Why Sustainability Is At The Core Of My Brand

After stints as a stylist, painter and set designer, native New Yorker and total style crush (no one can pull off a hat, ripped jeans and a T-shirt as effortlessly) Pamela Love began making jewellery in her Brooklyn abode in 2006. A decade on and Love is one of the most worn and adored jewellery makers, with stockists far and wide, from Bergdorf Goodman and Net-A-Porter to Luisa Via Roma and Colette Paris and celebrity fans including Nicole Richie, Lily Donaldson, FKA Twigs, Erin Wasson and Rihanna. Since launching, Love has set up a full production facility and design studio in Manhattan’s garment district, where she domestically creates opulent pieces with a rock 'n' roll aesthetic and is deeply committed to creating her collections sustainably. Love strives to keep old techniques and traditions alive while employing new technologies that help to move the brand forward. All gemstones and semiprecious stones are ethically sourced and almost all metal used is repurposed. In 2012 the jeweller was awarded the CFDA Lexus Eco Challenge for Sustainable Design and the year after won the CFDA Swarovski Award for Accessory Design. Add to that collabs with Zac Posen, J.Crew, Topshop and Monique Lhullier and it's unsurprising that Pamela Love's our go-to for striking, boho jewellery that everyone wants to get their hands on or rather on their hands. At a time when fast fashion is still in constant demand and a hunger for disposable pieces prevails we asked Love to explains to us why, thankfully, an environmentally friendly and ethical approach to jewellery is so important to her, both personally and for her business.

"I launched my brand at a time when there was very little costume jewellery manufacturing going on in the United States. The fine jewellery manufacturing also seemed to be moving oversees. I met a lot of jewellers looking for work because the work had dried up. I really wanted to create good jobs and good jewellery. In the beginning, I was very focused on New York production, but we have since expanded our production efforts to other parts of the country and the world. We want to create jobs where talent and craftsmanship are plentiful, but opportunities may be scarce or very low paying. We want to help raise the bar on how we treat the people who are making our dreams into a reality, rather than taking advantage of them. This is so important to me. People are so important." "We focus on sourcing materials responsibly and use recycled metals whenever possible," Love continues. "I think we sometimes forget that these beautiful materials that become jewellery come from the earth, and that they won't always be there... And the earth isn’t going to make more for us. We have to be responsible and recycle whenever we can. We are by no means perfect, but we are trying every day to get there. We also need to make the world see that there is nothing uncool or un-chic about being an ethical and sustainable brand. All of my favorite brands are sustainable, ethical and/or local. They all make beautiful things that are extremely covetable."

Pamela Love is available from Selfridges and www.pamelalove.com