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.
AP: How long has the line been around?
JV: I started in 2004. People who have been following know my line as “Children of Nature.” I love children and am inspired by my own. 2006 was when I changed it to Foreign Unity because I felt it suited a more wider demographic.
AP: What inspires you the most to create and keep creating?
JV: The people and my heart. I love this shit. I breathe and sleep creativity. What keeps me is the most simplest thing of all..love. Like any artist, its the only ingredient you’ll ever need in anything you do.
AP: A lot of creative individuals I’ve met lately speak about LOVE , even myself, and how important it is to the art and even mankind. What is your definition of LOVE?
JV: In its basic form, simplest context, and sweetest delivery: Its in how you live. Do you serve your people? How do you care for your family? Do you provide for them emotionally and wholeheartedly? Your music, is love or money the main ingredient? Its everything positive. Everything right. It’s appreciating the littlest things that some people may ignore. One person could look out your window and see a beautiful tree with flowers budding and name the birds that’s sitting on it. Others can just see a tree and a bird. Love is detailed. It’s profound but in the most secretive kind of way.
AP: Beautiful. Your designs are for everybody, of course, but who is the most common consumer, like who might you see walking down the block in a Foreign Unity design?
JV: The woman who has fashion sense without making sense. It comes as second nature to them. They look fly even when they wake up.
JV: Like, what?!
AP: I’ve heard that your designs have been seen on some lovely ladies in the music industry. Who are some of those ladies?
JV: Amel Larrieux, Kelis, Fatima Robinson, Miss Jack Davey from J*Davey…
AP: Your from LA (feel free to give the exact hometown to REP!) but you’ve recently spent some time in NYC.How has NY treated you and Foreign Unity and what are some of the differences youve seen in the fashion industry as a designer and a consumer?
JV: Yes, I’m proud to say I’m from OXNARD, California. NYC…ahhh, what can I say about this amazing city aside from it has been such a positive and enriching endeavor. I just did a jewelry art exhibit at the Webster Hall in Manhattan and worked with my talented friends from SWRV (swrv.biz, big up!) to create an amazing editorial shoot. The response in NY is not as heavy as it is in Los Angeles. LA is definitely at a quicker speed in trends as opposed to NY right now. Not a bad thing at all, only thing is as a designer, we have to be patient and wait for the consumers to adapt. I’ve noticed, the men are more advanced than women on fashion out here. The feedback I’ve had and most of the support I’ve gotten are from very artistic men in the industry. They break down my art to a T and it leaves me baffled. Either way, I’m grateful to anyone who I inspire and motivate to create more.
AP: Since you brought it up…
JV: Uh oh
AP: is Jennie taken?
JV: U interviewers man…why must you embarrass me!
AP: Gotta keep it fun!
JV:): Well, I just met someone recently…but I am leaving it at that. <3
JV: Ha.
AP: Ok.
AP: At STRUHT we focus on fashion but we aim to bridge the gap with fashion,art and music.Give me and the readers 3 Musicians and 3 Visual Artist to look out for this year?Like artist you really think the WORLD should know about?
JV: 3 Musicians: Suzi @nalog – her voice, TOKiMONSTA -her beat game and Kankick – he’s my hero. 3 Visual Artists: Teebs – his eye is ridiculous (so are his beats), Nita Darling – she’s the new black Andy Warhol and KODAK – I’ve always been a fan but I don’t think that much people are on his shit…
AP: and lastly but definitely not least.
AP: Do you have any “Words of Wisdom” for designers wanting to get into the industry?
JV: DO WHAT YOU LOVE!AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO!
check out the jewelry at www.foreignunity.com
photography by Andre Power!
