Designer Download: Virgins, Saints & Angels

By Leah Chernikoff
December 7, 2011

Virgin Saints and Angels

Virgins, Saints & Angels jewelry

Cheryl Finnegan With clients ranging from John Galliano to Kim Kardashian, jewelry line Virgins, Saints & Angels has a customer base that's both diverse and high profile. The handcrafted statement pieces, from carved silver belt buckles to elaborate rings that take over half your fingers to religious pendants on delicate rosaries—all inspired by the Virgin of Guadelupe in Mexican folklore—have found loving homes around the necks and wrists and waists of rockers, designers, reality stars and boho chicks alike. (The Kardashians, for one, were so enamored of the line they designed their own capsule collection.)

left: Cheryl Finnegan, founder and designer of Virgins, Saints & Angels

We checked in with designer and founder Cheryl Finnegan (she goes by Finn) to find out how someone with a last name like Finnegan, who had been on the business side of fashion for over 14 years, ended up moving to Mexico and designing jewelry.

Virgin Saints and Angels

Virgins, Saints & Angels San Benito Oval Necklace; San Benito Flower

Virgin Saints and Angels

Temptation Collection; Royal Collection

The Inside Source: You were on the business side of fashion for so long—working in sales and marketing for Levi’s for 14 years—what prompted the shift to design?

Cheryl Finnegan: I feel that deep down I had always been an artist... just afraid to show myself. The shift was prompted by a lot of signs: job layoff, unhappy marriage, general unhappiness and change of life. It was almost like I had to reach rock bottom to realize that I had nothing to lose. So I did it!

The Inside Source: Why did you decide to uproot and move to Mexico?

Cheryl Finnegan: I think I reached an age of maturity where I could finally look at all of the things that I was striving for in my life—a successful job, a beautiful home, a traditional marriage, a closet full of designer shoes—and realize that these things weren’t what I thought they would be. They didn’t make me happy; actually, they left an empty space in my life. I felt that I needed a challenge, independence, and a creative outlet and moving to Mexico did that and more. My eyes were opened to a new life, a new culture, arts and crafts and the accessibility of making a dream come true.

Crown Virgin; Tribal

Bicone Collar and Cross Pendant

The Inside Source: How did Mexican folklore and the Virgin of Guadelupe come to inspire you and inform your designs?

Cheryl Finnegan: Guadalupe is such a part of life in Mexico; she appears everywhere you look in the colors, the symbols, the aesthetic. She is beautiful and there is a depth to her that I feel I am constantly striving for in my designs.

The Inside Source: John Galliano famously wore one of your belt buckles at one of his shows in Paris. How did that happen?

Cheryl Finnegan: We heard from John Galliano's publicist that the square mosaic buckle he wore was a gift from his partner. It was purchased in L.A. at [retailer] Ron Herman.

Virgin Saints and Angels

belts, clockwise from top: Archangel; San Benito; Mexicana Virgin

The Inside Source: Your pieces have ended up on a lot of celebs and musicians—who were you most excited to see wearing your designs? Who would you like to see?

Cheryl Finnegan: John Galliano on his runway was a huge thrill. But I have to say that any celebrity that chooses to wear VSA in those special moments is my favorite. I am not a big fan of styled photo shoots. The perfect examples of celebs wearing my pieces are Lourdes [Madonna’s daughter] wearing a VSA royal ring during the opening of her Material Girl clothing line, or Tim McGraw wearing ¨his own¨ belt buckle [read: VSA’s] during a photo shoot for Fashion Rocks. I think everyone should wear VSA. The celebrities are great because of the visibility, but for me personally, I feel like a rock star when I am sporting a VSA belt buckle and a rosary. VSA is more about finding the celebrity in you.

The Inside Source: How would you describe your aesthetic and design process?

Cheryl Finnegan: Inspired. I love working in themes within the Virgins Saints & Angels realm and picking out subtle symbols that will resonate with those that are looking for it. The process itself is quick: Once I get a theme and the materials I am off and running and it can sometimes take as little as three days to do a collection. But the reality is that I am designing everyday, all day. My eyes are always cataloguing things I see.

Virgin Saints and Angels

Rose of Venus Earrings; Tribal Diamond Earrings

Virgin Saints and Angels

Pax Vintage Cross Earrings; Mi Vida Earrings

The Inside Source: What's up next for the line?

Cheryl Finnegan: Our Resurrection Collection! Final samples have just been finished and it will premier in January. Start anticipating some bling... Think about what you would wear to the Last Supper. As part of the marketing campaign we are doing a Last Supper photo shoot with the partnership of Swarovski.

The Inside Source: If you were to shop on eBay, what would you look for?

Cheryl Finnegan: I would look for old Fiorucci designs and snow globes.

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