From observing the eager faces of shoppers squinting at packets on shelves in WholeFoods (which strongly believes in organic farming), and reading about emerging ‘One to Watch’ ethical designers in the mainstream press, is it not fair to say that people are now starting to embrace ethical fashion and food production? Are they also taking some pride in doing what is right by their environment? Perhaps yes. Perhaps not.
Could it be that people like shopping at WholeFoods because they think the food tastes better, and could it be that fashion journalists only write about designers whose designs they ultimately like the look of?
This is something that is hard to establish fully, but helping to protect the planet is surely a good thing, and something to be proud of don’t you think? And it’s not just our planet. There are many other related issues, such as animal welfare and global working conditions.
These are the kind of issues that people with socially responsible perspectives consider to be increasingly important and relevant. Ask yourself this: do you want to wear something that has been made in a sweat shop in exploitative working conditions? Do you care enough? What do you think about animals being farmed to supply fur for the fashion industry? Is it necessary?
Before I digress even further, let me introduce you to Cred – the original Fairtrade jeweller. Yes, it doesn’t stop at food and fashion. Now you can choose to wear jewellery that has been made ethically. Recently, I attended the Daisy Green Magazine event, where Founder of Cred, Greg Valerio, gave a talk on the importance of ethical jewellery. Cred believes in making beautiful jewellery that has ethical integrity, and have been campaigning for 100% Fair Trade jewellery to become accepted as the norm in the industry.
According to Valerio, ‘ beauty at its most intense is a reflection of wonder in nature. Jewellery is the finest symbol of this when it is sourced with social and environmental integrity, capturing, creating and and conveying this genius’.
Cred Jewellery recently announced that they are opening up a studio in
Clerkenwell, which will offer a bespoke service for individuals wanting
to have direct involvement in the design and production process. People
will be able to make appointments and meet personally with the design
and sales teams and discuss the kind of pieces they would like made.
Whether it’s fair-trade gold, platinum, 100% recycled silver, ethically
sourced diamonds or precious stones, Cred’s personalized service will
allow you to create your ideal item of jewellery.
Cred’s latest Penelope Collection designed by Annabel Panes consists of a graceful 13-piece set of rings, earrings and necklaces made from Oro Verde Fair Trade 18ct White Gold, and set with opulent ethically sourced Aqua, Lolite, Rhodalite, Sapphire and Amethyst from Africa, India and South America.
Oro Verde refers to a group of community and environmental organizations from Columbia that has succeeded in creating the first Certified green gold programme in the world. Cred formed a partnership with this collective, and they work together to provide the Fair Trade Gold and Platinum. They believe in causing minimal damage to the environment, safe and hygienic working conditions, and apply a green approach to everything they do.
So if you are aspiring to be an all-round ethical shopper, then don’t
think there are limits to what is out there. And what’s even better is
that you can have more of a say in what you want and how you want it to
look. I’m not saying that we should be in head-to toe ethical gear and
be checking food labels every time we do a food shop, but we can
consciously try to tune in to what is happening in these expanding and
inspiring ethical industries.
And when it comes to accessorizing and
you fancy giving your clothes a bit of eco-conscious street cred, Cred
jewellery is a very good place to start! When someone asks where you
got your necklace, you’ll have a little more to say than what label it
is!
by Julia Nelson, Ethics Girls Magazine 22/01/2010
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