It has become quite obvious that in the last few years a continuous wave of change has been sweeping through the fashion industry – powered by truths about its implications on the planet, its people and its animals.
The term Slow Fashion rose quite organically. Inspired by the phenomena of the slow food movement it was coined by Kate Fletcher of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, following the phenomena of the slow food movement. As it happened with the slow food movement, there was a need for a slower pace in the fashion industry.
Creating beautiful jewelry isn’t just enough for us. Of course, we want our customers to feel stunning when wearing our creations. But we also want to empower customers to make buying decisions that have a positive impact on the planet and other living beings, so we encourage people to start questioning what goes on behind the scenes of the products they buy.
What is ‘Slow Fashion’?
Slow Fashion is a response to Fast Fashion. It is thoughtful, intentional and holistic. It hits the brakes on excessive production, overcomplicated supply chains and mindless consumption.
Slow fashion is the movement of designing, creating, and buying garments for quality and longevity. It encourages slower production schedules, fair wages, lower carbon footprints, and (ideally) zero waste. — Study NY
Slow fashion represents all things “eco,” “ethical," and “green” in one unified movement… the ‘slow approach’ intervenes as a revolutionary process in the contemporary world because it encourages taking time to ensure quality production, to give value to the product, and contemplate the connection with the environment. — Slow Factory
Slow fashion is about consuming and creating fashion consciously and with integrity. It connects social and environmental awareness and responsibility with the pleasure of wearing beautiful, well-made, and lasting clothing (as compared to the immediate gratification of fast Fashion). — Kat Collings, Editor in Chief at Who What Wear
Slow fashion combines a brand’s practices with a customer’s shopping habits.
Slow fashion flips the fast fashion model on its head while working towards creating business practices that benefit the planet and al people. With slower production schedules, small batch collections, and zero waste designs, slow fashion brands aim to reduce the textile waste clogging our landfills, utilize a variety of environmentally supportive production techniques as well as ensuring fair and decent working conditions. Instead of chasing trends, slow fashion brands utilize enduring styles that are classic and versatile. This gives customers the ability to keep pieces for a lifetime.
Ananda Soul as a Slow Fashion Label
Even though we are a jewelry brand, Ananda Soul has been aiming at being part of the Slow Fashion movement since its inception. We look into each component of our designs and trace its origin as far back as possible.
We put an enormous amount of energy into sourcing recycled, sustainable and low-impact materials, reducing our footprint to the lowest possible, giving back to local communities and treating our team like family with full benefits. The result is a product and a company that we are proud of and that makes hearts smile.
Ethical Production
ETHICAL – We trace our production throughout every step of our supply chain, making sure that our creations are made consciously from start to finish. That applies to where we source our gemstones, our gold, silver and brass to the way the stonecutters, silversmith and our direct team members are treated and paid.
FAIR PAY – We guarantee that all the people involved in the production of our products are paid a fair wages and benefits for their skills and services. We feel blessed to be working with a team of amazing people and each team member feels like family.
RECYCLED – Producing in a sustainable way means that we do not take more than we give back to the environment. All our jewelry is made from certified green recycled silver or brass. There is enough silver and brass circulating on the planet and we find it unnecessary to encourage any further mining.
ECO-FRIENDLY – We attempt to keep our carbon footprint as minimal as possible. The silver and brass used in our jewelry is recycled with a green certificate, ensuring a clean waste process. Being based in Southeast Asia, we are more directly exposed to the results of pollution and toxic waste, feeling a powerful urgency to have a positive impact on the environment through the work we do.
VEGAN – all our products including our packaging are completely cruelty-free. Everything available in our shop has been created without any use of animal products or byproducts.
All Ananda Soul jewelry is produced and assembled in Bali, Indonesia under fair conditions. Our team members receive full benefits. The Soul Purpose collection is assembled by mothers of street children in Denpasar, Bali.
Our materials
OUR METALS
RECYCLED SILVER
The silver we use in our jewelry is high-quality, certified recycled 925 sterling silver. We source our silver from a German company that refines their metals using environmentally safe practices. That means no extra silver has been mined for our creations, conserving the land and water resources of the affected silver mining areas. The 925 in Sterling Silver means that it is a combination of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% alloys to strengthen the metal. The alloy we use is copper sourced from Germany and is 100% nickel-free.
GOLD VERMEIL
22kt Gold Vermeil pieces is sterling silver that has been plated with 22kt gold. The silver we use in our jewelry is certified recycled 925 sterling silver. Gold Vermeil is not solid gold and should be treated with care to preserve its quality. It wears differently with each person depending on diet, climate, use of cosmetics and lifestyle.
22KT GOLD PLATED 925 ECO STERLING SILVER
22kt Gold plated silver jewelry is high-quality, certified recycled 925 Sterling silver that has been plated with 22kt gold.
22KT GOLD PLATED ECO BRASS
22kt Gold plated brass jewelry is high-quality, certified recycled brass that has been plated with 22kt gold.
The brass we use in our jewelry is certified recycled brass. We source our brass from a German company that refines their metals using environmentally safe practices. As all our jewelry, our gold plated jewelry is nickel free. Plating is bonded to brass with silver or platinum, bringing you a quality piece of jewelry that will last a long time if treated with care.
Ear wires do not contain brass but are made from 22k Gold Vermeil.
14KT GOLD-FILLED CHAINS
Our gold chains are made from 14kt gold-fill. Gold-filled means that there is a thick layer of solid 14kt gold outside of a brass core. Gold filled is more valuable and tarnish resistant than regular gold-plate.
22KT AND 18KT GOLD
22k gold pieces are made from 91.6% solid gold and 8.4% alloys. Solid 18kt gold pieces are made from 75% solid gold and 25% alloys. 22k and 18kt gold jewelry are completely solid throughout the entire piece.
These pieces are more durable than gold vermeil, gold plated or sterling silver.
Giving back
We are in business to improve lives. We believe that a better tomorrow is one where community thrives. From day one we have been committed to creating a brand that gives back and supports the women and children in the communities where we produce and create our products. To go full circle (to give and receive in equal parts) to us is vital for an impeccable production cycle.
In March 2020 we launched our 'Adopt a Family' project as an answer to the increasing hardships the Balinese community still faces due to the global impact of COVID-19. Bali, an island whose economy largely depends on tourism, remains empty to date with local businesses incrementally closing down and people loosing their main sources of income to help feed their families. In order to alleviate the situation, we started collecting donations to take care of the wellbeing of a family here in Bali. We collect donations via our webshop, while simultaneously 10% of every Ananda Soul proceed goes towards our ‘Adopt a family’ initiative. In the last 9 months we have been able to support 1.800 Balinese people.
Read more about our 'Adopt a family' project on our blog.
With creating Ananda Soul I subscribed to a mission of sharing my own experience with spirituality, the deeper meaning of life and overcoming body image issues with other women. In 2008, Ananda Soul was born as the result of my expression of those values in the form of wearable art. From Day One it has been my greatest intention to run this company in the most ethical ways while simultaneously supporting the local community. Even after 12 years I still humbly see myself as a guest on this island.
May you be blessed always.
