A MOMENT WITH PAMELA LOVE
TEXT: Logan verlaque IMAGES: hanna grankvist
the sustainable jewelry designer on her earth friendly philosophies.
Pamela Love is a born and bred New Yorker. Yet, her love of the concrete jungle hasn’t stopped her from learning to appreciate all that nature has to offer. Love’s attention to Mother Nature and her understanding of Earth’s finest organic materials influenced her in creating her eponymous sustainable jewelry line. We were excited to hear all about her process and how her eco-conscious approach to her business carries over to her personal life.
word to describe what Less is More means to you:
Simplicity.
Last item you purchased?
A pair of black vintage Levi’s.
Last thing you got rid of?
I recently donated about three giant duffel bags full of clothes.
Most important item to you?
The ring my father game my mother when she was pregnant with me.
Favorite vintage spot?
Narnia in Williamsburg.
On starting a sustainable jewelry line
I don’t think there was one “aha” moment. When i first launched my brand i knew I wanted to do things differently. Little by little, learning about the industry and the impact we have on the environment helped to inform my path.
I think for me 9being sustainable) means trying our best and always striving to do more. No one is ever perfect- sustainability is a journey and we are only partially down the road. But it’s very important to keep striving towards doing our best . The only true way to be sustainable is to not make anything new. But for me that’s not possible. My soul yearns to create and to tell stories through these creations- jewelry is my medium- it’s what speaks to me. Without it I think I would be horribly depressed. I would not be able to just stop making new things even if that’s the most responsible option. So for me it’s really about creating something in the market that is a safe choice for people- something they know was considered and created in a responsible way- recycling, upcycling, using renewable energy etc
On her designs
To me it’s very important to create designs that are worth existing. If you can find the same thing in ten or twenty other lines then to me it’s a waste of the materials that Mother Earth has created. I think having a different point of view, even if it isn’t always on trend or for everyone is more important than creating something sellable. The resources needed to create jewelry, the metals, the stones, (even if they are recycled) are limited and precious and I feel it’s irresponsible to make any old thing. If it doesn’t need to be part of the creative conversation, then we don’t need to waste materials on it.
On what attracts her to materials
Color. I’m a huge fan of vibrant colors and I’m quite obsessed with specific hues and will search far and wide to find exactly what I am dreaming of.
On the harder aspects of selling sustainable products
Our prices aren’t always the most competitive and that can be very hard for us especially with the larger retailers. We have lost some partners because our prices were much higher than other brands who were manufacturing in a totally different way than us. Sometimes it’s hard to play that game when stores are pushing for cheaper and cheaper wholesale prices. But I don’t want to compromise how we make our jewelry to be part of that system.
On the questions one should ask before purchasing
Will i use this for many years to come? How can i take care of this to prolong its life? Do i believe in the values of the company who made this?
“No one is ever perfect- sustainability is a journey and we are only partially down the road.”
On her goals for living a more sustainable life
I would like to strive to becoming a zero waste household. My husband and I tried that once a few years ago but it was very difficult. For now we are recycling, composting, brining our own cloth bags to the market etc., but we can always do more.
