Meet Vivian

The human behind La Femme Boheme

ABOUT THE BRAND

Jewelry is an expression of the self. It is a means through which we convey our message to the world around us. La Femme Boheme jewelry is for those free spirits who aren’t afraid to set aside social norms and follow their bliss. Each piece is handmade from unique, and often one-of-a-kind, designs inspired by nature, earth and the cosmos. It is not for those who want to blend in, but rather for those who want to stand out and aren’t afraid to swim against the current.

Jewelry is personal – it is a statement of who the wearer is, what her message conveys, and what it means to her. It is an expression of a personal style connected to a deeper meaning. Each La Femme Boheme piece has a story waiting to be written.

My goal is to make unique jewelry that is affordable yet maintains a high level of quality. This is why I mainly work in silver, brass, and gold-fill for those who like the look of gold but cannot afford the high price it commands. At the beginning of 2019, I decided to take that goal further and make La Femme Boheme about more than just jewelry. Over the years, I have established a very special bond with Mother Nature, and have developed a deep respect for this planet we call home. It has made me more conscious of our impact on the environment and led to both major and minor changes in my life. In order to align La Femme Boheme's values with my own, I began designing and creating collections around environmental issues in order to raise money and awareness. You can read more about these environmental collections here.

Beyond the environmental collections, La Femme Boheme strives to be an eco-friendly business in all aspects of its operations. I take care to procure environmentally-friendly materials. All silver jewelry is made from entirely recycled metal and all metal scraps are recycled into new jewelry. You can also take comfort in knowing that none of the materials used in my jewelry harm living organisms, such as mother of pearl, abalone, or coral. And finally, all La Femme Boheme packaging is made from 100% recycled, reused, or biodegradable components. Please reuse or recycle the packaging to the extent possible.

La Femme Boheme – express your truth.

Vivian, the owner of La Femme Boheme jewelry, showcasing her unique handmade jewelry from her studio in Northern California

ABOUT THE ARTIST BEHIND THE BRAND

Hi! My name is Vivian and I'm the one-woman-show behind La Femme Boheme. I always loved jewelry. Before I knew how to make it, I was an avid purchaser of all sorts of jewelry. It wasn't just for fun, though that it truly was. Wearing the art that spoke to me was a way of expressing myself to the rest of the world, but my hunger for shiny things grew beyond the market's ability to satisfy it. I would conjure up ideas of jewelry that I wanted to wear and spend hours looking for something like it, to no avail. However, I had mastered the art of making friendship bracelets during my teenage years. I figured silversmithing couldn't be that much harder. This was summer of 2013, and I was working a full time job in Private Equity in New York City.

Even though I worked during the day, I managed to sign up for a night class taught by a local jeweler. His class was very unstructured. I would tell him what I wanted to make, and he would teach me how to make it. Some of my best work, and most difficult pieces, were made during the first 6 months of my jewelry studies. After a short while, I was addicted. However, the class was only offered once a week, and I needed to get my fix sooner than that. I signed up for another night class at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Soon, two nights a week turned into five nights a week, with weekends spent in the studio practicing what I had just learned. I would spend my days at the office dreaming about what I would make later that evening. It quickly became clear that this was my passion.

In December of 2014, a conversation with a friend over wine led me to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. Three months later, I had quit my job, packed up my belongings, and was on a plane to Fiji. Over the next year and a half, I traveled all over the world, became a US citizen, attended one World Cup, took more jewelry classes, and settled down in Grass Valley, CA, where I started La Femme Boheme. After 4 years in the mountains, I decided it was time to live closer to the ocean. So, at the beginning of 2020, I packed up and moved to the other California - Baja Sur - where I am currently living a happy & simple life.

This one-woman-show means taking on the role as head of production, sales, marketing, customer service, product development, packaging, shipping, finance, and accounting. As hard as that sounds, it's worth it because I get out of bed every day and do what I love. I get my inspiration from the images that float in my head. Some nights I stay up for hours, unable to sleep because every time I close my eyes, images of potential designs pop into my head. It's like a never-ending slideshow.

Thank you for letting me share my story! I hope my jewelry brings as much joy to you as it does to me.

With love,

Vivian Malka

La Femme Boheme

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