Here’s a new fashion collaboration to note: Jewelry favorite Monica Vinader has teamed up with London-based contemporary fashion brand Mother of Pearl to create a collection of enduring jewelry.
If you think your inbox or Instagram feed is often saturated with designer partnership news, rest assured, this one — out today — is well worth the hype.
Fendi x Versace, Uniqlo x JW Anderson, Simone Rocha x H&M: brand collaborations are popular for a reason. Not only do they offer shoppers the chance to purchase limited-edition collections, but they give labels and designers the chance to reach new audiences, flex their creative muscles, and produce something entirely new. In addition, there is enormous marketing potential.
But what happens when two brands with the same philosophy meet? Organic training with sustainability in the foreground is what.
Sounds like a particularly apt description, since the Monica Vinader x Mother of Pearl designs launching today are inspired by natural forms. Think iridescent oyster shells battered by sea waves or a tangle of knotted roots under a tree. They also make a nod to the Japanese art of Kintsugi; the process by which broken vases or ceramics are glued back together and set off with gold paint, reincarnating into something more imperfectly beautiful – and saving them from landfill in the process.
Monica Vinader and Amy Powney, Creative Director of Mother of Pearl, are both sustainability innovators. It’s been Powney’s USP since she was promoted to this influential role in 2013, having risen through the ranks from Studio Manager. She launched the brand’s fully circular No Frills collection in 2018 and has since tightened the supply chain, considering everything from farmers’ rights and sheep welfare to fabric waste (she reuses scraps season after season).
Although she started out as a small business owner, Monica Vinader has enjoyed monumental success since launching her eponymous brand in 2008. But unlike many other successful retailers who make far-reaching promises in the name of big PR , once Vinader decided she was going to make her business carbon neutral, she did it quickly. It only uses 100% recycled gold vermeil and Sterling silver and all diamonds are ethically mined. By the end of 2021, this smart change had saved 2,275,623 kg of GHG emissions. In addition, the brand further offsets all emissions generated by production and shipping to maintain total carbon neutrality.
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So you can imagine what a dream team the two designers form. By prioritizing the planet above all else, they’ve also created something aesthetically beautiful. The use of galaxy diamonds in the collection – the OddBox equivalent of gems often thrown away for being imperfect – is sure to spark a mini revolution (or at least a few semi-fine dupes). In fact, perfection is something the duo steered clear of: each stone and cultured pearl is one of a kind.
Another detail that has not gone unnoticed is the choice of models. In collaboration with photographer Sam Copeland, the duo photographed five muses, adorned with galactic pearls and diamonds, for their campaign. The collection looks even better on “real” women – activist and founder of Fashion Revolution Orsola de Castro; the Lasting influence podcasters Bianca Foley and Charlotte Williams; journalist and author Radhika Sanghani; and filmmaker and activist Alice Aedy.
Sam Copeland
The 12-piece collection drops today, with prices starting at an affordable £80. If Monica Vinader’s recent collaborations with influencer Doina Ciobanu and interior boutique Florence St. George are to be believed, this collection will sell out instantly. During peak promotional events, Monica Vinader’s site sometimes gets so busy that there’s a waiting list to grab – so grab your wishlist items ASAP.
Sam Copeland
Sam Copeland
The 12-piece Monica Vinader X Mother of Pearl jewelery collection, with prices ranging from £80 to £275, drops February 15 and is available to buy on monicavinader.com.
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