I was honoured to be invited by Facets PR to an exclusive event in London, that celebrated the rise of successful women pioneering jewellery brands. Hosted by an inspiring all-women panel, the event supported by the Women’s Jewellery Network invited the icons of the industry to come together, display their beautiful pieces and talk about how they are driving to empower women.
Not only was each member of the panel inspiring, the event was fittingly held on International Women’s Day, and I couldn’t help but be captivated by each of the speaker’s stories, hearing not only the highs but also the challenges of being a successful female entrepreneur. It was humbling to be in a room surrounded by such drive and determination in a industry that was talked about being still a traditionally male-dominated area.
All speeches had me captivated, including Jennifer Ewah who spoke about Eden Diodati, her ethical luxury brand that she quoted as “the love of her life”. Not only is this brand creating beautiful pieces of art, but each part of the range is crafted by around 5,000 women in Rwanda who survived the genocide. Each woman’s resilience is something that Jennifer wants to “sing about in the luxury sphere as a jewellery brand”. Her drive doesn’t stop there, a crowdfunding page has been created to create another social co-operative in Thailand for survivors of human trafficking. I was in awe of her strength, and also her passion for human justice – something that each brand spoke about, committing their attention to ethical and fair trade initiatives throughout their businesses.
I left feeling empowered, to have been in a room with some fierce and inspiring women who are creating a wave of change in the industry was quite frankly overwhelming. We can show our support by wearing a piece that has been beautifully made by these women and help promote this change for the better.
Xx Kay
