MUD Jeans turns old denim into new trousers, Swedish Stockings has torn tights recycled into filler material in industrial fibreglass tanks (Glamorous? No! Sustainable? Yes!). And we also have a jewelry brand in store that takes back your old jewelry, to make new bling out of it. Awesomeness by Bandhu!
While all of our brands have different takes on improving their sustainablilty and none of them are 'perfect' (the act of producing and consuming is by definition not very sustainable), y'all know we only select brands that are truly dedicated to producing in the most ethical and sustainable way. In a world, we must say, where these words are used too often, too lightly and therefore are in danger of becoming empty concepts. We see it on every corner. But that elaboration is for another post.
When it comes to jewelry, we found it particularly hard to find brands that met up to our standards. Compared with the clothing industry, it seems even more difficult to get transparency on the sourcing of the materials, for example. And the first few brands we discovered using recycled silver and ethically sourced gold, in the early days of HOST, didn't quite do it for us design-wise. We need the whole shebang, you know, that was always the idea: we have to love the esthetic of a brand AND feel that they are putting great effort in sustainability. It can't be one or the other.
Well, we fell in love with Bandhu allright. First and above all, with the minimalistic and elegant designs. Designer Viona creates timeless pieces that are suited for all occasions. Kinda like a white shirt, you can wear them day in day out, from office to cocktail bar. Essentials like that are always going to be more sustainable than statement pieces, by the simple fact you'll wear them way more often. And more interesting as an investment, too. Something about cost per wear.
That said, Viona's designs might be minimalistic, but they are far from boring! We absolutely love the fact that quite a few styles are wearable in 2 or 3 ways, which means you can create different looks with one pair of earrings. And thanks to that, you will wear them even more.
Bandhu is our only jewelry brand that uses stainless steel as a base, instead of silver. That is a conscious choice Viona made. This material gives her the freedom to create the clean shapes she loves so much (cause ow yes, all of her designs are made from scratch, she doesn't just order parts). Stainless steel is a massive alloy, which is very strong, doesn’t dent and keeps its shape. Also, the jewelry keeps its shine and colour. And last but not least: it is allergy free. Therefore Bandhu jewelry can be worn by everyone!
How about the gold plated pieces then? They have stainless steel as a base as well, and they got a 14K gold plating. The plating is achieved by a vacuum process which is the most environmental friendly process for all plating. Stainless steel is also the best material suitable for this process of plating. It has a very low wear and tear which keeps your jewelry in great condition.
Next to being our only stainless steel collection, Bandhu is our only jewelry brand to actually take jewelry back for recycling! We can't offer it in HOST, but even if you bought it in HOST, Viona offers a stainless steel recycling service if, for whatever reason, you are ever tired of your Bandhu piece (hard to imagine, but hey). As a thank you for this conscious circular choice, you get a 15% discount on the brand's webshop. While your piece will be turned into a new piece, using less virgin material. As we stated in the beginning of this blog: awesomeness!
P.S.: tap on the pictures in this post for more info on the featured items!
