Yanina Faour
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Designer Yanina Faour is Argentina’s “enfant terrible” of luxury
jewelry, injecting new life into the conventions of fine jewelry.
She creates intricate, sculptural pieces that tell a story, inspired
by her deep appreciation of the arts, the architecture of her
beloved home Buenos Aires ‘Paris of Latin America,’ and her vivid
imagination.
Yanina began her career on a very different path, working in finance
in Boston. After a few years, she was struck with the desire to
return to her roots in Buenos Aires and pursue her true vocation and
passion in life: jewelry design.Coming from a family of jewelers
that goes back to her great grandfather, a traditional metalsmith
who came to Argentina from Austria, she followed in his footsteps
and dedicated herself to creating one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces.
She launched her own brand Oleana in 2003, combining the artisanal
craftsmanship of her ancestors with a fresh, modern aesthetic.
What sets Oleana apart is the choice of five distinctive jewelry
lines for different moments of the day: Art Nouveau, Art Deco,
Mandalas, Galaxy, and Liturgy. Each unique, handcrafted line
proposes a different style of beauty to suit the eclectic tastes of
the modern woman, from delicate, whimsical pieces for everyday wear
to bolder, statement jewels for night. Yanina prides herself on
working with fine metals and unusual precious stones such as the
striking blue celestial onyx, a rare stone only found in the north
of Argentina, that features heavily in her Art Deco collection.
Faour also plays with the worlds of art and fashion and has
collaborated on limited edition lines with contemporary Argentine
artists. This includes Maladie, with artist Celeste Martinez, that
merges conceptual art with jewelry and was exhibited at several art
fairs, including the Venice Biennale 2011 in Italy. More recently,
she created Carnivore with visual artist Paula Toto Blake that adds
new meaning to the term wearable art. The collection received
several national awards and is currently available to buy in the
boutiques of Buenos Aires’ MALBA art museum and Houston’s Museum of
Fine Arts store (US).
Oleana was selected by French cosmetics company Guerlain to be
associated with their brand in Argentina, in particular the Art
Nouveau line and its interpretation of the mythical orchid flower.
Yanina has also presented her collection internationally at the
Workshop Fashion Agency during Paris Fashion Week in 2010 and the
Tokyo Rooms Fashion Fair in 2012. In 2013 her brand was awarded with
the Argentinian “Seal of Good Design” by the Ministry of Industry in
recognition of her innovative designs, local production and position
in the market. Postulated by Vital Voices Argentina in March 2014,
Yanina participated in the mentoring program for emerging women
leaders organized by the Bank of America and Vital Voices
Foundation. It was established by Hillary Clinton in 1997 to provide
support and encouragement to entrepreneurial women worlwide.
Oleana jewelry is currently sold in Argentina, Uruguay, the
Dominican Republic, the US, England, France and online worldwide.
Yanina is also available for exclusive commissions of custom-made
fine jewelry.
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