Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Liane Vaz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Liane, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
The year is 2025. The economy is not having a fun time. Small businesses are suffering. The political sphere has much to be desired. I decide to open up my own private brick and mortar goldsmithing studio and shop – despite all signs pointing me to play it safe.
I’ve had my business officially since 2012, but have been working as a creative for even longer than that. Part of the appeal of being a business owner (for me) is working your own hours and making your own decisions and having complete creative control. That being said, from 2016 until now I was also a small business owner working elbow to elbow with other small business owners whilst under the roof of another small business owner. This kind of set up has tons of pros and only a few cons. Some of the pros include learning from your peers and having a safety net – but my desire to have complete freedom never really went away.
I have always wanted to have my own space, but the line of work I am in requires a ton of investment in machinery, equipment, and space if I were to go at it solo. This is where working in shared spaces came in handy – we were able to split the overhead and extraneous costs. We had full-time staff taking care of the space, and selling our jewellery, and we had name recognition from working out of a physical jewellery store with over 2 decades of existence and tons of walk in traffic.
Despite all this I wanted badly to strike out on my own and see what I can do with a space that is all mine. Classic entrepreneur mind as well – I wanted to do so much more than just goldsmithing. It took two years of searching off and on for a space within my imaginary budget (numbers? accounting? I’m an artist don’t ask me about that) while also being so afraid of failure and risking monetary losses for the sake of “experimenting”. But when I came across a studio that was not too big, not too small, in a great area, and at a price that did not make me gag…I thought, what the heck let’s do this.
It took almost six months, many hands, twelve buckets of paint and countless sleepless nights to get up and running. I transformed a white box into a moody and magical haven for my jeweller’s bench, my work, but also I created a space for collaboration and creativity for myself and others. It’s now been almost four months of working out of this new wonderful space – as well as hosting workshops, photoshoots, events and markets.
Time will tell if taking this risk works out in the long run – I’m still a baby at this and learning as I go. But so far, I am so happy I took the leap.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Growing up in a strict South Asian family, I never expected to make it through art school without being pushed into something “practical.” So in 8th grade when a career quiz suggested I’d be a jeweller, I couldn’t have been less interested. I didn’t even think about this even while doing an actual multi-year jewellery design course while in high school. But years later, in the throes of my third year studying Jewellery and Metalsmithing at OCAD University in Toronto, Canada, I found myself pondering that moment, realizing how eerily accurate that early prediction had been. It taught me to trust in the unseen and dive into the aether headfirst. I graduated mostly unscathed and soon launched my own jewellery business, cutting my teeth selling my work at local craft shows and boutiques. A few years after graduating, I joined Made You Look, a jewellery shop and collective studio in Toronto’s West Queen West neighborhood. This is where I was able to fully cement my brand, develop new collections, and learn from the best.
Now, as a seasoned jeweller with her own studio in Toronto, I’m grateful to craft pieces that are not only beautiful but also deeply personal, marrying practical wearability with mystical elements to create heirlooms that will be cherished for generations. Outside the studio, I enjoy simple pleasures, from horror movie marathons to long walks with my beloved rescued corgi-beagle-husky mix. Through every step of this journey, I am proud to live my passion and continue creating jewellery that speaks to the soul and beyond.
I make custom jewellery in semi- and precious metals – including heirloom edits and wedding and engagement pieces. I gravitate towards architecture, symbols of life and death, celestial elements, and fundamental geometric concepts. I’ll often seek out roads-and-places-less-travelled specifically to open myself to discovery, planting seeds of inspiration in my mind that might be watered later. Custom jewellery is a luxury, and so what I do doesn’t normally entail “solving a problem” or filling a gap of any sort. The main thing, and most simply: “how do I get the idea for a piece from my head into reality”. I can take a half formed sentence or a fully fledged Pinterest board and help you make that dream idea for a piece of jewellery or commemorative token into reality. A big part of the job is also education – I work with my client and talk through what can and cannot be done, the process of how things are made, and also how to make sure these pieces last generations.
I am drawn to what most aren’t—the otherness of things. In the wedding & engagement realm especially, I flourish with being able to create something outside of the box but still beautiful. Adding a personal touch to even something classic and traditional is what I strive to do, and creating something wholly unique and one of a kind is the dream. I also cannot stop designing! I am always trying to figure out new techniques, new forms, and test my own creative limits. I love tension: dark vs. refined, mystical vs. modern. Jewellery is also a vessel for memories — I want the jewellery I make to hold the wearer’s story as much as my own design. My clients are people who delight in the uncommon — who want something no one else has. I make jewellery for people who feel more at home in moody museums and hidden bookstores than in big-box jewelry stores.
To date, I am most proud of starting my own shop and studio this year. “Another Realm” is a haunt for creativity — events, workshops, custom design – all my loves. I don’t need to pretend to be humble – it was very hard and stressful and. I. Did. It. I am still doing it. Even if I lose all my money by the end of my lease – I will know that I tried and I tried my best and I had an amazing time.
I am just so grateful that I get to do this, that this is my job. I hope my story and my aesthetic inspires other people to explore a form of creativity within themselves or by working with me.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My brand recognition and reputation comes from my commitment to a dark, elegant, alternative style that my market may not be able to find elsewhere. I strive to maintain a distinctive, cohesive aesthetic. I’m not visually “for everyone,” and I hope that’s exactly what makes me stand out. I employ a personal touch wherever possible which creates a lasting impression as well as a lasting relationship with many of my clients who return time after time for additional pieces to commemorate special moments. The process of translating a client’s identity, history, and emotions into a one-of-a-kind piece is a huge undertaking and not one I take lightly.
I also impress upon clients and future-clients that I understand that jewellery is a luxury item and it should never break the bank. I work within budgets and try not to turn even the smallest project down if I can make it feasible in some way. Process updates, education about materials, and collaborative design make all my clients feel respected and involved – I demystify the craft without diminishing the magic.
Word of mouth is also the best advertising. Jewellery is intimate and sentimental — when someone loves a piece, they show it and talk about me to others. Every ring is a tiny business card or billboard that goes to brunch, weddings, vacations and more!
Can you share one of your favorite marketing or sales stories?
A few years back I had a client who had an amazing idea for a custom gift for their partner, but we did not have enough time to fully conceptualize and then create the piece in time for their anniversary. However, I was so excited about the idea and spitballed so many ways we could make things work – simplifying the design, adjusting the timeline, creating a stand in piece or example drawing of what the gift will be down the road. My willingness to be flexible (and honestly I think my genuine excitement around the project) lead to my client being excited about taking the time that this kind of project deserved. We adjusted the timeline so it could still be made for their birthday instead, and in the meantime my client purchased a ready-to-go piece from my showcase for the upcoming anniversary. So, instead of losing one sale because of a tight timeline (I could have just said “no, sorry”) I doubled my sales to this client instead!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lianevaz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lianevazdesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lianevazdesigns/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lianevazdesigns https://beacons.ai/lianevaz
Image Credits
Vikas Bakshi, Erica Dorotan, Oscar W