Designer Highlight: CUCHARA

In our first "Designer Highlight" segment, we put a spotlight on Montreal-born Anzie Jewelry. In this segment, we move our attention to the west coast where Edilou Canedo or, Edi, combined her influences from her hometown Victoria, Canada, with the urban, metropolitan elements of Toronto to create a jewelry line tastefully named CUCHARA (translated to "spoon" in Spanish).

Edi began designing jewelry at a young age. With a creative, hand-ons "trait" passed down from her mother, Edi was drawn to adding a modern touch to classic old collectors' spoons. She and a friend began reinventing them as charms to create pendants.

(Edi) Needless to say, Victoria didn't have a ton of options of 'stylish' clothes to wear and I felt it was nice to offer unique, original accessories for people!

Tell us about yourself!
I grew up in Victoria, BC, born to immigrant parents from the Philippines. I was a pretty well rounded student- but ended up studying sciences in University. I graduated from UVic [University of Victoria] with a Bio-Psyc major, but then decided to move to Toronto to attend Fashion Design school. I had a grumpy dog named Benji growing up, I loved him even though he always chewed my ankles and hated cuddling. 

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Not gunna (sic) lie, I get a lot of inspiration from Tumblr. I could troll Tumblr for hours and be thoroughly entertained. There are a multitude of images that catch my eye- 90’s styles, old supermodel photos, home decor, plants, furniture, beach vibes, memes (lol). I also like to see what’s going on in street styles of London, Japan and Korea- I find their style super interesting and inspiring.

Do you have any specific piece or collection you are particularly proud of? If so, which?
I’d say I’m most proud of Cuchara's current collection! I think with each new collection I discover more about myself and my style and influences and use this personal growth to build a collection that really represents me and what I can see females today feeling good in. I definitely take into play the latest trends, but I also want to create pieces that could outlast trends and also be season-less. I see this to be the case for several pieces in the Paradise Collection.

What is a goal you hope to achieve in 5 years?

A goal in 5 years would be to be able to live in Canada for half the year, and travel, or live elsewhere the other half. I love learning and being immersed in the style and culture of other cities. 

Thanks for sharing your eclectic personality with us and letting us discover the face behind the name. Excuse us while we head over to the Yu Fashion website while listening to Migos - T-Shirt.*

Edi's newest collection for CUCHARA is now online. Visit us in store or online at http://shopyufashion.com/shop-by-brand/cuchara.html

*Edi's favourite song at the moment is T-Shirt by Migos