BEHIND THE SWATCH
Welcome to SOFiA + EViE! Peek around our space and through our collection of handmade jewelry and wearables. Sometimes we tell an entire story, sometimes we do not. Most times there is no theme or emphasis on cohesion, just authentic, unedited workings from within the colorful mind of a neurodivergent, mixed-medium artist and maker.
OUR STORY
SOFiA + EViE began with one product —a single mala necklace. Multiple years (and necklaces) later, we decided to call this then-nameless project SOFiA + EViE, after a personal journey that began in 2019. The creative spark behind our work was ultimately ignited by the energy of two, tiny shining stars, Sofia and Evie. Our name served as a perpetual reminder that their purpose was to ground us and reinforce that we are all merely tiny stars in our massive universe. ✨
In 2021, clothing designer, Navi Gill, set out to create meaningful pieces that brought a sense of peace and joy. What started as a means of distraction to temporarily relieve grief, had organically evolved into a creative outlet. Her original necklaces were made using natural wood, gemstones, and beads (both vintage and those collected during her travels over the years). The concept was straightforward, as she focused less on the design aesthetic and more on the meditative escape that was afforded through the practice of stringing and beading each mala. She decided to put her pieces out in the world in order to “let them live”, which led to a slow (but steady!) progression back towards feeling whole, though in a new sense. Her pieces naturally began to feature all of the colors, textures, and unusual surprises that come with the sheer excitement of trying new things.
These days, at SOFiA + EViE, she sets out to (still) create meaningful pieces that bring peace, spark joy, but also start conversations. Every item tells a story and is hand-assembled with reused vintage or one-off textiles, trims, and embellishments retained from her previous life as a clothing designer, thrift reseller, and fabric hoarder.
The focus in our studio remains on creating pieces with purpose and personality, ultimately fueled by the energy of two tiny, shining stars, ✨ SOFiA + EViE✨
MEET THE ARTIST
Navi Gill founded SOFiA + EViE as an outlet to channel her emotions, following an impactful loss. She was seeking a distraction from her own thoughts when she began stringing her malas, bead by bead. With time, she discovered her newfound artistic outlets provided a natural sense of peace. As she allowed space for creativity to enter, she began trying new things and flexing her craft. Exploration became, and remains, a major source of inspiration.
It’s here, behind the swatch, where she does the most: experimenting, designing and making jewelry and accessories —with a “Just post it!” mindset. Living with ADHD, her work reflects the inner workings of her neurodivergent mind —colorful, abstract, and a bit messy (the good kind, of course). At SOFiA + EViE, she explores various mediums —fabric, lace, acrylic, clay, and metals, and then makes things out of them. Each of her pieces reflect her love of nature, color, and her favorite sensory-soothing medium —textiles.
Once back in our studio, each of Navi’s pieces require multiple hours of progress from idea to drafting to materials and execution; and her stitched garments can take weeks. She hand-creates every single piece from start to finish in East Austin, Texas.
DESIGN ETHOS
My design approach is improvisational. I like to explore ideas, try new techniques and tools, and not focus less on a blueprint. For me, the best part of designing is the process and each of my pieces carries with it a deep-seated sense of appreciation of being in the moment.
PROCESS
While our gemstones and beads are selected mindfully, with Navi’s most recent project in mind, our pieces go through many transitions before reaching their final form. She likes to leave the process flexible and open to change at any point until it feels complete. Only then is it finished with a SOFiA + EViE tag. 🫶🏽
