ZARIĆ is an independent jewellery line which was launched in mid 2013 by designer and handcrafter, Nastia Zarić. With a strong ethical focus, Nastia works from her Canberra studio with endless experimental materials including gemstones, ceramics, leather and various metals to create colourful and eclectic pieces that are either one of a kind or in very limited production.
Nastia jumped head first into the label ZARIĆ at 18, although it was in development for many years before. Her love of jewellery stemmed from her mother, who established her own line in the Eighties and taught Nastia everything she know’s about semi-precious stones and fine jewellery making. Nastia’s father, a ceramic potter, was also a strong influence.
Nastia has also been modelling since she was about 15. It was never a priority in her life but it opened her up to opportunities to meet like-minded and creative people. She likes to lead a varied and colourful lifestyle, and modelling jobs give her an upbeat break from working in the studio, and a great excuse to travel interstate and learn about how fashion looks from behind the scenes.
Here’s a fun little Q&A we had with Nastia recently:
Q. Thinking back on 2013, what goals have you achieved that you are most proud of?
A. It was naturally a very experimental year, in terms of having endless options of the style I wanted to take my work. Growing up in a long family line of artists, there was never any lack of creativity surrounding the beginning of a career in jewellery design. This created a stable but very organic progression into the launch of ZARIĆ. My biggest challenge was also my biggest learning curve; the freedom of calling all the shots when working in a creative field. The prospect was overwhelming at first but now I don’t regret a thing. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Q. What is on the agenda for ZARIĆ in 2014?
A. More experimentation, travel, collaborative projects, and education in jewellery craftsmanship is well and truly on the cards for 2014. Slowly I’ll be making my way back to working with precious metals and incorporating some silversmithing techniques into my work. In fact, I’m off to Indonesia next month to become inspired and learn from some real masters of silver craft. Expanding horizons into other big Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne is already in the works – and hopefully I’ll make it to Berlin by the end of the year! I’m an absolute baby in the industry so things will only grow from here. I’m excited to get the ball rolling in the very least.
Q. Where do you draw inspiration?
Inspiration throughout the design process can be drawn from everywhere – the most exciting ideas come from the most unconventional sources. From the colour palette in a sunset to old films and photographs, anything can catch the eye.
Q. Which ethical materials are used for ZARIĆ?
ZARIĆ is not built on the purpose of ‘ethics’ as a marketing point, but morals and environmental benefits in the fashion industry are very close to my heart. I feel we all have a responsibility to practice what we preach, and I do what I can with my work – steering clear of conflict stones, upcycling old pieces, and making sure no environmental resources being exploited. Being a sole trader means, unlike many of the other franchise brands, every piece is designed and handmade in Australia without the need to exploit human labour and send production elsewhere. It’s so exciting to turn something dated into something new again, like an old leather bag into necklace straps, or melting down broken sterling silver!
A few facts just for fun:
I would love to travel to …Tokyo… because …much of the inspiration from my debut collection was reaped from Japanese Harajuku culture and I’ve been obsessed with the idea of visiting ever since.
If I could have one thing in the whole world it would be …a private jet… because …there is so much of the world to see and no time to waste!…
My favourite designer is… probably Meadham Kirchhoff at the moment. That’s a super tough question! Would have to be closely followed by Vivienne Westwood and Australian labels Romance Was Born & PAGEANT.
The greatest risk I ever took was when I… chose go with my gut about where I wanted to start my jewellery design venture, and leaped head first into creating the label as a sole trader last year.
Thanks Nastia!
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