Meet Vanissa Antonious: The Mind Behind NEOUS’ Sculptural Minimalism

When Vanissa Antonious speaks about design, there’s a quiet certainty in her tone — a mix of restraint and conviction that mirrors the world she’s built through NEOUS.

The London-based founder has shaped a brand defined not by ornament or excess, but by proportion, balance, and purpose. She tells JDEED, “I founded NEOUS as a response to the overstimulation of modern fashion. At its core, the brand was created to provide women with timeless, functional objects that are as relevant today as they will be in years to come.”

There’s no manifesto, no sweeping gestures — just focus. “My vision has always been to design with integrity and purpose,” Antonious says. “Every NEOUS piece is built around proportion, balance, and materiality — not trends or noise.”

Born in Sydney, Australia, Antonious’ early fascination with visual storytelling grew through her background in art history. “Art history gave me a deep appreciation for architecture, sculpture, and the purity of form,” she explains. “Before founding NEOUS, I worked in fashion media, where I learned to communicate visually and emotionally — skills that naturally carried into design.”

That foundation now informs the sculptural clarity of NEOUS — a label that sits at the intersection of emotion and discipline. “NEOUS is about clarity,” she continues. “It’s about stripping back the unnecessary to reveal what’s essential.”

Each NEOUS piece is handmade in Italy by family-run ateliers, using materials that age gracefully with time. “Our artisans are at the heart of everything we do,” she emphasizes. “Each piece is handmade in Italy using natural materials that age beautifully. The process is slow, intentional, and rooted in respect for craft. There’s a humanity to that kind of work.”

That humanity, a rare tenderness in the world of minimalist design, defines the brand’s emotional resonance. Antonious doesn’t see design as decoration, but as dialogue. “A curved heel or a folded leather strap can communicate more than decoration,” she says. “They carry emotion, movement, even memory. I like to think of each piece as an extension of the body — something that complements, never dominates.”

Since its inception, NEOUS has grown organically — stocked today in over seventy retailers across twenty-three countries, and worn by women who appreciate quiet power over spectacle. Yet Antonious remains unwavering in her approach. “We’ve evolved, but we’ve never lost focus,” she says. “I want NEOUS to be a reminder that design can be both rational and poetic — that it can live quietly and still be felt deeply.”

For Antonious, design is not only about aesthetics; it’s about rhythm — a sense of flow between object, maker, and wearer. “The woman I design for doesn’t follow trends,” she says. “She follows her intuition. She moves with intent. She’s confident in her quietness.”

That quietness, for Antonious, is not absence but rather space. Space to see, to touch, to breathe. “I think true beauty lies in clarity,” she reflects. “It’s not about adding more. It’s about creating meaning with less.”

And perhaps that’s what makes NEOUS stand out in an era of constant noise: “I want to create things that feel timeless not because they’re classic,” Antonious says, “but because they’re sincere.”

As the world races forward, Vanissa Antonious moves differently — with grace, with intention, and with the rare ability to make stillness feel like strength.

Cover picture/ Vanissa Antonious

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