Foreign Unity
About 6 months ago was when I started to get more involved in the SD fashion and art scene.I was helping a friend out with a trunk show and I saw Jennifer Villaruz across the room. After minutes of having a conversation with Jennie, her personality and energy made me feel like I knew this powerful woman for a lifetime. Her jewelry line FOREIGN UNITY was on display in a lightly lit room but each handcrafted piece had a glow that only a queen could give.
Jennie came to San Diego from LA by way of Bency Jimenez, One of San Diegos illest hardest working DJ’s,to spread her LOVE where need be. I had the opportunity to stay in contact with Jennie and work with her on more events, even featuring her jewelry line in one of “theCollaboratory” events, which is a organization in San Diego created by Laura Katherine Logan and myself, that was formed to bring artist and musicians together to collabortate with each other and showcase there art in a seasonal art showcase events. Not too long after the Collaboratory event, Jennie relocated to NYC and she found time in between her photojournalism work and her jewelry design to provide us with some personal insight about her life as an artist and as a mother, as well as how she adjusted to the move:
Andre Power!: What exactly is Foreign Unity? and how did you come up with the name?
Jennie Villaruz: Foreign Unity is everyone. We’re all from foreign cultures, foreign planes, speaking foreign languages. I came up with the name by thinking about how much influence my jewelry reflected so many different cultures. I wanted to find a way where I can visually unite them. That idea gave birth to the line: Foreign Unity.
