at Eco Fashion Week in Vancouver, after winning the award for Best New Accessories Line.
Victoria Ronco
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, it was only natural that Victoria chose to name the line of leather goods she was making in Spanish. Passionate about sustainability and eco-consciousness since her teenage years, she shops local as much as possible, checks the carbon footprint of her groceries, and tries to reduce the amount of plastic in her household.
Before launching the Divina Denuevo line, Victoria was always making things: from clothes to jewelry, she preferred to create something original rather than wear what the masses were sporting. When she came upon her first piece of leather she was fascinated – the rustic look and raw edges looked absolutely perfect and unique. Having always collected opulent oddities such as skeleton keys and antique hardware, she found that the shiny glints of hardware on the rich leather made an excellent juxtaposition. After making her first bag, she began looking at any old hardware that might end up in a landfill: doorknobs, cabinet handles, keyplates, hinges – It became her mission to find anything that she could save, repurpose, and make beautiful again.
Dave Kelly
In Dave’s kitchen, where Divina Denuevo started.
Dave grew up in a smaller community in Northern BC and moved to the Lower Mainland after high school to complete his degree. He met Victoria when they both worked at the same company. They became good friends and when Victoria was preparing for a local market, Dave offered to help. He originally began managing the business administration of the line (handling pricing, inventory, product management and logistics), but soon found a spark in creativity that led him to begin designing. His passion for the environment and natural talent for technical
design began to shine through, lending balance to Victoria’s artistic side. Dave still handles all the supply and production administration, pricing and inventory, leaving Victoria to do the marketing and customer service. They both share in the design and creation, working together as a collaborative team rather than as two individuals.
Check this brilliant interview with the designers by Haus of Hybrid to learn more about their creative process.
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