Anastassia Sel by Anastassia Selezneva. This post is a special one as it is about a childhood friend of mine whose perseverance never stops to amaze. From an early age, I have watched Anastassia fall into a world of creativity through nature, travel, art, dance and fashion. I have watched her commit to art and dedicate an endless amount of time to not only completing her works, but attend shows, gallery events and classes to better herself and her creations. Only recently, in late 2012, did Anastassia turn to the world of jewelry and begin to pursue a beautiful form of art - wire-work combined with untreated stones from all around the world including Africa, Brazil, India and Russia.
Her work takes countless hours, evenings and weekends. Any free time she has, she spends on either creating pieces or being inspired to create pieces. She is one of the most dedicated people I know. Anastassia puts an immense amount of effort into her unique jewelry and draws inspiration from her travels to places such as Banff, Vancouver, South Africa and Switzerland. I believe I once asked how she came up with a certain piece and all she answered was "I had a dream and decided to make it". Her creative energy is contagious.
I have watched her start her own company, push towards her goals despite all odds. In February 2014, she created social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram and opened her business, Anastassia Sel, to showcase and channel her creativity.
Her hard work paid off. I believe a turning point of her career came this past Fall when she was asked to create several jewelry pieces for the Toronto Fashion Week for the Huntress collection. I think this was a beginning of something magnificent.
I expect more great things to come from this visionary artist as she is the definition of perseverance and truly an inspiration! It is here that I will leave you with her story. In the words of Miranda Priestly...that's all!
Anna, take it away!
What was the most memorable part of being a part of New York Fashion Week?
Oh my, I don't think I can even point out the most memorable part. The whole experience was astounding; seeing the action happen back-stage to meeting Nicholas K and Kelly Cutrone. I must say, if I had to choose it would be seeing the pieces that I have been working on, non stop, night and day, on the models walking down the runway. It was the best feeling in the world. It felt like my dream was finally becoming reality.What was the day of the fashion show like?
It started very early! I got up at 5:30 am. and was wondering the streets of New York looking for Lincoln Square by 6:30 am. The whole thing ended really quickly. Too quickly. In the moment, when you see your pieces come down the runway, you almost want time to slow down, so you can take in every single second and minute of that moment.
What was going through your head as you saw your pieces showcased on a New York runway?
I was in a bit of a sleepless haze the last 2 weeks before the show. The main thing that was probably going through my head was "Is this really happening?".
What was the biggest inspiration for the pieces you created both for the Toronto and New York fashion shows?
The Gem Hunters themselves were the biggest inspiration. Their success, their entrepreneurial nature, their story!
Were both of the fashion shows as glamorous as they seem?
Yes! Yes and Yes! The shows were both filled with glamorous, fashion forward individuals, who were all making a very strong fashion statement.
Being a travel blog, if you went out for dinner/lunch etc. do you have any suggestions?
I really enjoyed The Smith - http://www.thesmithnyc.com/. Great mac and cheese and filled with a really cool hip crowd.
What's next for you?
I definitely want to do collaborations in the future with Toronto designers and maybe even reach out to NYC designers. It's hard to say but I am excited to see what the future brings.
That's it for now! You can explore Anastassia Sel collections and get in touch with Anastassia through the following:
- Personal site: http://www.anastassiasel.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/anastassiasel/