All things beautiful
29 year-old jewelry artist Anna Tascha is perhaps unique in combining her love of the beautiful game with a love of beautiful things.
As well as running her own eponymous jewellery brand, Tascha freelances as a soccer presenter, blogger and editor, splitting her time between Stockholm and the Swedish countryside.
Tascha has studied jewellery for ten years in the fields of art, craft and fashion and though most of her work is handmade, lately she has been exploring ways of producing in Sweden in “cheap but good materials”. She mostly works with metals, but also with other materials like rubber, textile, prints and photography.
At the moment she’s based both in Västberga where she has her studio, and in the countryside in Värmland, where she has an old wooden chapel that houses a vast second studio in the old church hall.
“It’s a really good mix to both have stylish Stockholm and the quiet but striking Swedish nature as a surrounding,” Anna says.
How long have you been interested in fashion and design?
My interest in fashion and design came from making, not wearing or consumption, and I started making jewellery when I was 19, travelling in India. Everywhere I went I was so fascinated by the local jewellery makers and their traditional craft, and I sat down with them to learn from them. I then moved to Reykjavik and that’s where I started to make and sell my own jewellery. I was really inspired by the very easy-going fashion movement in Reykjavik. Everything seemed possible there. I realized that this was more than a hobby and so I started studying silversmithing to learn the techniques needed.
What has been the response on your products and designs?
I had a big response, maybe too early. In my first year at Konstfack I made the headphone necklace for my schools Christmas market and the necklace got a lot of attention both in the press and from customers. I had to start my own brand and company to be able to handle it. It was really exciting, but also way too much work, dealing with both school and managing the brand, so I tried to keep a low profile for a while to be able to focus on finishing school and my own development as an artist and designer. I kind of prefer it like that, to work more exclusively and to be quiet for periods of time. Still, the interest in my work seems to stay alive, even in my more withdrawn periods.
What do you think is the key to succeed as a relatively new and upcoming designer?
To take time to be clear about exactly what you want and how you want to represent yourself before you start to go after it. What message do you want your brand to express? When that becomes clear to you, it will be clear to others, and I think things can go really quickly after that. Also, the most important thing is to have a web page with good pictures, and pictures for the press to use! Make it easy for blogs and media to feature your work!
Do you feel like you are part of a general trend right now?
Yes, a bigger trend than something connected to a season, that people are willing to spend more money on quality and good craft instead of buying ten badly made products for the same price. Many people are starting to consume more consciously, thinking about the environment and working conditions etcetera.
What inspires you?
My inspiration mostly starts from something I’m totally obsessed with in the moment. Sometimes I read and write a lot about the theme or I just go with the flow, working quite intuitively and letting one step lead to another, hoping to surprise myself. I often get inspired by people’s collective passions or beliefs, like religion, dance floors or football fans, moments that are very personal but you share with others.
What are your plans for the future?
To continue to work both with football and jewellery, both in Stockholm and Värmland. It’s a fantastic mix of different worlds. As I mentioned, I plan to come out with a line of jewellery that is produced here in Sweden in different ways, hopefully before Christmas! I also made a collection of printed silk scarves that I haven’t had time to come out with yet, so that is something I need to finish too.
What is your favourite thing about Stockholm?
My friends. I think there are such fantastic people living here, creative, inspiring, funny. There are plenty of nice bars to meet, and the nature is always close by. At the same time it is easy to be left alone here to concentrate on your own for periods – I appreciate ”Swedish privacy” a lot in that way!
