For starters, the concept of sustainability is a word interchangeable with longevity. There are three main pillars of sustainability that when in balance with each other give a well platformed entity. Those three pillars are environmental, economic, and equity. So what this means for a business as an example, we start by wanting to make money to live comfortably (economic), but we want to also be aware of the resources we are using, whether renewable or not (environmental), PLUS we want to provide fairness and transparency within the business and anyone involved (equity).
Now, back to what slow fashion means-
The terms was coined in 2007 by a professor at the London College of Fashion, Kate Fletcher, in her book Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journey. The thought was mainly focused toward clothing, because the clothing industry is actually a huge contributor to water waste and pollution, however it also applies to jewelry.
It simple terms, "Slow-Fashion" is used in the world of sustainable business practices that values craftsmanship, the use of local materials, and takes into account the lifetime of a product. The goal is to bring value back to thoughtfully made items that are consciously created with an ethical and/or local supply chain, a slower production time to ensure quality, and a second thought to ensure that your product has a likely chance of staying away from a landfill once the consumer feels like it is time to part with that product.
In today's global economy, we see a lot of "fast fashion" brands which refers to mass-produced items and goods that support a linear "take-make-waste" economy instead of a cyclical economy which takes the environment into consideration. These types of brands are commonly owners of sweatshops overseas where employees are not always paid a fair wage, are using cheap materials, value quantity over quality. The final product either turns your skin green or is simply just not built to last, thus ending up in the trash.
With this brand, I strive to be more than just Eco-friendly, because that is really only one-third of the concept of sustainability. Whether you're buying jewelry or clothing, why not do it in a mindful manner? We should be buying what makes us feel good, both physically and emotionally!
Plus, the beauty of buying real precious metal jewelry is that it is an investment! This type of jewelry is meant to be passed down as heirlooms or melted down and reused.
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So let me tell you a bit about how I incorporate this into my passion--
My stones are all ethically sourced directly from miners, suppliers with ethical certifications, and trustworthy people with great stories! My newer pieces are made with fine silver coins, my reclaimed scraps, and high quality stones.
This is a key pillar to me not only because I went to school for it, but because I know the dark side of the fashion and jewelry industry. There is not technically any sustainable way to mine, besides small scale digs or working with vintage stones already in cycle. The world wide industry is not exempt from using child labor or exploitation. I look for small and honest mining operations and sellers, and my metal currently comes from Rio Grande or Fine Silver Coins!
All packaging is compostable or reusable in order to reduce my consumption of plastic. I buy most of my packing materials from Etsy sellers and EcoEnclose. My burlap bags for example, come from an Etsy seller that plants one tree per purchase!
Shipping is carbon neutral via Shopify because they invest in other companies doing awesome things for the planet, AND you have the option to plant a tree at checkout for just sixty-five cents.
