History, family, and storytelling are often focused around objects; I’ve always wanted to design, craft, and make that heritage beautiful through the idea of the heirloom. Aesthetically, I draw inspiration from Moorish architecture, the Belle Epoque, Morocco, Art Deco, Indian metal work, Art Nouveau, Ikebana Floral Design. Oral Histories. Kehinde Wiley. Zaha Hadid. Hafiz. Marilyn Minter. Gaudi. Nick Cave. Pipilotti Rist. Azuma Makoto. Fearless Women.
Photo: courtesy Adornment + Theory
Can you talk about your practice in the light of a global pandemic and sociopolitical crisis—what changed, what remains the same?
In March and April, like the rest of the world, I needed to pivot quickly. I am quite good under pressure. I joke that the world may be falling apart, but I can parkour my way through with the best of them. The first month was about stabilizing my business and locking down as many grants and loans as possible. This was a stressful and highly focused time. At the first staff meeting after lockdown, I told everyone, “Congratulations, we are an online business with a fancy warehouse in Logan Square.” All of our efforts went online and I needed to create the custom consultation and the Adornment +Theory experience at home. This manifested in an IGTV series where we interviewed our designers and gem dealers, hosted a Rihanna dance party on Zoom, and hand-delivered custom-designed care packages to bridal couples. I was grateful to our loyal clients, who continued to buy and create custom designs during the period. My designing looks the same day-to-day, except with much more of an online element. I’m on Instagram more than ever. We’ve always had virtual consultations and our webstore as an option, now people are using it more. The preparation and foundation we built in advance helped us brace for impact. In terms of BLM, my associates and I have been involved from the onset. Issues of racism and lack of diversity in my field have been near and dear to my heart for years. Adornment +Theory hosted fine art shows and we podcast on the topic in early 2019. As a minority woman business owner, I am happy to see the discussions and much-needed work in many industries.
Photo: courtesy Adornment + Theory
Where do you see the future of design in the post-COVID world?
Every designer has to adjust. You have to project and anticipate financial markets changing. For me, it’s monitoring soaring gold prices and Bitcoin. Knowing your key demographic and their discretionary income is key. It’s not enough to be a good designer, we have to utilize our creativity as business owners to stay ahead. For some, that’s online; for others it’s doubling down on high-touch experiences. As a fine jewelry designer, I know, and adore, that people will continue to fall in love even in the midst of crisis. Throughout human history, couples will still marry. It’s deeply romantic and quite beautiful. Witnessing all of the intimate micro-weddings that have taken place gives me hope and a deep sense of honor that a couple would entrust me with something so special. My designs are pieces people will wear everyday, and God willing, will pass down and remain heirlooms in their families. I don’t take that lightly. It’s what I love about what I do.
Greek-born Vasia Rigou is a journalist, editor and multimedia content producer largely on the subjects of visual art, culture, architecture and design. She currently serves as an Editor at Newcity, Chicago’s leading culture publication, as Writer and Copy Editor at the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) HQ, and regularly contributes to international architecture and design magazines OnOffice and ICON. She has experience creating content for brands and building conference speeches and influential TEDx talks. Simply put: she’s fascinated by finding out the great stories behind the people, places and objects that surround us, and by sharing those stories with the world. When she’s not writing about art or looking at art—wine in hand—she makes lists for pretty much everything, drinks immense amounts of coffee and takes cross-country road trips every chance she gets.
