Ocean colours and island textures are the inspiration behind a new line of handcrafted jewelry designed and produced in Seychelles.
Seychellois Veronique Lanza founded her small business — Zil Lokal which means Island local — a year ago and for the first time exhibited her pieces at the first ever Seychelles Fashion week held late last year.
The colourful jewelries are made from seashells, driftwood and textiles. Lanza makes the pieces herself from scratch using colours and various aspects of the environment that attract her and inspires her artwork.
Hailing from the coastal district of Beau Vallon – in the north of the main island of Mahe – Lanza spent her childhood on the beach where she has been collecting sea shells. Lanza adds that the sea and the islands inspires her creations.
Zil Lokal offers the perfect accessories for locals and wanderlust travellers. (Zil Lokal/facebook) Photo License: CC-BY
“I am a lifelong collector of seashells, driftwood and textiles. From sunrise to sunset happiness, each unique handmade piece will help keep a little island soul with you wherever you go,” said Lanza, adding that her wish is that everyone who wears Zil Lokal jewelry will feel bright, happy and adventurous.
Born and raised in Seychelles – an archipelago of 115 islands in western Indian Ocean – Lanza attended the Savanah College of Art and Design in the United States (US) where she also lived and worked in the jewelery sector precisely in design and production for GlamHouse before returning home.
“I am inclined to make items that I would like to wear myself which I find important for my business,” adding that “with Zil Lokal, the pieces are handpicked and unique. Each item takes time to make; I am a visual person and if I don’t like what I see, I change the arrangement,” explained Lanza.
Lanza’s line consists mainly of big, statement earrings, bracelets and necklaces made from a variety of items that she personally collects from around the island.
All of the items created are in line with the main concept behind Zil Lokal: colourful, eclectic, fun, happy repressing life in the tropics.
“Zil Lokal offers the perfect accessories for locals and wanderlust travellers. From sunrise to sunset happiness, each unique handmade piece will help keep a little island soul with you wherever you go.”
Lanza’s line consists mainly of big, statement earrings, bracelets and necklaces made from a variety of items that she personally collects from around the island. (Zil Lokal/facebook) Photo License: CC-BY
Lanza said that local craft business should target more Seychellois consumers instead of visitors. “Consumers in Seychelles should wear more locally made products that are exclusive to our islands, not only to have more unique items, but also to support local businesses.”
The Seychellois designer said that In future, she is hoping to introduce a new line that recycles plastic items that she collects from beaches.
An initiative welcomed by the Ocean Project Seychelles – a not for profit organization – on a mission to stop debris entering our oceans and switch to eco-friendly alternatives to plastics.
“It’s great to hear of Zil Lokal’s new initiative to upcycle plastic debris! One of our biggest concerns is what happens to the rubbish we collect after the clean ups so it’s brilliant to know that some of that rubbish will be turned into something beautiful,” Karine Rassool, co-founder of the Ocean Project Seychelles.
Rassool concluded by saying “Ms Lanza is also an avid supporter of our activities and has sponsored and participated (on behalf of Zil Lokal and Sables d’Or Apartments) in multiple beach clean ups. We wish her all the best and can’t wait to see the finished products!”
Follow ‘Zil Lokal’ on Facebook and Instagram.
Source: Seychelles News Agency
