made in china africa

for the past week, I've had quite the R&R post-undergrad lifestyle consisting of 12+ hours of sleep (in hopes of catching up on the n amount of hours lost over the past 4 years), daily caffino runs, and endless amounts of television. aside from the endless hours of job hunting and resume/cover letter editing, I also fill my days with catching up on the latest style blogs and websites. one in particular, Vogue UK, caught my attention with their article on ethical and sustainable fashion labels. after seeing this gorgeous brass necklace, I was intrigued. made is a jewelry line
produced by independent artisans and small communities in Africa. products are all recycled and reused materials. designers of the line include Peaches Geldorf, Vicki Sarge (of Erickson Beamon), Alexa Chung, and stylist Brian Crumley among many others.

made follows fair trade principles that are so rarely seen in fashion - though I'm not positive about this, even my TOMS shoes are made in China, which is an eyebrow raiser because it's such a good cause yet why are the shoes made in China? by sourcing products in East Africa, made hopes to alleviate poverty "through trade, not aid." the jewelry line is a direct effort from Made Africa which focuses on children and education. the line is surprisingly affordable and the designs are impeccable, unique and best of all, supports a great cause!

here are a couple of my faves:


all are made from either recycled brass, aluminium, bone or handmade raw silk (like the bracelet)
shop more of the collection here