Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Oak fine fairtrade jewellers

Illustration by Faye West

The inspiration behind Oak jewellery is evident in its name. Delicate leaf motifs, cialis 40mg woven twigs and acorn designs abound, all inspired by the mighty Oak tree. We fell in love with their designs, adding them firmly to our one-day wish list. But when we discovered that Oak use fairtrade gold we realised that there’s more to this jewellery than first meets the eye.

We caught up with Oak over a virtual cuppa and talked all things Gold (“Gold! Always believe…” Sorry…)

Can you introduce oak to us in one sentence?
OAK is a Super-Luxe, ethical, fine jewellery brand with heart.


Illustration by Natasha Thompson

Who are you and what floats your boat?
Oak is run by myself, Jo-Anne Owdud and my partner Parul Tolentino. Parul and I are quite different in our styles; expressed through our clothing or our homes. But we always seem to love what the other is into. Parul is currently into her Papier-mâché antelope head, taking pride of place in her bedroom whilst I am frequenting Victorian fireplace graveyards on the hunt for the perfect reclaimed fireplace! Family is also a big part of our lives, especially our children. We are secretly trying to arrange their marriage after their first moonlight river stroll on Valentines. They are 1 and half and 2. We don’t think this is extreme!

How did Oak come about?
We both worked in the fashion jewellery world for some time. Then, when Parul moved south of the river it meant we saw each other a lot more, particularly when we both had our first children. One fateful day we were having a very nice pub lunch when the journey of OAK began. Many more pub lunches followed; this time with sketch books in hand! It has been a long journey but a steady one. It’s taken us around 9 months to get us to the position to launch.


Illustration by Daria Hlazatova.

What are your design inspirations?
We love objects that have a story to tell, whether that’s with a sentimental meaning, or perhaps something unexpected. Historical references play a big part in what we love to explore and our surroundings are a huge inspiration. The Richmond Park collection was inspired by the sentiments of family and life, conveyed through the power of nature and our namesake; the ‘Oak’ tree. It’s also our favourite playground.

I am a big tree lover (!) and have noticed a lot of tree inspired designs in your jewelry. What is it that appeals to you about them?
We took our name from the mighty Oak tree because it evokes strength, beauty and a sense of the elegance of British heritage. We also love the thought of ‘if trees could talk’. What would they tell us about all they have seen over their years?

Where do you see your shop in 5 years time?
We aim to be at the forefront of ethical luxury jewellery and to be a recognised global British brand.


Illustration by Avril Kelly

Some might say that it was brave launching a new business, especially a luxury jewellery company, in a recession. How have you found it? What have been the best and worst moments?
Starting a new business is such a huge task and a risk in any climate but we both found ourselves in a position to start OAK that we couldn’t let pass. Our best moment was receiving our finished collection at 7.15am one-weekday morning. The worst was when we were looking for British manufacturers to work with and we were met with so many disheartening stories about the recession. This led to a lot of reluctance from people not wanting to take the risk with working with new designers.

Do you have any advice or tips for any other aspiring entrepreneurs?
We spent a lot of time discovering and defining what we wanted OAK to be. This helped us believe in ourselves, and to know who we are. Also it has been helpful to take a step back at times and assess where we are. This has led to a few positive directional changes. We also haven’t been afraid to ask for help in some areas. Our blog has been quite cathartic too for us and we used it log our journey leading up to our launch.


Illustration by Avril Kelly

What are your ethical motivations? ie what are the issues that get you fired up?!
With all the information available these days with regards to ethical business it just seems irresponsible not to act on it. Who would want to receive something with love if someone has sweated tears over it?

Can you tell us a bit about why you chose to use fairtrade gold?
Fairtrade monitors and regulates the production of gold. This is important to us and for our customers to be reassured. We also feel that using ethical gold is important to the sentiment of heirloom pieces. Luxury jewellery is an investment for the future and we feel that part of its value is that it is made in an ethical way. Our gold is from Oro Verde, which has been awarded Fairtrade status. We are awaiting our own license.


Illustration by Natasha Thompson

Thank you Oak Jewellery! To see more of their work, or visit their shop, see their website here.

Categories ,Avril Kelly, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Ethical Shopping, ,fairtrade, ,Fairtrade gold, ,Faye West, ,Forest, ,Hannah Bullivant, ,Jo-Anne Owdud, ,Natasha Thompson, ,Oak Fine Jewellery, ,Parul Tolentino

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Into The Wild Summer Festival 2014: Review

Into The Wild Festival Festival 2014

Last Spring I felt a strong desire and intention to start exploring the world of Summer Festivals. This was rather out of character for someone who, a little embarrassingly, at the age of 33 has consistently managed to avoid most of the UK large Summer Festivals. The one time I braved going to one before, I hated bits of the experience so much, it made me wonder why people put themselves through it. Being the daughter of a woman who hated camping, I have no practical skills to bring to life my lovely fantasy of natural living in the fields and navigating vast expanses of muddy territory amidst drunken folk will never become appealing to me. But, to my delight, it seems that every year more and more much smaller, quieter, manageable and family friendly field gatherings keep popping up! These were the kind I had my eye on this summer.

Pond Into The Wild Festival

v

Into The Wild Summer Festival was one of my chosen destinations. It was a beautiful small scale event in Broomlands, Cowden, East Sussex during the August Bank Holiday weekend with a strict no drugs and no alcohol policy. Its workshops schedule covered a wide variety of interests from Yoga to Movement Medicine, Five Rhythms, Shamanism, Bioenergetics, Drumming Journeys, Foraging, Massage, Rebirthing, Singing, Chanting, Storytelling and much more. I felt that these types of activities were a perfect complement to a weekend camping in the embrace of a forest away from the city. They reconnected us with our bodies, grounded us and reminded us of parts of ourselves we often forget to nurture during our busy daily schedules.

Anthony Gogh Into The Wild Festival

People Train Into The Wild Festival

Head Massage Scene Into The Wild Festival

Circle Gathering Into The Wild Festival

Body Contact Improvisation Into The Wild Festival

During the day adults and children played, cared for each other, shared music, stories, rituals and tears that came up, or just sat down in small groups holding hands for a while saying nothing. There was no shortage of smiles to go around and as the night approached there were even more opportunities to bond with strangers around the various campfires. One night I stayed up late wandering and as I joined a fire circle I had the joy of witnessing a young man dancing to the voices and drumming of the group as if he had no single fear in his heart.

The Big Love Experience Seth Newman Into The Wild Festival 3

The Big Love Experience Seth Newman Into The Wild Festival 1

The Big Love Experience Seth Newman Into The Wild Festival 2

Some workshops, like Seth Newman’s of Bioenergetic Alchemy The Big Love Experience, made a grand promise through their title, but this was a truly heart opening session. As we were led through a series of bioenergetics exercises a gazillion of emotions came up for each and every one of us to be released, loved and shared with a sea of other human beings.

Tantric Trance Dance seth Newman Into The Wild Festival 2

Tantric Trance Dance Seth Newman 1 Into The Wild Festival

Seth Newman had another offering for the more brave among us called Tantric Trance Dance. This ‘dance’ event was wildly liberating, hilarious and profoundly touching at the same time! I found it delightful that on a Sunday afternoon we found ourselves blindfolded, naked (the majority anyway) and expressing our wild-man, wild-woman natures with abandon. For me there was also a beautiful teaching to take back home with me. One third of this journey was a super powerful shake, and so, by shaking so much the upper half of the body, while having our feet planted firmly on the ground, we not only moved away from tensions and thoughts ‘up there’, but we also embodied the nature of life itself; the ever changing, ‘shaky’ reality of our every day lives resting on the solid basis of an eternal, unchangeable nature within. We might have read about this duality in books and half understood it intellectually, but during this process we embodied it and it became a deeper understanding, remembered in the cells of our bodies. Mindfully sucking on strawberries at the end was a lovely bonus. If after your Halloween celebrations you feel there is more exploring to do into your wild and darker side, then join a special Tantric Trance Dance event in London on the 8th of November!

Hula Hooping with Amy HoopLoving Into The Wild Festival

There were tons of other activities and workshops on offer, which perhaps did not take us to those deeper depths of our souls, but were equally healing. I LOVE hoola hooping and trying it out in different ways with Amy Hooploving was a joy!

Stephen Meakin Sacred Geometry Into The Wild Festival

We also joined Stephen Meakin on a little forest expedition to gather materials with which we made beautiful dream catchers.

Kids Tent Shamanic Drums Into The Wild Festival

I think it is so important for ‘city’ mums that they take their little ones out into the wilderness often and attending small festivals is a great way to do that.

Lucy Mills Transcendental Painting workshop Into The Wild Festival

I loved watching the lovely Lucy Mills – whom I had met in London at one of her super fun Paint Dance London events – lead these toddlers into some brush stroke action!

Pleebles Art Workshop with Carl Sullivan Into The Wild Festival

I believe I encountered a future talent in the world of illustration at Carl Sullivan‘s Pleebles drawing workshop.

Puppet Show Workshop with Anita Myatt Into The Wild Festival

Puppet Show Workshop with Anita Myatt 2 Into The Wild Festival

Anita Myatt‘s Puppet Show workshops made me want to get in there and sew a puppet sock too!

Laughing Lion Playshop with Lily Laughley Into The Wild Festival

I am not sure what the idea behind Lily Laughley‘s Laughing Lion Playshop was exactly, but the costumes looked fun.

Morning Gloryville Into The Wild Festival

I adore the idea of a rave first thing in the morning and was thrilled to find out that on Saturday and Sunday we would be starting our days with the morning clubbing sensation that is Morning Gloryville.

Boris Austin Into The Wild Festival

I was also thrilled I managed to get Boris Ausitn, one of Morning Gloryville‘s team, to pose for me with his fabulous necklace on made from colourful plastic whistles.

MARIA PAPADIMITRIOU BY BORIS AUSTIN

Boris Austin turned out to be a photographer and asked me to pose for him in return so that he could make a portrait of me. I love how the foliage is filling up my head, as if nature is doing a little spring clean to my brain.

Darryl Black Into The Wild Festival

More fashion related fun came from stambling upon Darryl Black‘s tent shop. I have followed and admired her wonderful upcycled clothing online for some time now, but it was such a pleaure to meet her in person and see her designs up close.

Urubu Into The Wild Festival

The lovely atmosphere created by all the above continued well into the night with live bands and djs playing in the main festival tent until late. It was lush to have the opportunity to dance surrounded by nature to the wild rhythms and drum beats created by the Urubu Collective, whose dances I have enjoyed many times in London.

Formidable Vegetable Sound System Into The Wild Festival

On the last night I was wowed by an Australian band called Formidable Vegetable Sound System. They made us jump up and down as well as laugh out loud with their energetic songs and quirky commentary in between, mixing up biology, permaculture and the human condition in a hilarious mashup.

ladies in wood circle Into The Wild Festival

Throughout the festival everyone was talking about and visiting an ancient chestnut tree, hidden nearby in the forest. So, on Monday morning, before leaving, myself and two female companions made our way to give a long ‘hug’ goodbye to this goddess. And then, just at the last minute I received a last precious gift from this festival experience; as I was waiting by our van for my co travelers, heavy rain pouring down, Bibi Habibi, our friendly neighbour – who, as it turned out, was a professional storyteller – sat me under his caravan porch, made me a cup of ginger tea with honey and placed a candle under my chair to suck out anything negative – as he informed me. He then started performing in front me while I listened to him, with a heart wide open from everything which had occurred those last couple of days, crying and at the same time feeling like a really excited young child who was hearing of the wonders of this world for the first time. He told me an old story of a woman, up on the Spanish mountains, whose feelings were so powerful that the weather shifted according to them, and a new story of ‘Princess Maria’ and her meeting with the Dragon…

Photography by Maria Papadimitriou, The Big Love Experience and Tantric Trance Dance workshops photography by Kevin Stoney, portrait of myself by Boris Austin.

Categories ,Amy Hooploving, ,Anita Myatt, ,Bioenergetics, ,Boris Austin, ,Carl Sullivan, ,Darryl Black, ,dreamcatchers, ,Ecstatic Dance, ,festival, ,Forest, ,Formidable Vegetable Sound System, ,Hula Hoop, ,Into the Wild, ,Into The Wild Summer Festival, ,Kevin Stoney, ,Lily Laughley, ,Lucy Mills, ,Maria Papadimitriou, ,Morning Gloryville, ,One Giant Leap, ,Pleebles, ,review, ,Seth Newman, ,Stephen Meakin, ,sustainability, ,Tantric Trance Dance, ,The Big Love Experience, ,Urubu, ,workshops

Similar Posts: