After ten years working in the jewellery industry, Elisa Viola Nagbag was tired of what she viewed as the overproduction of poor-quality pieces.
Two years ago, whilst on maternity leave, she decided to do something about it.
Elisa, a Romford-based mother of two, founded her own independent jewellery brand, EVN Jewellery, to create a business that is better aligned to her personal values.
"I’ve been in the industry for a long time, and I’ve seen the backstage of it," Elisa told this paper.
"There is so much consumption, so much jewellery being produced.
"I wanted to be a bit more eco-friendly and create one small batch [of products] that would last longer."
Elisa is keen for her products to be "timeless pieces" that are "associated with memories", such as the earrings worn to a graduation or the necklace worn on a first date.
The brand was launched in 2024 whilst Elisa was on maternity leave, but the website was then "paused" until earlier this year.
"After I had my second child, I decided I needed to push and do something for them," she explained.
"I have more time to spend thinking about the business and curating the website."
Elisa is currently a one-woman operation; she wants to do as much as she can herself in order to be as cost-efficient as possible.
She designs all the jewellery herself in London and outsources the production in China.
"I’m trying my best to do as much as I can while taking care of two kids," she said.
EVN is an online-only business, with no plans in the works for a shop.
Despite this, she wants the brand to feel a part of the Romford community.
"I want to maybe inspire someone else to create their own business," she said.
"I see lots of mums at [my children's school].
"It’s hard to find a job that balances kids, school time, and your own freedom."
She said her four-year-old daughter loves wearing "mummy’s jewellery" and often tries to take pictures with the products.
Elisa hopes that one day her children might want to follow in their mother’s footsteps.
"I want them to push the boundaries and do something that they’re not comfortable with," she said.
"Create a legacy, do something for yourself - you don’t want to depend on anyone else."
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