The clay earrings that are born in the kitchen of this young Basque

Sarai Vazquez

From the hard year that we have just left behind, marked by the coronavirus pandemic and that has brought with it a lot of fear and uncertainty, we have also been able to extract positive aspects. Many of us have learned to value what we have: health, work or being able to be surrounded by our own. In these difficult times we are going through, we also appreciate the little things more and try to offer our best version to fulfill our dreams, those that make us really happy. And this desire to feel fulfilled pushed Goiuri Llanos to found her own earrings firm, Senya. «I had been wanting to start my own project for more than five years, but I didn't dare. I was afraid of losing what I had invested or that my creations would not be liked », she admits. In addition, this 27-year-old Biscayan living in Barrika thought that working for another company gave her greater job security. An idea that she changed when covid-19 burst into our lives and the company where she works applied an employment regulation file (ERTE), which caused her working hours and her income to be reduced. "In that instant, I realized that one of the main things holding me back from achieving my dream wasn't a good enough reason to give it up," she confesses.

Goiuri has been passionate about fashion since she was little, so five years ago she began to carve out a career in the sector. "I moved to London to study personal styling and then I started working in different clothing stores," she says. Back in Bizkaia, this restless and enthusiastic young woman went a step further and specialized in fashion marketing. "Today, I work on a luxury watch website, while I continue to train," she adds. But her quarantine and job reduction allowed her to dedicate time to a project that she had in mind for a long time: founding her own accessories firm. "Spending hours working on my creations was therapy, it allowed me to get away from everything," she reflects. This is how Senya, her brand of handmade jewelry, was born: «The word comes from the union of the names of my two dogs, Suco and Kenya; and Xena, my partner's dog, who died as a child in an accident. On the other hand, at a time when local businesses are struggling to survive, Goiuri wanted to join the small Biscayan firms. “The world is getting into unethical big brand consumerism,” she says.

A laborious production process

Last summer, Goiuri began to make his own creations with polymer clay, a material that requires a laborious creation process: "First I create the colors by mixing blocks of clay, then I make the patterns by hand and, finally, I shape the earrings one by one. I bake them in the kitchen, sand them, polish them and assemble them.” The result is a hypoallergenic, original, exclusive earring with a minimalist style that she shapes with dedication after work and on weekends at the dining room table in her house. "It's hard, but I enjoy it to the fullest. There are Saturdays when I work more than 10 hours », she admits. But in this project, Ella Goiuri is not alone, as her older sister, Maialen, lends her a hand. «On the November long weekend she came to my house to give me her opinion on the first collection and she loved the brand. In addition, we have similar tastes and we understand each other very well. So she has become part of the project and now we divide the tasks. She is the one in charge of managing social networks and handling customer service, since she has a more flexible schedule », she explains.

That first capsule collection, made up of four distinctive marble-print earrings, was released in mid-November on the brand's Instagram account, Facebook and on the Etsy online platform, with a price ranging from 20 euros to 30. "With my pieces I want to show that quality and price are not at odds," he says. And following the firm's principles of sustainability, Goiuri produces only two pairs of each model: "It's a way of ensuring that I don't make anything that isn't going to be used later." With this small collection, women of all ages and styles have already surrendered to the pieces that Goiuri makes with dedication at her house in Barrika de ella. "They love that they're lightweight, don't tear, and can be cleaned with soap and water," she says.

Earrings with the name of women and goddesses in the new collection

In this second collection, which went on sale in the last week of December, Goiuri offers six models, named after women and goddesses, and whose flag is female empowerment. «In this line there is more variety of shapes, from rings to leaves. In addition, they serve to wear them daily and on special occasions », she explains. The tones of the pieces, inspired by nature, are typical of winter, like earth colors.

Goiuri admits that within her firm there is still a lot of work to be done. She soon plans to open the website to offer her original earrings made by hand in different materials and other items that she will sell in the coming months, such as bracelets or necklaces. This 27-year-old girl couldn't find the perfect time to start her own project in fashion, but a pandemic came to change the world and push her to fight for her dream. "I didn't think twice, now I have the personal moment and the energy to do it," she settles.