Watches And Jewels At Vitae London
The British watch-jewelry business Vitae London is making a mark in its journey as a sustainable and empathic brand. Based in London, Vitae promotes affordable luxurious products. At a reasonable price, it is in fact possible to purchase a solid piece of jewelry and invest in a great cause. The cause is explained by William Adoasi, who shares with The Garnette Report the story and the goals behind his successful business.
What’s an element or feature that watches have that no other item in fashion can embody?
The beauty of the watch is that it is the convergence of practicality meeting expression and style. The watch is the one fashion item that embodies something super practical, like being able to read the time, tell the time, monitor your day and track schedules, etc. It also crosses paths with the fact that watches aren’t actually as necessary anymore due to the adoption of the smartphone and other technology. So for someone to choose to wear a watch, they are really expressing an item of style and showing their respect for time. The watch can be that one accessory that really enables your outfit to stand out.
What does “Vitae London” mean and what’s the core message of the brand?
“Vitae” is Latin for “Life”, so our core message and our mantra is to be the fashion brand changing lives. With every single watch we sell, we help support a child in education for a year across Sub-Saharan Africa by either providing a full set school uniform or a solar lamp – meaning that they don’t have to travel for hours or burn harmful fuels to study in the evenings.
“Vitae London” is a company willing to build formative experiences, especially for the younger generations. Where did this idea and goal come from?
Being a millennial, I turned 30 last year, but I started Vitae when I was 26. I realized that the most powerful brands are brands that could not only build an ethos and build beautiful products but could also build community. So being a young brand at heart, we always wanted to bring the community together and create a conducive environment for people to be able to network. In doing that, the community that has been built adds value to our brand and ethos.
Do you have any tips for anyone who would like to start investing time (and money) in their own watch or jewelry business?
The best advice I could give to anyone wanting to start a business in this field is to start small. The watch industry can be seen as daunting and given my background – mid-20s, Black, who grew up in government housing – it felt like the odds were against me. But understanding the power of starting small enabled me to get to where I am today. So I would encourage everyone not to be intimidated by the size of their dreams but do one little thing today that will contribute to the big picture.
Where do you see “Vitae London” in 10 years? What kind of events and products are you envisioning for the brand?
The dream and passion for Vitae London in 10 years is to be doing exactly what we’re doing now but on a larger scale. Vitae London has sold products in over 35 countries and supported over 5,000 children through education. We have had our watches worn and endorsed by the likes of Richard Branson and Ava Duvernay. We want to be able to connect and partner with many more influential people and create a bigger stamp across Africa by removing any barriers to education. We actually want to build institutes in Africa that focus on youth empowerment and give them the ability to dream of a life bigger than a life they currently have. The next 10 years will be focusing on increasing our impact by creating classic timepieces to broaden our reach.