nigeria are beading and thankfully the goldsmith / metalsmith part is becoming
popular but there is a whole value chain that exists and we need more people
represented across the value chain here in Nigeria.
KMB: What jewellery trends do you predict for the coming months?
ZIVANORA: Personally I don’t think the
jewelry industry here in Nigeria has gotten on the train of global trends but
internationally, there are a number of trends to look out for in 2018 such as
multicolored gemstone jewelry, big button earrings (studs), chokers, more
personalized jewelry, multi-charm pendant necklaces, brooches and inlay or
enamel jewelry.
KMB: Are you working on any special projects or designs at the moment?
ZIVANORA: Yes and I’m super excited
about it! So stay tuned (especially on our Instagram page)!
KMB: What’s your favourite piece from your archive?
ZIVANORA: Hmm, how do I pick a
favorite? At the moment, I’m all about the Essence Bar Cuff.
I wear it practically everywhere. When I’m running errands to places like
Ebeano, the bank, the dry cleaners, etc. Or to places like church, outings with
friends, meetups, etc. It has become a part of my daily routine because it instantly
dresses up causal looks and gives a classy finishing touch to more dressy
outfits. I love how it goes with any look and instantly makes me look more put
together even in flip flops!
KMB: Where do you seek design inspiration?
ZIVANORA: Inspiration for me comes from
a myriad of places. My core sources are modern & contemporary architecture
& décor. I love anything with clean lines, less noise and a minimalist
feel. I’m also inspired by the world around me. The simplest object can inspire
a new collection, just like our latest collection launching in a few days. I
like to feed my creative mind on art, design and structural work.
But most importantly, one thing
that inspires me is the day-to-day lives of the Zivanora women & the men
that love and support them. I think about what makes her happy, how she can get
ahead in life and how the pieces I create for her can help her complete her look, help boost her confidence and showcase her gracious personality and unique style. So that when she walks into a room, people know someone who knows what she wants from life and takes it with no shame or apology just walked in.”
KMB: What was last piece of jewellery you bought?
ZIVANORA: It has been a while I bought
jewelry for myself since I can just make one (lol) but the last piece I
remember buying is a Monica Vinader piece. I think it was a ring.
KMB: Do you have a favorite design shop in Lagos or beyond?
ZIVANORA: At the moment our pieces are only
available online via our website www.zivanora.com
KMB: Are there any brands you particularly admire?
ZIVANORA: The top brands I admire are Van Cleef
& Arpels and Apple. I love Van Cleef for their level of craftsmanship and
the level of detail and sweat they put into every single piece of theirs. It
could take as long as 3-7 years to complete a piece and that level of
commitment and passion for what they do inspires me a lot. I draw a lot of
inspiration and lessons from them and they are one of the jewelry brands that inspire
me to never stop looking for ways to be better.
I also love Apple because of their
design sense and how they show the world that design doesn’t have to be busy or
convoluted to be accepted or loved. They teach me that less is more and because
it looks simple doesn’t mean it was easy. Most times, the simplest things are
the most difficult to execute.
KMB: Describe a day in the life of a jewellery designer
ZIVANORA: Because of the nature of our work,
every jewelry designer’s life is a bit different. My day is mostly spent in the
studio and what I do differs from time to time. Sometimes, a lot of my time is
spent fabricating pieces, other days it’s spent doing more business related
activities.
KMB: Lastly, how can you be contacted?
ZIVANORA: Website: www.zivanora.com
@zivanora (Instagram, Twitter, And
Pinterest)
Facebook: zivanorajewelry
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