We had the good fortune of connecting with Meryl Vedros and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Meryl, is there something you believe many others might not?
Don’t look before you leap. Tremendous things can happen when we trust ourselves to leap blindly into unknowns. Living life like a game of chess can really hold us back from trying new things or being creative with the hand we’re dealt. Of course, this is only one opinion. I started Vedros Studio on a one way ticket to Berlin without any contacts or ever having been there. I had very little money and zero plans but all the confidence in the world that there was something bigger out there for my business and my life. Maybe I learned this fearlessness in my years as a competitive diver but there is an unmatched thrill of throwing ones-self into the universe and seeing what happens. For me and Berlin, the worst thing that could happen was I would need to get a 9–5 job or fly home. The best thing? Have an international business and a life chapter full of great stories.

What should our readers know about your business?

I run Vedros Studio, a now 6 year old brand design studio that I started in Berlin, Germany. We specialized in research heavy, culturally focused branding and package design with a strong emphasis on typography.

To stand out in a cluttered world–where every brand is begging for their 15 minutes of fame, we are in the business of making work with our clients that is totally unique to their service/offering. For us that means going the extra mile. Traveling across the world to be on a coffee farm to learn about growing practices for an American coffee brand and photographing the colors of Colombia to inspire the packaging. Or study LA and the history of film to inspire our brand work for the grand opening of The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

I think it’s incredibly important that creatives see the world and become sensitive to the diversity of its textures. Cultural appropriation is inevitable to some extent for designers, we’re translators after all. But to design a Thai restaurant without ever having been to Asia? That feels wrong. The internet barely scratches the surface of the idiosyncrasies of Southeast Asia, let alone the uniqueness each region the country offers. So I have a lot of pride for our studio looking to the world for instruction and not the internet.

Before settling in Berlin I had left America on a one way ticket to Japan to just float and find myself again as a designer after facing burnout from 9–5. That ticket led me to travel to over 30 countries and gave me the freedom to be a different kind of design thinker. One that is more inspired by the pages of my passport than design blogs showcasing the latest trends. I was no longer bound by a desk with headphones on all day, I was in it with my camera and drawing pad. And over the course of my travels, my ADHD became my creative superpower. I got better and faster results than anything I did behind a desk. During a client trip that took me around the world in one month I completed a 300 page research deck and designed their entire brand identity while journeying across Europe in trains, on a layover in Moscow and staying at the Chung King Mansion in China.

Mental health and creativity have become a big talking point for me in our industry. I try to make an effort to mentor young people and really press the fact that one should design their career around the life they want to live, not the other way around. I found a great amount of acceptance to working differently and just want others to feel that same way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Early morning wake up! The bird sounds here are magical in the presence of a first cup of coffee. After that, a 4 mile walk through Elysian Park. It helps loosen up my body for the day and is such a nice trail to walk and talk through. Finishing up that walk, I love to show people Peter Shire’s studio and peek through the windows to see what amazing objects he is creating.

Lately Ive been into Almond Milk Lattes at Silverback or a matcha at Dinosaur Coffee.

I love to cook and find brunch a waste of money so breakfast at my place. We would have avocado toast or soft scrambled eggs with dill. Lately I’ve been mixing in one clove of garlic to my avocado and drizzling olive oil I brought back from my family’s olive vineyard in Greece. I put that on some of Erewhon’s gluten free bread with sea salt and Mama Lil’s red peppers. It’s a certain kind of wow.

A couple mornings a week I like to head up to Highland Park for a class at Made By Pilates. It’s a unique spot in that it’s open air with reformers. Cookbook is near there with produce to cook up for dinner when I don’t have time to go to Atwater farmers market and Cheeks Spa is just a hop away for a facial (one of our clients we love).

For lunch Great White in Venice has an amazing chopped salad (so does Lodge Bread) and Menotti’s is right there for my favorite latte in LA. A swim on the beach and hike through Mandeville Canyon would be necessary if my friend isn’t exhausted already.

For dinners I am always down to try a new restaurant with Sancerre on the menu. But most of my favorite spots are on the east side: Raffi’s place for some lamb kebobs, Gra for the pizza and burrata summer salad, L&E for oysters, and Covell for early evening drinks.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Samihan, my strategist and partner in all things work and creative. My life and work has not been the same since I met her. And to all the haters that motivated me to try harder and prove them wrong. There’s gotta be a rap song out there that said it first. 😉

Website: Vedrosstudio.com

Instagram: @vedrosstudio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryl-vedros-9438a416/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vedrosstudio

Image Credits
Timothy Hennessy (Portfolio Photography) Michael Stine (Academy Museum Opening Photo) Jason Adler (Main Photo) Meryl Vedros (All others)

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