Wear and care
1 Love itComposed of an 18k white gold ring engraved with the word ‘Love’, studded with a diamond and attached to a silk cord (in a colour of your choice), Cartier’s Love Charity Bracelet is a highly covetable piece of jewellery based on appearances alone. But there’s another reason to love it: 100 per cent of proceeds from the sale of every single bracelet will be donated to Bahrain’s Children & Mother Welfare Society, established to improve the standards of nurseries, support handicapped children and to develop women’s rights. First launched four years ago, this limited-edition bracelet is part of a worldwide charitable initiative by Cartier to give back to the communities in which they are operational.
The Love Bracelet, BD265, available from Cartier boutique, Moda Mall, Diplomatic Area (17 533 333). Open Sat-Thu 9am-1.30pm, 4pm-8.30pm.
2 Bohemian wrap
Those of us with a little less cash to flash are investing in the hand-embroidered wrist wraps on sale at The One. Handmade by Palestinian women in the Kalandia Refugee Camp on the outskirts of Jerusalem, they’re cool and colourful, putting a modern spin on timeworn traditional Palestinian craftsmanship via abstract designs inspired by nature. By buying a bracelet, each of which takes an average day and a half to embroider, you are also supporting the Kalandia Camp Women’s Handicraft Cooperative, a non-profit, non-governmental organisation that aims to raise the educational, social, health and economic standards of women and children in Palestine.
Wrist wraps, BD12.95, from The One, Al A’ali Shopping Complex, Seef (17 587 178). Open 10am-10pm daily.
3 Can do
When you invest in one of Marissa D’Souza’s quirky handmade pieces, you’re not only contributing to your accessories collection, but to the environment, because each one is made from recycled materials, particularly tin cans. There are pendants made from the cans’ bottoms, hand painted with quirky, folky images, earrings made from the colourful sides, and handbags with bits of shredded can stitched into them. The project was inspired by Marissa’s wish to contribute in her own way to environmental awareness, but also by her homeland: ‘In India, nothing is wasted,’ she says. ‘For example, milk comes in plastic bags, which my mother would give to our maid, who would sell it to small merchants, who in turn sell it on to large companies. So recycling has always been part of my life.’
Earrings from BD7, pendants BD10 and handbags BD15. View Marissa’s recycled wares at www.marissa.co.in or call 36 432 715.
