THE CANDY MAKER
I, Vjerana, am the person behind the Candy Store.
I design, pattern and handcraft each single Candy, completely by myself.
Self-expression has always been a part of me; it has started at an early age and continued later on through drawing, playing violoncello, ceramic sculptures and fashion.
Believing that self-expression and self-presentation often come down to the smallest detail, there was the desire to create fashion with the main focus on the details. It was also my wish to produce unique items; and so the love-child VENA candy came to life.
Fashion; detail oriented and embellished with love.
Color has always been the focal point of my (design) aesthetic, and the appreciation for it only grew with time. It is a never ending love-affair!
I was born in Croatia, but have been living around the world since the age of two. All those different cultures have encouraged my mind to think outside the box.
The admiration for the playful shapes from my father’s Art Nouveau collection, which have nurtured my senses, has resulted in approaching my work with an artistic mindset. It has also reflected a playfulness in my attitude towards fashion.
After being stranded on a stable, but not-suitable-for-my-personality path (studying business administration), my creativity was once more awakened in a ceramics course, during an exchange semester in Turkey. I quit my Finance masters right there and then. And after a brief encounter with a fashion design school in Germany, I have returned to my true self.
I love daydreaming, and highly encourage it. There is also a very strong need to transcend the everyday banality and routine, by materialising my inner (and personal) “magic” into something physical. For now- into bags.
It is how VENA candy came into light. Fashion; that reflects an inner transcendent process and tells a story.
Inspiration comes through awareness and perception. Sometimes, from the most “ordinary” (precious, actually, right?) daily moments. Just as well as through curiosity and observation.
But sometimes good music will do. :)
Last but not least- on a “technical” note (aside from the emotional and inspirational aspect that lies behind my work), my personal experience in designing and handcrafting bags has been enhanced with an extensive course, at one of the best schools on that topic, in Milan, Italy.