San Miguel de Allende |

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.

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

Tag Archives: San Miguel de Allende

What Would You Wear?

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!

Hello New York!