Vania Truchsess grew up in Maracaibo, Venezuela, raised by her parents and by Dionicia, a woman from the Wayuu tribe who looked after her as a child and who gave her, through the quiet act of knitting traditional Wayuu bags, a lifelong love of handmade things.
She moved to New Zealand in 2012, carrying that love and a wandering spirit shaped by travel, music, gemstones and the colours of changing seasons. After working jobs that didn't capture her heart, she took the leap in 2017 and founded VANIA, a jewellery brand for dreamers, lovers and wandering souls, handcrafted in Auckland using natural gemstones and precious metals.
Each piece is designed with a free and feeling sensibility, effortless and luxurious, timeless with a gypsy edge, made for those who choose jewellery not as an accessory but as an expression of something true about themselves.