The ethical ‘make your own’ approach to fashion is all well and good, sticking it to the man etc, but we don’t always have the time or the creativity to do it well. Thanks to the new range of jewellery by ‘Made’, launching at Monsoon today, you can wear beautifully made jewellery that is also ethical, and helps to generate income for a more impoverished community.
The pieces are made using recycled and sustainable materials by independent artisans in Nairobi, and the range features some gorgeous statement pieces, all with a hint of their African origins. Highlights include an embellished gold cuff, and some lovely big gold hoop earrings decorated with rainbow beads.
Made’s tagline however, ‘by the people, for the people’ feels pretty patronising, and the suggestion that simply buying some jewellery from Africa, to you know, help them out, is ‘breaking the cycle of poverty’ is about as ridiculous as suggesting that dick-head Bono is some kind of modern-day saint. But hey, it’s a start, you could do worse and buy a load of shit from Primark.
Prices lurk around the £20 mark, but knowing they are from an ethical source, and that your money is going somewhere good, should make it worth paying a little bit more than you might normally in Monsoon.