Canadian designer Fiona Morrison’s demi-fine jewelry line calls for gender inclusivity and sustainability.
By Annie Dahl with Claire Butwinick
Photographed by Chloe Horseman, Bree Avery, styling Tianna Franks, courtesy Wolf Circus
STILL LIFE is a recurring feature that spotlights the Instagram of an emerging designer on our radar. In their own words, creatives from around the world go beyond the grid to uncover the meaning behind their most compelling posts.
Vancouver’s demi-fine jewelry brand Wolf Circus, known for its recycled gold-plated signet rings and etched pendant necklaces, was born in 2011 from a series of YouTube tutorials.
Founded in the basement of Canadian designer and then-college student Fiona Morrison, Wolf Circus began as a line of homemade wire-wrapped crystals and reinterpreted vintage baubles. Now nine years later, Wolf Circus has evolved into an internationally renowned label, specializing in minimalist jewelry crafted by the hands of an all-female team.
Built on a foundation of sustainability and gender inclusivity, Wolf Circus is dedicated to designing jewelry for the modern wearer. In 2019, the brand debuted its Everybody line, a collection of thick silver signet rings, gold plated chains, and metal wrist cuffs that toe the line between edginess and effortless beauty. Conscious of fast fashion and its environmental impacts, Wolf Circus also repurposes sterling silver and gold-plated bronze to create its simple yet eye-catching designs. Amassing nearly 70,000 followers on Instagram to date, Wolf Circus captivates its rapidly growing audience with its tailored brand aesthetic and thoughtfully styled photoshoots. Continue reading to go behind the screen with Morrison to uncover Wolf Circus’s timeless design inspiration and gender-bending styles.
“Our collections have always had a slightly more minimal and androgynous feel to them, with most of our iconic pieces being engraved necklaces or signet rings. Luckily enough, we are able to work in a space where the only real gender constraints are our ring sizes. We launched the Everybody line last year, pushing for a more gender-fluid collection and by putting emphasis on more heavier silver pieces inspired by iconic vintage signet ring shapes and our best selling pendant necklaces. We are excited to continue pushing this boundary by launching a second collection later this year and expanding the ring sizes in our core collections so everybody can wear them.”
“The inspiration for the glass collection came from my admiration for glass thrifted vases and the desire to begin working with new and more colorful materials. The bright jewel tones were inspired by a 1995 Gucci ready-to-wear collection. Glass is such a fluid, yet fragile material to work with, so many of our pieces highlight the duality between jewelry and glasswork, with a focus on organic and unique shapes. We were able to work with a very talented local glass artist to help us create our vision for more colorful glass hoops and ‘90s beaded inspired glass necklaces.
When I’m designing, I’m always thinking of the wearability of our pieces—sustainability is a complex, never-ending concept that is comprised of many facets, one being how we treat and reuse our possessions. We focus on creating jewelry that’s timeless yet playful, effortless, and elegant in its simplicity. We found a way to make keepsakes that can have everyday wear, live beyond trends, but still be fun. We are constantly striving for this during our design process with quality, durability, and design being at the forefront of this process.”