All Together Now: Veert— The Miguel-Approved Jewelry and Lifestyle Brand-to-Watch
#veert
.designer talk * All Together Now: Veert—The Miguel-Approved Jewelry and Lifestyle Brand-to-Watch
written Malcolm Thomas
Brand and celebrity consultant, Julia Lang has a lot to offer; with a powerful network of famous friends including Nas and Miguel who called the German-Tanzanian’s latest venture, “purposeful”, “inclusive” and “easy to love”, VEERT may be a brand-to-watch.
A gender-fluid jewelry, fragrance, and lifestyle brand, Lang launched Monday. Having partnered with 1% For the Planet a charity that backs environmental causes VEERT has pledged 1% of its yearly gross sales, in addition to working solely with FSC certified vendors, using 85% post-consumer waste boxes and 100% recyclable paper for its packaging. Along with gender fluidity, the former Def Jam event producer talked starting a business in a pandemic, the meaning behind the name VEERT and the healing energies of stones, and of course those famous friends.
Can you talk about your journey launching VEERT and the significance of the name? At the end of February 2020, I was sitting in my hotel room in Paris, I was attending Paris Fashion Week. And it hit me, VEERT, is a play on the French word vert, a translation of the color green. Green has long been the color that makes me feel the strongest, the most beautiful, the most vibrant— an experience that I want to share with everyone who touches my brand. Since mid-March, I proactively worked on VEERT with many obstacles along the way due to the pandemic, but I am so stoked that it's finally here with three different categories on launch day.
I have been running my own consulting agency Julia Lang Worldwide for almost a decade now on a global level. I always wanted to launch my own brand, honestly for as long as I can remember. The experience and network that I was able to gain by founding an agency and working in the industry for almost ten years has been the best foundation for me. A foundation where I can now start new ventures that are close to my heart. I didn't want to launch the next hoodie and T-shirt brand. I wanted to create products that not only have purpose but are also authentic to who I am and are a catalyst for empowerment, healing, and unity..
Why do you think jewelry making is a spiritual experience? When it comes to VEERT, I wanted to create aesthetically beautiful pieces of jewelry that also hold purpose. All of our unisex jewelry pieces are infused with powerful healing energies, such as malachite and green onyx. Both stones are important protection stones. Malachite absorbs negative energies, picking them up from the atmosphere and from the body. The green onyx is a symbol of restfulness and purity. It helps you to move forward from sorrow, grief, and depression. It improves your self-confidence. This green soothing stone has the power to relieve worries, tension, stress, and fear. Green onyx is good for love, affection, and friendship.
.designer talk Julia Lang (brand: VEERT) speaks with Malcolm Thomas
You've made some famous friends throughout the years, talk about pitching VEERT to them. What was that experience like? Having to handle celebrity seeding for a list of world-renowned brands through my agency, as well as having celebrity clients, really paved the way for me. I thought that if I can help them push their own agenda and brand, why not do it for my own. I am grateful for all the years that I was able to gain experience and build my network. It has now become the foundation for VEERT. Throughout the years, some clients have become friends. I kept VEERT very close to the chest but anyone who I've chosen to show it to has absolutely loved it. Receiving support from Miguel and Nas as well as others has given me confidence.
Who are you hoping to reach with VEERT and what do you want them to know? Traditional gender separation doesn’t exist in our product line. I truly believe that VEERT is meant to bring us all together.
