Vancouver Fashion

Vancouver's online fashion culture magazine

Parts by Heather: Beautiful Nature

May 14th, 2009 | Published in Designers

Words by Serena Mason. Above photos by Bryan Lemos Beça.

We stare at the two soft grey lifeless bodies on the stoop below the window.

“Do you think they’re sleeping?” Heather asks, concern and a note of doomed hope colouring her voice.

“No,” I reply, “I don’t think they’re sleeping.” Secretly, I imagine the two pigeons must have been star-crossed lovers who died in a winged embrace after a long lifetime of loving each other. The romantic, creative atmosphere of this heritage building and Heather Mandin’s well-appointed and bright little studio must be getting to me.

We turn away from the window and I survey the space in which this talented young jewellery artist works magic with antique and vintage stone, metal and leather. There are two large work tables strewn with gorgeous bits and baubles which will inevitably become coveted pieces of Vancouver style, a simple shelf displaying the finished pieces in all their diversity and beauty, and Heather’s enviable fire-engine red bike, her main means of transportation.

An Alberta girl originally, Parts by Heather designer, Heather Mandin, moved to Vancouver soon after graduating from university. After traveling and working for a few years she realized, “I need ocean. I need forest nearby and I was super inspired by what Vancouver has to offer nature-wise. I’m a mountain girl.” Parts by Heather Feathers Before settling in Vancouver, her travels lead her to Australia, where she picked up many beautiful materials for jewellery-making, a craft that up until that point had been a self-taught hobby.

After relocating to Vancouver and with her jewellery-making materials in tow, she began her work in earnest. Nature is a major influence, from “rock formations to cloud formations with the sun coming through.” Not only does the natural environment inspire her work, but the preservation of it also fuels her commitment to using salvaged, vintage and ethically-sourced materials.

Just like her inspiration, Mandin’s process is similarly organic. “I’ll pick up a piece and think, ‘okay, I really want to use this’ and just by looking at it and touching it, I’ll get some inspiration for a design or a concept. Or even sometimes, I’ll be sleeping and I’ll wake up and have to get up and sketch an idea from my dream. Sometimes things come to me totally randomly.”

Mandin also works closely with clients to create personalized pieces. Often her custom work can be the most rewarding because the client is passionate about the project, whether it is a custom wedding piece or a reworking of a family heirloom.

When I ask which piece she is most proud of, she does not hesitate, bounding up to show me a gorgeous necklace comprised of three large turquoise stones in the shape of flat, disc-like rings all held together with links of gold chain. The magnificent piece is like an avant-garde sculpture for the neck and just like every other piece that Heather makes, it has a story. The largest piece of turquoise comes from her mother’s travels and the two smaller pieces are part of an inheritance of antique jewellery that she received from a family friend. It is at once architectural and organic, honouring the materials it is made of and yet full of human intent and care.

From the way her eyes light up when she tells me about her inspirations and her favourite pieces, I know Heather is one of those lucky few who actually get to live their dream job. Her passion for her work is palpable but she acknowledges that fashion is a difficult and sometimes treacherous industry. “It’s hard to believe in yourself all the time. I think being passionate about what I do is what keeps me going when I’m unsure. But I love it. I love creating beautiful things for beautiful women and to have them feel great about wearing the jewellery.”

As our chat comes to a close, I ask Heather about her plans for the future. There is a new project in the works, but she remains coy, preferring to tell me instead about some jewellery-making workshops she hopes to host this summer. All will be revealed in its time but something tells me this nature girl will continue to follow her passion for many years to come, creating beautiful jewellery for all our beautiful parts.

Published in Designers

Fresh off the press

Archives >>

Attached Photo Gallery

Fresh in Designers

Jason Wu: leading fashion’s brat pack

Jason Wu, who we're happy to hear has called himself a Vancouverite, shares his experiences as a designer with String just before his welcoming event at The Room in the Bay Vancouver Downtown.