Chic Bits

Ever since I was a small kid, I liked observing people who use accessories. I think they are more than just a simple part of an outfit. People use accessories for different reasons, but the most important one has to do with personality. Accessories are personal and an expression of who you are.

People can express a great deal about themselves through the accessories they choose to wear. It is a way to show your vibe and for others to sense you. It is also a way you see the world and how you want the world to see you.

When I arrived in the US from Venezuela, I got many compliments for my accessories. That led me to research the accessories and jewelry market in South Florida. Even though I found out that it is a mature market, I also discovered a potential niche I could work with. I followed my instincts and trusted in my abilities to start this project that I named Chic Vibe. I also like to call it the Chic Vibe Lab because we carefully formulate each product proposal. 

We have been participating in numerous trade shows and pop up markets all over South Florida. We have used these opportunities to perform a thorough study of people, analyzing in detail how they looked at themselves in the mirror while trying out Chic Vibe accessories and watching their body language during the sales process. Talking to customers to understand their personalities and what they are looking for style-wise. I was in my 10” x 10” tent with a pen and notebook, taking notes about reactions and comments about our products.

I am fascinated with the spirit that embodies American’s personality and found an amazing challenge in our formulations.  We have come up with many formula variations, some examples are:

• It isn’t about finding a style
• Their character= their style
•  Body language + pieces ⁼ highlight personality    
• Break away ≠ uniformity and monotony
•  = symbol rings + unique bracelets 

Most of our customers, if not all of them, know very well every angle of their bodies and how to enhance them. 

Chic Vibe is the laboratory result of formulas and experiments, analyzed to understand you alongside with the world we live in. We are ensuing an offer that adds value due to its originality, freshness, authenticity, and performance on pro a sustainable planet. It is about people adorning their bodies and personality to feel more like themselves, break from monotony, and uncover their vibes.

We have been researching the properties of different kinds of metal for our designs, in order to create beautiful pieces with the highest quality. For example, in South Florida, where we are based, due to the high humidity levels and salt residue from the ocean, we decided to work with stainless steel because it is a corrosion resistant metal.

 Specifically, we are using grade 316 stainless steel, which contains molybdenum. The addition of this mineral to the alloy drastically enhances corrosion resistance, making more suitable for saline or chloride-exposed environments

Nowadays, beautiful jewelry is produced in the American Continent with modern materials and techniques, preserving the cultural influence of our ancestors while also echoing the current trends all over the world. The two main techniques that we used are metalsmithing and wire wrapping; the first one is the art of forming and fabricating metal into jewelry by annealing, cutting and sawing, filing and sanding, forming and hammering to create shapes and textures, joining, and finishing. Wire wrapping consists of creating jewelry components with wire and findings and connecting the components to one another using manual mechanical techniques, frequently a wire is bent into a loop or other shapes and then wrapped around itself to make the shape permanent.

 

The American continent is famous for being a rich blend of world cultures, and this diversity is reflected in the jewelry designed and crafted on this side of the planet. Initially, Native Americans created jewelry that signified their unique culture, beliefs and sense of style; and because most indigenous groups practiced trade with other tribes, including jewelry and the materials to make it, they often borrowed designs and methods from each other. In the beginning, stones, wood, animal bones and shells were shaped into beads and pendants to craft numerous pieces, and sometime later turquoise, pearls, corals and other gems stones were also used to create wearable jewelry

 

Some basic metalwork consisting mainly of hammering and etching copper and silver, was also done by the first nations to make earrings, pendants and beads. The colonization brought better metalworking techniques along with the combination of materials, traditions and styles.  When the Europeans came to the new world, these additional jewelry materials and techniques were incorporated into the making process, resulting in beautiful and distinctive creations that displayed all the different influences.