Vinca

It was during my visit to Hello Lucky when I first heard of Vinca. I immediately fell in love with the wooden diamond-shaped bracelets and the ridiculously-cute wooden earrings. When I received an email days later from the brand, I was literally doing cartwheels around the room. Come to find out, Vinca is actually a Texas brand that was born in Austin by Amanda Dimova in 2006. Dimova has been a creative all her life, always dabbling in making paper dolls, little purses, doll food out of clay, etc. It wasn’t until she was 18 when she truly found her passion in jewelry making. “I realized that it was a more universal wearable art form. It didn’t have to be sized, any body type could wear it, and I could produce it so that it was made in USA and affordable,” she explained. In 2006, she officially launched her brand- Vinca. Vinca is the name she created for her original collection at the start of the company and is based on a small five petal flower, called the ‘Vinca.’ Amanda runs a small factory in Austin, where she designs and manufactures her line. She draws all her wooden and acrylic designs and oversees the cutting and assembling that is done in-house. Raw materials that are used in creating the little quirky pieces of jewelry include: sterling chain, specialty acrylics, wood and plastic (and of course are sourced right here in the good ‘ole U S of A, which she calls ‘micro-manufacturing’). Their wholesale catalog offers over a thousand styles, so there’s something for everyone! Prices range from $8 for a ring, $16 for earrings to $30 for most necklaces. They also do custom designs as well. Along with their online store, if you are local to Houston, you can find Vinca at Hello Lucky and Biscuit Home. I cannot speak more highly about Vinca. The product really adds a touch a whimsy to any outfit. It’s locally made and sourced, which is an A+ in my book. As Amanda concludes,”I take it as a great compliment and am humbled by the fact I’ve been able to sell my designs for the past couple of years and really grow the business. I hope that when people see Vinca jewelry they can see the hard work I’ve put into it to make available a large selection of their favorite things in pretty colors at an affordable price point, and made sure it’s produced in ethical working conditions (my desk is in the same room as the manufacturing an inventory).”

**Photos of me were taken by Nicole Kestenbaum Photography**