Meet Loft & Daughter: Ethical Jewelry Empowering Vulnerable Communities

Loft & Daughter is an Ethical, eco-friendly Jewelry brand that Empowers people and artisans in India through jewelry design. Loft & Daughter are eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable

It was a cold rainy day around 15 years ago when I went with my cousin to purchase my very first pieces of jewelry: I got my ears pierced when I was very young and got this beautiful pair of golden hoops- and I gotta admit, I knew what I liked that early on in my jewelry journey 🙂 I’ve always gravitated towards the clean, dainty and minimalistic pieces, and in fact, there are very few silver and gold pieces of jewelry that were gifted to me more than a decade ago that I still use to this date. But like any other woman in this day and age, most of my jewelry collection consisted of cheap pieces that I bought years ago in fast fashion jewelry chains, and most of them started to rust: that’s when I started looking for ethical jewelry brands to refresh my collection.

Whenever you come across a brand that truly wants to make the world a better place, you cannot miss it: that’s exactly what happened when I first saw Loft & Daughter. Their beautiful designs caught my eye and after looking deeper into the brand’s core ethics, I truly fell in love.

About Loft & Daughter

Loft & Daughter is an ethical and sustainable jewelry and lifestyle brand for conscious fashion lovers. Specializing in jewelry and homewares inspired by the beauty and magic of far-flung places, this slow living brand exists to create maximum social and economic uplift for disadvantaged artisan communities, with minimal environmental footprint. Loft & Daughter empowers women to express their individual sense of style, without compromising their values and is here to prove that things can be even more beautiful when they are kind to both people and the planet.

In 2016, Katie, founder of Loft & Daughter, quit her job in Sydney as a womenswear buyer for a fast-fashion retailer. “It was here, on the frontline of fast fashion, sitting across the many negotiating tables from Shanghai to Delhi, squeezing every last cent , always pushing for cheaper, for faster, for the vast volumes that would eventually find their way to landfill, that I realized, to my horror, that I was part of a massive problem”. She said.

Loft & Daughter was born from a passion to right the wrongs of the industry she left behind, and a firm belief that beautiful things can impact positively on people and planet, without compromising on quality or design.

A pair of navy blue clogs & a mirrored yoke gypsy dress; the outfit my mum was wearing the night she met my dad. Clothes peppered with memories that could never be parted with.  I remember comping around in the oversized clogs as a little girl, the dress tinkling in the back of the wardrobe with its tiny bells on the end of drawstrings. These are the things that find their way to the loft. These are the things that you keep for your daughter…

-Katie, Loft & Daughter’s founder

Behind Loft & Daughter’s Jewelry

Loft & Daughter jewelry has been carefully crafted by a small team of talented Indian artisans, under the mentorship of Katie’s fair trade partner in Jaipur. They, like many others, run away from flood and drought-affected areas of India, in search of sustainable livelihoods. By partnering with this wonderful fair-trade organization, who serves as a bridge the gap between vulnerable artisan groups and global trade, these artisans are able to keep their handicraft alive, rising above poverty and improving their standard of living.

Proudly certified by the World Fair Trade Organisation, all Loft & Daughter’s jewelry is made with silver and gold vermeil. The gold and silver are not officially certified fair trade, but fairly sourced. “As my current order quantity is so small, my access to officially certified materials has been difficult”. Said Katie. Something she’s working on in her next collection that will launch next year will use 100% recycled silver from wastage/scraps/old unsold styles from the artisan’s workshop and try to source the certified gold. “I’ve just not been able to tick every box I’d like but am always striving for improvement.”, said Katie, and that to me is the most important part.

For my jewelry selections, I chose three of Loft & Daughter’s gold vermeil collection. Gold vermeil is a superior type of gold plating; in order to be classed as vermeil, it must be a base of sterling silver (as opposed to any gold plating which could be copper or brass underneath). It must be at least 10 carats (Loft & Daughter is 22k) and a thickness of 1.5microns (L & D is 2 microns thick). It is more affordable than solid gold, and, if looked after carefully, lasts longer than gold plating.

Purposeful & Meaningful: Loft & Daughter’s Jewelry

When I finally sat down to the items I liked most from this lovely brand, another thing caught my eye, and it is the special story behind each piece of jewelry. Each unique piece has its own story behind it, and you will be able to find it in its description.

Bishnoi Coin Choker

Made in homage to the brave Bishnoi people, the original environmental activists, the desert heroines.

I’ve always been on a hunt for a classy choker for nicely layered jewelry looks, and actually had one really similar to this that has unfortunately used due to the lack of quality. Luckily, I have this luxurious piece of art from Loft & Daughter now that will work beautifully on its own or with other delicate necklaces, from day to night, all year round. Dream come true!

Click here for the Bishnoi Coin Choker

Shakti Necklace

dedicated to your Shakti: the female principle of divine energy. Named after the universal feminine force within us all. A force not to be reckoned with.

This stunningly delicate, oval-shaped necklace is simple and works with any of my daily outfits, from T-shirt and jeans in fall to a floaty dress in summer. It has a thin chain (which I absolutely love) and can be easily layered in a stunning necklace stack. I really like wearing it paired with the Bishnoi Coin Choker, it is a match made in the jewelry heaven!

Click here for the Shakti Necklace

Peacock Hoops

The peacock is a bird of protection and safeguarding, so it provides even more of a reason to wear these delicate hoops every day.

A timeless earring, designed to be worn today, tonight, next year, next decade, anytime! But the true wow factor in it is that it is in fact 2-in-1: it can be worn with the peacock charm for a beautifully elevated look, or without it, for an even more minimal, relaxed look. I personally love wearing it in both ways, depends on the look I wanna go for or the necklace I want to wear. The Peacock hoops are a must in everyone’s jewelry collection 🙂

Click here for the Peacock Hoops

Loft & Daughter x Women Empowerment

All Loft & Daughter jewelry comes packaged in a soft organic cotton jewelry pouch, which has been carefully and lovingly made by some of Jaipur’s most vulnerable women. These brave women have made the decision to better their lives by joining an organization whose mission is to “progress Indian women through economic empowerment”. 

By providing vocational training and employment in traditional Indian handicraft techniques such as block printing, tassel making and stitching, these women are able to better their standard of living, sense of dignity and independence, choosing to walk in a different path than the one many vulnerable and oppressed women otherwise find themselves on. Each of Loft & Daughter’s is unique with its own imperfections, and none of them are the same. One of a kind, from one woman to another.

Loft & Daughter’s Packaging

Since Loft & Daughter truly cares about our planet, their packaging has been mindfully thought through to be as sustainable as it is beautiful. Intentionally packaged without a box (which may otherwise become redundant) the pouch protects the jewelry and is intended to be kept and reused (ideal for traveling). The care tags and postcards are tree-free and handmade out of recycled cotton, and all postal packaging is recycled and recyclable. The individually applied wax seal is made from 100% vegan wax. Perfection, nothing else!

I would highly recommend you check Loft & Daughter out. The upcoming holiday season is a great opportunity to support such a beautiful ethical brand and treat yourself or your loved ones with a purposeful and meaningful piece of art that is made to last.

You can find Loft & Daughter on their website and Instagram

What I’m wearing:

All jewelry by Loft & Daughter

Sweater by Lana Organic

Until next time (and happy holidays!)

Noa

Photography Credit: Liat Bracha

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*This post is part of a collaboration with Loft & Daughter. There aren’t any affiliate links or codes in this post. All the opinions shared are mine. To read about my work ethics, visit my ethics page.