John Hardy’s latest Spring Summer 15 jewellery campaign features current ‘It Girl’ Cara Delevingne who bares all as she writhes between crisp white bed linen and is the picture of effortless elegance frolicking poolside in the sumptuous natural surroundings of East Bali. Her sun kissed skin is adorned with gleaming silver pieces from the new range including decadent chokers, intricately detailed earrings and John Hardy’s signature coiled bracelets and cuffs.
This is the second time Cara has fronted the brands campaign, and it is evident why. The model is the perfect fit for the brand: her unique beauty and free spirit embodies the essence of John Hardy. Her bohemian and carefree nature reflects the inspiration of the collections and evokes a sense of luxury with an edge.
You would never suspect it upon first look due to the high-end appeal of the brand, but as beautiful as the pieces are, they are just as ethical. At the heart of John Hardy, is an ethical approach and environmental responsibility that defines everything this company does.
And it is something TheTrendSpotter has witnessed first hand. Colin and Dasha Gold were lucky enough to be taken on a private tour of the brand’s Bali Compound (the same tour Cara Delevingne was taken on when she visited – we should add), and was shown the production site where all the jewellery is made.
Of her experience Dasha says:
“The facilities were just beautiful and the site was simply breathtaking. The entire compound is built from local, low impact, natural materials. We saw the unbelievable bamboo cathedral thatched with alang alang that looks like an upside down boat and serves as the showroom for the jewellery. Another fascinating structure was the outdoor terrace, an antique timber structure with natural grass roof at the heart of the compound where the design team works. The factory has an in-house kitchen where the workers eat every day and the food was all local organic produce.
We watched the process of making the jewellery and met all of the factory workers and I loved that most of them had come from a family of wood or stone carvers and their techniques have been passed on from their ancestors. The most memorable part of the experience was learning that all John Hardy jewellery is made by hand and the designs are a blend of traditional and modern elements. John Hardy’s story was also fascinating, he has always pushed the boundaries of the norm and is so good at it.”
Each piece of John Hardy jewellery is handmade individually through authentic artisanal design, craftsmanship and ongoing sustainable practices. John Hardy affirms it’s pioneering reputation at the height of eco-conscious Sustainable Luxury through its preservation of ancient jewellery making techniques, which would have otherwise been lost, fused with modern ingenuity, while ensuring its business operations are environmentally conscious at all levels.
The John Hardy brand consists of a tight-knit group of people who are all committed to the brands legacy of sustainability and creating objects of beauty, ‘one of a kind, one at a time, each by hand,’ whilst not forgoing its ethical obligation.
From using 100% recycled silver, sourcing alluvial gold, tracking the origins of their stones and their “Wear Bamboo, Plant Bamboo” initiative to offset the company’s carbon emissions and protect the environment, (to date the brand has planted 900,000 bamboo plants throughout Bali), it is obvious that everyone in the John Hardy family has chosen to live with a consciousness about their impact on the planet and practices being greener every single day.
John Hardy has two factories; the one located in Bali specialises in silver production whilst the factory in China specialises in stones. They have offices in New York and Hong Kong and employ more than 1,600 people worldwide.
John Hardy’s collections are now available at more than 600 retail locations across 27 countries and regions, including Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in the US, Harrods in the UK and Bloomingdales and Harvey Nichols in the Middle East as well as specialty retailers worldwide. The company’s top customer base is in the US however the brand is becoming increasingly popular internationally through its luxury appeal and environmentally sustainable practices.
John Hardy really is beauty with meaning.
Megan Pustetto 