I decided along with our article about 5 of our favourite sustainable jewellery brand to interview them. Here is our talk with Annabelle Hardie.
How did the idea come to you?
“I can’t say it was a light bulb moment as I have been making jewellery for most of my life, it’s something that I have always come back to. I used to make the typical coloured pasta necklaces and bracelets in kindy, but my real love for jewellery all started on school-summer holidays at the beach from when I was around 9 years old. My friends and I weren’t allowed outside in the brutal Australian sun in the middle of the day, so we would go to a bead shop and learn to make necklaces on tiger tail wire. From then on, I always had a little supply of beads and tools on me. I went on to become a high-school hustler and made jewellery to order for formals and school dances for my boarding house friends for some extra pocket money.”
“When I left school I decided to give designing a proper crack and started my own label which I ran for several years, travelling to India to source jewellery supplies and then, later on, I had clothes made there too. After lots of wrong decisions running a business as a creative teenager, I let the label go and was hired as the Accessories Designer, Stylist and PA for an Australian activewear label for women.
I learned a lot working with China and the ins-n-outs of a bigger label, but the travel bug had really got under my skin after India, so I quit to work hospitality and admin jobs to save up and I bought an around-the-world ticket and set off with my jewellery tools in my backpack. I bought so many treasures from local tribes and markets in South America and Asia that my jewellery kit grew so big that I had to throw out clothes to fit everything in my backpack! When I got to Barcelona I was working several jobs over the summer and I would custom make jewellery on the beach for travellers that I met for fun and some extra travel money.
Eventually, I won a scholarship to IED Madrid to study Fashion Design, specialising in accessories, it was my version of winning the life lottery. One my best friends from Australia came to visit me in Madrid one summer and we started buying a tonne of materials in the Rastro markets and found some family businesses that sold all sorts of beautiful crystals and stones. We started a jewellery label together even though she was living in Sydney at the time and I was studying full time in Madrid and continued it right up until the summer of 2016. That summer I decided to go out on my own and combine the jewellery with bridal accessories, crowns that I was making for myself and friends and haven’t looked back. Everything has flowed so nice being able to be my true self and build a brand around my name.”
Where do you find your material?
“I still have boxes of treasures from when I was sourcing materials in India and from my travels around the globe which I love to sift through for custom made orders, you just never know when you might find something that matches perfectly. Also, I have a box of old jewellery from my friend’s mum, filled with all her old 90’s clip-on. I still love scouring the Rastro and flea markets wherever I go to find something that needs to be reinvented.
Nowadays I get most of my supplies from small family businesses here in Madrid. There are some stunning old traditional shops with all sorts of typical Spanish adornments in the old town, it’s my little paradise. I’ve also started a redesign service to reinvent jewellery and old family relics that clients don’t wear anymore. Recycling them not only gives them a second life, but they have so much more meaning for the client.”
What is the process of creation?
“I don’t often sketch my pieces first, only if it’s a big job and I want to communicate to my client some ideas before I get to work. I usually find interesting materials and then start experimenting with them. There is so much ergonomics involved with weight and volume distribution and sometimes the design I had in mind isn’t viable and a lot of the time I discover other combinations and distributions that are even better than I the one I had imagined. If it’s a design that’s going to be replicated I always like to test them out myself or get a friend to, just in case it needs some fine-tuning and to make sure it’s comfortable to wear. Once it’s got the tick of approval, I usually make them in different colourways or similar versions.”
Why the approach of slow fashion was important to you?
“The fashion industry has to take a long, hard look at itself and so do we as consumers. Massive fast-fashion labels have changed the way we consume and it’s devastating for the environment, our psyche and on our bank balance. When you make garments and accessories yourself, you quickly realise just how much blood, sweat and tears goes into making a piece, after years in the industry I’m still shocked at how products in chain stores can cost so little!
I grew up on a very remote sheep and cattle property in the Australian Outback, so I’ve always understood where the raw materials come from and just how much time, energy and resources are required to create wool, leather and cotton, let alone the processing of it and the distances it’s travelled before it’s even made into a fashion piece. We have to relearn how much things are really worth and we have to relearn how to shop. We need to make wise investments in pieces that we truly love, that will last for many years and that our love for them will last too. Too much of landfill is made up of our hasty purchases that haven’t stood the test of time.
Another invaluable lesson I learned from my childhood was how important small, local businesses are. They keep our money circulating the local economy and entire communities afloat. I also think they’re more likely to care about important things like the environment, their communities and their people rather than a huge table of directors who are only interested in making more money for their investors. We all have more power to right the wrongs in this world than we think and the power lies in what you spend your money on.”
What is your goal with your products and brand?
“I want to make unique pieces that are adored and adorning my customers for many moons to come. Slow fashion means more variety and personality. Since I hand make everything myself I can control the production numbers, which is why I make one-offs and limited editions. Life is too short to be like everyone else, the way you dress has so much power in conveying who you really are and how you want to feel that particular day, it can be really transformative. I want to bring out every lady’s inner señorita to have them dancing wherever they go to their own beat.”
What is the type of pricing that you offer?
“While I make everything myself from top quality materials, the general consensus is that my pieces are very affordable. My average pair of earrings cost around AUD$69 (40EUR) including standard shipping.”
I hope you liked this post. Go check Annabelle Hardie website here and her beautiful creation. Also, don’t forget to go check our article 5 of our favourite sustainable jewellery brand.
