How Vanessa Bellan's Haitian-Italian Upbringing Influences Her Genderless Jewelry
Vanessa Bellan, founder of V. Bellan personalized fine jewelry. COURTESY OF V. BELLAN
Growing up an only child and the oldest of 22 cousins, Vanessa Bellan, V. Bellan jewelry designer, understood family values through her Caribbean culture as the core to success and happiness. Vanessa reminisces, “your cousins are like your siblings - growing up in the same house. You’re the teacher - you're the friend - everything. I remember growing up - PBS was my best friend. Learning English watching PBS [shows]; Barney, Sesame Street.”
Bars collection earrings from V. Bellan personalized fine jewelry. COURTESY OF V. BELLAN
Up until the age of five, Vanessa spent those years with her grandmother in Haiti. Vanessa's mother got involved in the arts as a senior settling into an American high school in Arlington, Massachusetts. As a young mom and Haitian-American immigrant, Vanessa's mother assimilated to ‘90s hip-hop culture, transferring the love to her daughter.
Vanessa Bellan, founder of V. Bellan personalized fine jewelry. COURTESY OF V. BELLAN
Vanessa recalls, “I was in art camp - I was in a lot of creative writing classes. I used to draw - want to be a little designer making Barbie [inspired] clothing.”
Vanessa’s step-dad, an Italian-American, was a chef who had a strong sense of the ‘90s flair about him. “What’s ironic, I’m Haitian but I grew up on Italian food,” Vanessa points out. The Massachusetts-based Bellan family has inspired her V. Bellan personalized fine jewelry line.
Both of Vanessa's parents nurtured her natural creativity and influenced her love for none other than jewelry. Vanessa’s mother wore typical jewelry styles from the hip-hop culture of the ‘90s.
“My mom was into the large hoops and the chunky jewelry. She was very fashionable. [She] loved hoops, she loved statement necklaces, and I used to always play around in her stuff,” she remembers.
Bars collection choker from V. Bellan personalized fine jewelry. COURTESY OF V. BELLAN
Vanessa accredits her taste for custom pieces to her father. She continues, “my father always wore personalized solid gold jewelry. He would have signet rings and chains. He would purchase nameplates and other pieces of jewelry with my name on them. His main piece was - all Caribbean men had it back then - a gold coin on a signet ring. He also had a big 'E' chain pendant,” for his name, Eddie.
“I had ‘Vanessa’ necklaces, ‘Vanessa’ bracelets - I would always wear personalized jewelry,” Vanessa comments.
Vanessa Bellan, founder of V. Bellan personalized fine jewelry. COURTESY OF V. BELLAN
Influenced by her parents, it was all too tragic that her dream of being a parent herself would be thwarted. Vanessa suffered the miscarriage of her first child, a girl, that shifted her career into a direction that would serve in memoriam of the unborn child.
She relives the moments after, where she would leave her job under depression. “I made pieces for myself and my fiancé in her remembrance. I created pieces to solidify our love - for our child. We went through that loss together. I just wanted to document what was happening with us. Turn something devastating into something beautiful and sustainable.”
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