CAROLINE VENTURA
To begin our series on creative women, we have the inspiring Caroline. A west coast native, now firmly devoted to a creative life in New York’s West Village. In addition to artistic pursuits and handcrafting jewelry for her line BRVTVS, Caroline runs homewares store Calliope with her husband Michael.
But it’s not the details of her charmed life that draw you in. It’s the woman that Caroline is; her quiet confidence-- and the comfort she has in her own skin. There’s a clarity there that’s immediately recognizable and impossible to ignore. It’s this that is perhaps most inspiring. We visited Caroline in the beautiful home she shares with Michael and their dog Darryl, and spoke about timeless style and following your gut.
How do you describe what you do?
First and foremost, I’m an artist. I don't like to pigeonhole myself. My focus hops from jewelry to art to running my shop, Calliope. But, despite all of these outward facing things, I'm incredible shy and introverted–– and I'm usually in bed by 10pm every night.
How do you seamlessly jump between your art and jewelry?
To me, there’s not much of a difference between the things I make other than the medium. Everything I do tends to be minimal and simple. I like things with quiet touches that might take you a second to realize why you’re drawn to it or why it’s special.
With my jewelry, I want to make things that are timeless, that you are going to wear every day. With my drawings and art pieces, I try to keep a simple palette with simple shapes and lines. So it’s more about the relationship of the colors on the canvas or the shapes on the paper, and how they interact with one another.
Where do you source your inspiration?
Inspiration is tricky for me. I never really have these beautiful “Aha!” moments. Ideas are constantly running around my head. I use music as a big drive when I’m painting or drawing; with jewelry, my inspiration comes from an emotional place… I imagine a certain feeling one would have when putting on a specific necklace or earring, and try to imagine what that feeling would look like.
You have this easy minimalism that’s so admirable, and carries through in your everyday style. Would you say you have a uniform?
I've always been pretty casual in the way I dress and lean toward a simple silhouette. Jeans and t-shirts are a constant for me because they provide an easy backdrop to add in special touches with jewelry or shoes, or whatever else I'm into at the moment.
My uniform varies slightly, but I do tend to get really into wearing one or two things and I'll wear them to death until I'm sick of them, and then move onto something else.
And how has your style evolved?
It's evolved in the sense that it's much more refined now, but I still have pieces in my closet that I owned in high school. I've always leaned towards menswear-inspired pieces. When I was young, it was straight up something from the men's department, and now it's something that's made for a woman's body but has details and tailoring borrowed from the boys.
I've also learned over the years how to dress for my body type, and my confidence in clothing choices has gone up a lot since I was 15 and stealing my dad's 501s.
And what drew you to the tees you're wearing here?
Comfort is key for me, especially when I'm in the studio. I don't want to feel constricted and love the feeling of something that's been worn time and again. These two pieces embody that, and a simple silhouette with a sheerness that adds a little femininity. With the bra peeking through, this black tee is sexy without being over the top.
Tell us about living, creating, and having your store all in one building.
I'm fortunate to have multiple areas to do what I do in such close proximity. Thankfully I have a dog that forces me out into the real world so I can reset my brain, otherwise I would never leave the building.
You also spend a lot of time on the road.
I’m from Los Angeles, which informed me to keep things simple. London is a huge inspiration for me; every time I’m there, I feel at home. They don’t take themselves too seriously and keep things minimal, but always classic.
So, what's the best lesson you've picked up along the way?
Just fucking do it. I used to hesitate a lot about everything and overthink things. Just do it. Trust your gut. I know it seems a bit cheesy, but your own intuition is the best gauge you'll ever have.
New York, October 2017
By Neada Jane
Photography by Bec Lorrimer
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