Fiona Morrison was a Business student at the University of Victoria in 2010 who was fond of accessories with bolder jewelry pieces. When she styled with such pieces, she noticed that it sparked a conversation among her peers.
These conversations made her realize there was a gap in the market where people could not find affordable modern jewelry. So Fiona decided to take things into the hand, began learning jewelry making from youtube and sold to her friends on campus.
Her first line of the collection began with thrifting necklace findings and wire-wrapped crystals. She would spend her days at school studying and focusing on jewelry at night. She was inspired to design collections that would give the wearer confidence and make them feel empowered in their daily lives.
The brand name Wolf Circus came into being through a combination of two experiences, from a wolf head ring that Fiona used to wear, which drew a lot of attention and when her father’s statement described her business idea as going to turn into a circus.
Finding The Gap
Today, Fiona Morrison is the owner and designer of Wolf Circus Jewelry, a demi-fine jewelry handmade in Vancouver, BC. Their line of jewelry collection is available online and in stores across Canada, the U.S., and internationally.
Fiona was involved in all aspects of business development and building her business as a brand. She conceptualized and created her line of fashion jewelry, where she created the brand by conceiving the name, logo, and all marketing material. She developed a business plan for Wolf Circus, which included product sourcing, pricing, identifying sales channels, preparing a detailed sales budget and projecting first-year revenues.
In addition, she set up meetings with local buyers and stores to sell products and used her entrepreneurial skills to market herself both online and to Canadian businesses.
Soon, what began as making ad-hoc pieces for her close friends out of her parent’s basement emerged as Wolf Circus in 2011 and instantly attracted a somewhat saturated and discerning market with their signature creations.
Fiona believes that a brand must grow with their customer as they begin investing in quality pieces and recognize the importance of slow fashion and sustainability. Wolf Circus’s incredible growth over the last few seasons gave her the confidence to launch her second brand, Ok Fine.
Sustainable Fashion
Wolf Circus is a Vancouver-based demi-fine jewelry line founded in 2010 by Fiona as a brand that reflects her vision to create jewelry for the modern, bold, and fearless while being committed to building and nourishing ethical and inclusive practices.
Each piece of jewelry is handcrafted by their talented team in their Vancouver studio, using high-grade recycled metals, freshwater pearls, and lab-created gemstones. Their core collection highlights their approach to everyday essentials that move with you, while seasonal collections explore their evolving exploration of sculptural, statement styles.
Wolf Circus jewelry is mindfully designed and created sustainably, elevating minimalism, originality, and femininity. Each piece is handcrafted in Vancouver from reused and recycled silver, bronze, and gold and cast using a lost-wax casting technique.
Fiona’s most recent milestones include winning the Fashion Institute of Technology Design Entrepreneurs program in 2019 and making it to BCBusiness’s top 30 under 30.
Wolf Circus continues to grow by ensuring the uplift of their team, suppliers and retailers, and the many creatives and small brands they collaborate with. As a brand, they strive to use its voice to serve others. To learn more about their products, visit their website at https://www.wolfcircus.com/.
Small businesses are born out of aspiring entrepreneurs’ passion and potential to find that market gap. To read more about these entrepreneurial stories, subscribe to CanadianSME Small Business Magazine. For the latest updates, visit our Twitter page at @canadian_sme.
