How Do You Wear Yours?! Pax Multicross Necklace

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Mercedes Hart

Posted in give-away, Wear It & Believe | Tagged blog, contest, Fashion, giveaway, how to wear it, Jewelry, Mercedes Hart, Mexico, music, necklace, Style, video, Virgins Saints & Angels, VSA Designs, win | 56 Replies 56

Bobby Fjess

We have been seeing some serious love for the Pax Multicross Necklace in the blogger world lately! The oh so stylish Bobby Raffin shows us boys wear it too! And the lovely Jess of Fresh Jess wears hers as a bracelet! As i mentioned in my last post, the PAX Multicross Necklace by Virgins Saints & Angels is probably our most versatile piece. I made a little video to prove my point because everything is better with music in the background!

How would you wear yours?! We have a Pax Multicross Necklace to give away to one lucky reader!
To enter simply ‘like’ our video on youtube and leave us a comment on youtube as well as here on the blog.

N-PMB-mm-r31-C
Open to legal residents of the US aged 18 years or older only. Winner will be contacted by email on May 6

♥ M

Pax Multicross….

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Mercedes Hart

Posted in Wear It & Believe | Tagged design, hand made, inspiration, Jewelry, Mexico, necklace, pax, peace, San Benito, Virgins Saints & Angels, VSA Designs | 3 Replies 3

Photography by Cielo Garcia

The Pax Multicross Necklace is probably the single most versatile piece in the entire Virgins Saints & Angels line. This piece appeared in 2010 as part of our Pax collection. PAX is the Latin word for peace and appears above the cross on the San Benito medallion. We took this element from our favorite and most popular symbol as inspiration for a sister-line to the San Benito Collection. The collection is particularly sentimental to me as it marked the moment when I first felt I had truly begun to master the art of CAD (computer aided design). VSA invested in a CAD-CAM machine in 2009 and I was lucky enough to be given the position of CAD Designer. After much practice, and some very embarrassing first results (my robot looking bird never made it out of the studio) I set to work on the cherished San Benito. I managed to create a perfect replica and then began experimenting with cutting out the negative space and extracting the stand out elements; the bold even cross and the PAX above it; giving the medallion a more edgy modern feel. By doming the medallion we created the San Benito bead!
sn benitos
pax collection
This was a new look for VSA and a whole new process; we worked with an incredible factory in Mexico City specializing in this kind of intricate design, and although we appreciated the high standard of their work; in the end it just couldn’t compare to the artisan aesthetic of our hand-made look, that unmistakable VSA style! Some of the pieces stuck around for quite some time and two of them have become best sellers- the PAX Magdalena, because let’s face it- it’s a Magdalena! And today’s featured item- The Pax Multicross Bead Necklace. Using natural stone beads as featured in most of our Rosaries and a mix of Silver and Antique Bronze, the Pax Multicross has become a favorite to many.

There are several ways to wear it, as pictured below. Wear it as a long single strand or double it up for a shorter version, layer it with the Pax Magdalena or your other favorite necklaces; wrap it around your wrist as a bracelet; and you can even wrap it around your waist for a cute accent to a dress or top! (We are not promising one size fits all on this but you can always use two linked together if you need to, which would give you some great extra length to dangle!)

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The possibilities are endless! Wear it around your ankle, on your upper arm, braided in your hair (make sure you have someone to help you get it out at the end of the night or you could end up in a tangled mess!) Am I missing something? We would love to hear your ideas on how to wear it!

a special viewing…

Posted on January 13, 2013 by Mercedes Hart

Posted in New York, VSA happenings, Wear It & Believe | Tagged abc, beauty, bond07, CFDA, Cheryl Finnegan, council of fashion designers of america, crown, event, evil queen, fairytale, Fashion, handmade, happening, Jewelry, launch, Mercedes Hart, Mexico, new, New York, Once, once upon a time, photos, selima optique, snow wihte, Swarovski, Virgins Saints & Angels, VSA Designs | Leave a reply Reply

Bond07 by Selima Optique played host to Virgins Saints & Angels on Wednesday evening for the launch
of our latest Collection, Once Upon a Time.

Inspired by the hit ABC series Once Upon a Time, this collection features statement pieces including exquisite
crowns, designed to bring out your inner princess.

Everyone enjoyed playing dress up with the crowns!

A huge thank you to Selima Optique for the use of their beautiful space!

What Would You Wear?

Posted on May 5, 2012 by Mercedes Hart

Posted in Wear It & Believe | Tagged Cheryl Finnegan, cross, Dave Navarro, earrings, glamor, Guadalupe, Gwen Stefani, Jewelry, Madonna, Mercedes Hart, Mexico, Miracles, religion, resurrection, Rihanna, San Benito, San Miguel de Allende, Style, Swarovski, Virgins Saints & Angels, VSA Designs | 1 Reply 1Comments

We are often asked- “are you a religious company?” The answer is no; whether we call ourselves Catholic or Buddhist, those are personal choices and do not reflect the essence of the brand. What is true for each of the incredibly fierce and talented women that make up the VSA team, is that we all believe strongly in the power of the ancient symbols we use in our designs. We are inspired by the Virgin of Guadalupe, fascinated with the history of the San Benito, and drawn to the iconic symbol of Our Lady of Miracles.

For those of us that have had the good fortune to experience life in San Miguel de Allende, the colonial town in the heart of Mexico where VSA grew up, these symbols and icons are a part of daily life. A hand painted Guadalupe, adorned with plastic flowers and candles, greets me as I turn the corner for tacos. Tucked carefully into the edge of a mirror above the driver on my local bus are two pictures, Mary and his mother; the two most precious women in the world. I have yet to see an auto shop in Mexico without an altar up on the wall; a smiling Guadalupe lit with a tiny blue bulb offers encouragement to hard working men alongside scantily clad calendar girls. Basically what I’m saying is; these people wear their religion on their sleeve, it’s in their hand-shakes, it’s everywhere. It’s not so much ‘practiced’ as ‘celebrated’ and it’s hard not to be influenced by it!

With this year’s spring collection we decided to fully embrace our Catholic influence. We focused on the idea of the Last Supper, looking back at other interpretations of this famous feast, from da Vinci to Dave Lachapelle and asked ourselves…..what would you wear? Featuring some seriously insane crosses and super long earrings, the Resurrection Collection is all about the bling! That bling being Swarovski sparkle; once again VSA uses Swarovski Elements in an unlikely and innovative way.

Pendants featuring Jesus, Mary, the cross, or just a killer Swarovski crystal on heavy chain.

The Resurrection Cross Buckle

The Resurrection Oval Cuff. Personally I like to wear one on each wrist……..wonder woman style!

There is major bling going on in every pair but what is most surprising is how light these extra long earrings are!

A big inspiration for this collection was the ‘Cholo’ style so prominent in Mexican urban youth culture. I don’t mean the starched bandanas and facial tattoos, but there is something about some of the young men and women; the exaggerated lip-liner and easy nonchalance, that radiates an unlikely glamor. I call this particular kind of glamor ‘cholo-chic’, Ms Gwen Stefani rocks it oh so well! and of course playing a little gangster rap while you’re at the design table is bound to influence things!

Dave Navarro rocks VSA! Rihanna wears VSA!

Photo by Billie Danger

Madonna has always been one of the sexiest and most notorious cross-bearers. When I saw Madonna’s Video for ‘Give Me All Your Luvin’ featuring M.I.A and Nicki Minaj I had to pause and re-pause; I was so sure she was wearing the Resurrection Cross Pendant! Then at the launch for her new fragrance, which I am dying to get a whiff of, I did a double take again! Clearly the Resurrection Collection has Madge written all over it!

Madonna and Lourdes wear VSA, the Royal Collection no less!

We had so much fun doing the photo shoot for this collection! We are such an international team and are so rarely all in the same place, but we managed to get quite a few of us together for this! Here it is again; The Black Supper.

From left: Alejandra (production manager) Lisa (CFO) Rachel (west coast sales) Guadalupe (Swarovski Mexico) Maggie (owner/designer Talula de la Lune handbags) Mariana (owner/designer Totem Bowls) MaryCarmen (finance department) Cheryl (owner/designer VSA) Lucia (Art Director) Jimena (Finance department) Molly (Mexico retail manager) Talulah (VSA heiress!) Mercedes (designer/PR& Media) Pancho (best dog ever!!)

We all saw a brand new side of Ale, was it the hair? the heels? Whatever it was it suited her and we all wish she’d dress like this for the office!

I would love to hear your comments! Have you had your hands on the Resurrection collection yet? Which piece are you dying to try? What do you think of our interpretation of the Last Supper? and most importantly……what would you wear?!

P.S Jim Lewis wrote a great article on glamor in the latest issue of W magazine, if you missed it read the full article here.

Hello New York!

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Mercedes Hart

Posted in New York | Tagged Cheryl Finnegan, City, Culture, edge, Fashion, Icon, Image, Jewelry, lifestyle, Madonna, Mercedes Hart, Mexico, New York, San Miguel de Allende, Spiritual Essence, Style, Virgins Saints & Angels, VSA Designs | Leave a reply Reply

It’s time—finally!—for VSA Designs to step out of the magical Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende and into the big city. As a designer for VSA for the past several years, I have loved seeing the inspirations for our collections on the colonial streets and in the Mexican icons that appear everywhere, and I have come to appreciate the creativity, artistry, and craftsmanship that goes into every piece that we make here. But I’m a city girl, born and raised in London, and I am ready to get back to an urban environment—taking VSA along with me. I will continue to design for VSA, I will miss my girls! but I am so excited about taking on the new role of media contact for this company I love so dearly!

We love New York! Cheryl Finnegan, the owner and designer of VSA, has been a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for three years now and wonders, each time an invite to a gala, opening or seminar arrives in her inbox, why she doesn’t live in the big apple?! Well trust me, New York will be seeing a lot more of her now!

Whenever we visit for a trade show or vacation, we always get stopped on the streets by people who want to know where to get what we’re wearing. Sometimes people buy the pieces right off our bodies, because until now, there’s been nearly nowhere to get them in New York!

New Yorkers have seen our accessories adorn celebrities on stage and in the streets, turning up in fashion magazines such as InStyle, Elle, People, Vibe, and Vogue. We don’t like to brag, so I won’t! but if you check our press page you’ll see everyone from Madonna to Maria Shriver, and we don’t place our pieces with stylists—it’s strictly word of mouth. There is one bit of bragging I do allow myself- because seriously how could you not?! Mr John Galliano chose a VSA belt buckle to wear on the runway for his Paris show!!!!

I know VSA will fit New York because just like the city, we are a combination of tradition and edge, with rich, antique, icon-inspired accessories updated for a completely fashion-forward sensibility. We’ve drawn on the iconography of different cultures and come up with a style that expresses beauty that is both ancient and utterly new. Our accessories are so versatile they will work downtown, uptown, from Ft. Greene all the way out to Greenwich, Connecticut.

New York always has an eye for the unusual and the powerful, for distinctive style that is imbued with energy. Now New Yorkers are going to be seeing more of VSA. But not too much: we didn’t say it was going to be easy to find. VSA is unique, special, and not for everyone, just like New York City.

Follow me—Mercedes—as I explore New York, and tell you more about what inspires me and VSA. We are all about using powerful symbols—goddesses and icons—to express creativity, edge, and style that is all your own.

Photo by Cielo Garcia

How would you wear yours?! We have a Pax Multicross Necklace to give away to one lucky reader! To enter simply ‘like’ our video on youtube and leave us a comment on youtube as well as here on the blog.