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Vjera Furman
Interview & Words Mollie Davies
Only a very inspired and poetically creative woman would describe her favourite sound to be beads getting on a needle and passing through wool. Vjera Furman is a Croatian born, London educated designer who stitches each piece with soul in her high fashion house based in London.
As uninspired fast fashion takes control of our planet, Vjera is busy creating pieces that are considerate to our environment. Pieces that are so utterly beautiful that the hope is they will be cherished throughout the years. Vjera's entrepreneurial flair is so strong that she juggles running the business, designing and creating with her own two hands and still finds the time to sing her children to sleep. Any woman who claims flowers as her signature is one that gets my vote. WOTC spoke to Vjera Furman in an all-telling, inspiring and motivating interview about her experiences with creating her namesake brand and the adversities she has faced along the way.
We begin chatting just a day after I ask if Vjera could spare some time for an interview. This lady is not one to keep somebody waiting, and her excitement to talk about her beloved brand was truly humbling.
Mollie: Your brand is so unique, and many designers play around with a few ideas before finally settling with a brand image and direction. How did you know when you had the right idea for Vjera V?
Vjera: The perception that there is one right idea, or moment has not shown in my experience. True craft, to me, is constant work in progress and growth. There were many great ideas that I had over the years, but to have a successful business, the biggest struggle is to make your brand into a sellable and desirable, while still remaining true to myself.
Mollie: Did you face initial doubt from loved ones or investors? So many people want to break into the creative industry these days, how did you handle any adversity?
Vjera: On the contrary, loved ones were always supportive of me as a designer and strongly believed in my talent, but their guidance was crucial to my development as a brand owner and manager. I was never questioned on my designing talent, instead, those around me helped me to develop Vjera V as a brand. They helped me work on costs, marketing and other things you need to know when owning any business.
Mollie: We all expect some challenges with any new idea, but what were the challenges that you faced that you didn’t expect?
Vjera: I think I started the brand when the industry was changing on every level. I wish I listened to, and believed in myself more. When I started the brand, the expected path was to showcase at Fashion Week, hire a PR agency and chase stockists, but I saw a different path. The path I chose was direct to the consumer. I chose to sell via social media platforms and be consistently transparent with the customers as to where their garment is created, how it is created and the rest of the story behind it.
It took me a year of questioning myself before I decided to just listen to instinct – where in fact today I know it was not just instinct but a well researched market.
Mollie: How long has it taken from your initial idea of the brand, to get it to where it is today?
Vjera: We live in a world where there is a level of shame in talking about struggles and failures. Nothing happens overnight, and we need to share our lessons. Fashion is a very secretive industry. I found it hard to even source information on where in London I could find the best buttonholes, or where the best fabric lives - sharing information about sample machinists was unheard off. But that is slowly changing, It may have taken me a while, but I have found equal minded creatives who enjoy sharing knowledge and information. During my journey, I have shadowed designers and designed for other brands. I’ve grown through all this while designing bespoke wedding dresses, and having my children. Finding my way took many avenues, but once I decided to focus on following my instinct, and using social media as an insight into the everyday life of a brand, I saw a significant shift.
Mollie: The brand was your idea, but also you’re the designer, so how do you feel in delegating tasks. Is there a sense of protection?
Vjera: No man is an island, and that is at the same time, a curse and a blessing. Knowing that it all depends on me and I am responsible for it all, gives me a huge amount of responsibility, and that brings power. I know that I can always work harder, work more, do better. But, at the same time, it is vital for the brand that I surround myself with women that understand what I am trying to achieve. I only work with women, as I have found that my aura and energy grow and feed off of their passion, creativity and craft.
Mollie: What inspires you?
Vjera: I love seeing a beautiful woman walk down the street. So many times I have found myself following her; watching her move, brush her hair from her face, fix her sleeves. Those little details are fascinating to me and help me build a muse in my mind.
Mollie: How do you make sure you stay on the right side of fashion trends and keep things new?
Vjera: Being well educated about the past when looking at the present trends is one of the ways that I try to stay on top of things. I had a wonderful History of Costume teacher at university who inspired me to question the ‘why’ when designing. She taught me that each stitch has to have a meaning and purpose.
Mollie: What do you think gives you your unique edge?
Vjera: Being honest. I also take the customers on my everyday journey with me.
Mollie: Where did the name for the brand come in?
Vjera: I wanted to respect the English tradition and name my brand with my name as it is truly me in every piece, and my maiden surname starts with the letter V. At university, in the very early days, my nickname was Vjera V and so, it stuck.
Mollie: What does a typical day look like for you, from when you wake up, till you go to sleep?
Vjera: Sleep? What is that? I'm just kidding. My days are either spent with the children or working, with little much else in the last 10 months. I wake up with the kids around 6 am, then start work at 8 am. My daytime is usually spent in the studio, working with my tailor, answering emails, dealing with the website, packing and sending orders, and planning shoots. I’ll be there until 4 pm when little ones are back home, and I try to fully dedicate myself to the boys and stay away from my phone - try anyway! During lockdown, it became a necessity that I work during the night once the kids are asleep. This has become my favourite time to bead and work on new pieces. So, I’m usually beading from 9 pm until well past midnight.
Mollie: When did your entrepreneurial flair first come out?
Vjera: I didn’t think about having my own business for a long time. My brother and I used to steal flowers and make bouquets to sell - sell them to the same neighbours that we stole them from! A favourite thing of mine to do, was to organise art auctions before our summer holidays. My family would come and bid for drawings and paintings that I created. It’s funny that I never thought of that as entrepreneurial, but I guess it was. At the time it was just a way to earn money for ice cream.
Mollie: Where do you see Vjera V growing from here?
Vjera: I am so so excited that the brand is growing and the response from customers all over the world has been incredible. I am currently planning many new pieces for autumn, and I have started working with new suppliers, designing knitwear with women knitters in Bosnia. I want to invest back into the business that I believe in and see them grow with me. My favourite season is coat season, so I am very excited to get my hands on new textures and colourways.
Mollie: What practical advice do you have for others looking to start their own business, in particular, Designers?
Vjera: You need to be sure that this is what you want to do, as it will be all-consuming. You will go to bed with the list of things you need to achieve tomorrow and wake up with it on your lips. Ask yourself why you want to have your own business, and how much are you willing to give to it - the answer to that has to be everything. There are easier and smarter ways to do what you love, and if being a designer is what you love, where your passion is, be a designer for a brand. You have to want to run a business too.
Mollie: Have your goals and motivations changed over the years since you began?
Vjera: Yes, I have both changed as a person, and my aspirations have changed. My ambitions have grown over time, and I am much more realistic in what I can achieve, but also much more focused. It is true that adulthood makes you tougher. Experiences harden you, but also all of that makes it easier to see behind offers, or through plans. I don’t think life has to be about constant growth but it has to be about moving, and changing. Stagnation is a killer of creativity and fulfilment.
Mollie: With your signature look being a brightly coloured one, what impact has the current situation had on sales? One would imagine a surge in desire for rainbows!
Vjera: Oh definitely, yes! The ‘rainbow’ look was very popular for the whole month of April especially, but we are back to the favourite being pink! Which makes me very happy as I am a pink woman at heart. There is something poetic in dusty pink, in the death of Barbie pink as we change from girls to women.
Mollie: How does social media play a role in your brand?
Vjera: Focusing on social media has been the starter for my brand. I opened up a shop on Instagram especially. People are drawn to the story of how pieces are made and where ideas come from. It is my shop floor where I get to talk to the customers and is also where I get feedback. I find so much strength for those late nights scrolling through my phone.
Mollie: What would Vjera now, tell 16-year-old Vjera?
Vjera: To work harder. Work so much harder. Be on top of administration and paperwork, don’t take days off. Take email addresses from people you come across and make sure to follow up on each meeting.
Mollie: What’s your favourite piece you’ve ever designed?
Vjera: My best friend’s wedding dress. She had complete faith in me, and she had no patience for fittings. So, I fitted her dress in my bathroom, only once, with random pins I found at my dad's house in Croatia. She was a modern version of Jane Birkin on her wedding day, truly stunning, at ease and chic. I loved the process of creating for a woman that I love so much.
Throughout getting to know her during our interview and over time following Vjera on social media, it is crystal clear that she is a very powerful and all-encompassing creative. From the moment that the base of her pieces arrives in her studio, she spends around six hours per individual piece to hand embellish the knits and other pieces with Swarovski crystals, beads and pearls, and satin ribbons. Beautifully, Vjera describes the process that many would find exhausting, as creating a garden. Only somebody who truly loves what she does could describe such a process as calming.
