Here’s a reminder: staying on fleek doesn’t mean compromising your ethics. Case in point: Scandinazn—a jewelry brand that promotes sustainable statement earrings. Founded in 2012 by Jamie Carlson, the brand uses discarded leather as its main material component. Each piece is crafted by Carlson, by hand, in Vancouver, Canada.
Carlson traces her love for creating pretty things out of repurposed materials to her preteen years. She recalls an instance when she wanted to look freshen up her outfit for her first concert. Lacking the budget for the look she desired, and armed with a sewing machine and a pair of scissors, she proceeded to pick apart her existing wardrobe. This hobby quickly evolved into a passion, which eventually led her to pursue an education in design.
With sustainability a driving force behind her work, Carlson treats the material itself as the starting point of her creative process. “Sometimes I’ll get an old leather jacket that just really speaks to me, or come across a collection of scraps that are just the right thickness to make a certain piece,” she shared in an interview with the Etsy blog, where she talked through her sources of inspiration.
Other sources of inspiration stem from her multicultural background, a fact that comes across through her brand’s name – Scandinazn being a combination of the words Scandinavian and Asian. Carlson explains her brand was in fact created with the intention of exploring elements of her Japanese and Swedish heritage through experimentation with color, pattern, shape, and texture,
“I’m keenly aware of colors that inspire me,” she shared with Etsy. “Whether I’m out and about in nature, looking at art, or surfing the internet, I try to keep a record of good color combinations. I think color is what makes my work stand out.”
Favorite pieces of ours include her rainbow confetti earrings and petal hoops. “You can match them with just about anything in your wardrobe, from jeans and a white T-shirt to a cute summer dress,” says Carlson.
Statement jewelry with a conscious? Sign us up!