Cover photo: Larisa (right) wears Birch Bark Wide Copper Earrings as Molly (left) wears Moon Over Water earrings. Both wear various bangles by Devi Arts Collective.

Photos and Interview by Alli Hayes
@bunnie604

In an era of fast-paced textile and fashion industries, one Vancouver woman is slowing down the process with ethically-sourced, female-forward raw materials for her jewelry and textile line.

“I feel like the term [eco fashion] is subjective and up for interpretation. To do good fashion, [it’s the] sense of the fabric production towards the environment, the human side of it, the labour rights, child rights,” says Bayoush Mengesha, founder of Devi Arts Collective.

Mengesha has been manifesting her creative passion for jewelry from a young age. Her small business, Devi Arts Collective, combines all of her passions: making jewelry, working with her hands, and giving back. Mengesha moved to Canada with her family when she was 4 years old. Her parents had left their home country in Ethiopia during the revolution and had been in Swaziland before moving to Vancouver.

“That has always been something [I felt] since I was young—understanding that other people in the world don’t necessarily have it as easy as we do,” Mengesha says.

She knows the value of production, and what it takes to reach a certain level of quality.

“I wanted to honour the artists, because I think everything that leads up to getting stones and fabrics—that is an art. I can’t do it. Not everyone can do it. It’s man-made, not machine-made,” she reveals.

“I get to do what I’m passionate about. I love everyone I get to work with. This [shared studio] space, for me, is the epitome of what I want my business to be. Women supporting women, women being passionate about their careers, their art, supporting each other. I really feel like I found that in my space.”

Author’s note: For this shoot, Bayoush and I wanted to focus on women of colour and BC nature in one of Bayoush’s favourite spots: Deep Cove. We wanted to showcase pops of colour and pretty designs. We truly did get this shot at golden hour, and it really captured the beauty behind the brand and the women. Devi Arts Collective works with women artisans in Guatemala, Indonesia and India to source raw metals, gemstones and textiles. Styling is Bayoush’s own, this gallery showcases her jewelry on Molly and Larisa.

Photos
Alli Hayes

Models
Molly Randhawa
Larisa Sanders

Jewelry
Devi Arts Collective

Styling
Bayoush Mengesha