Jianhui – sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly accessories

London-based jewellery label Jianhui has been committed to making sustainable, ethical and environmentally friendly accessories since he first launched his label over 15 years ago. Originally from a small village in rural China, Jianhui spent much of his childhood in the mountains, being inspired by nature and its ever-changing colours and textures. When money permitted, Jianhui attended school. He excelled academically and so was able to go on to study ceramics in the city near his family home.

Following his studies, Jianhui went to the UK to do an MBA. It was here, in London that he began creating and selling jewellery at Portobello market. In 2007, he launched his first store in Gabriel’s Wharf on London’s South Bank. Jianhui has now spent over a decade meticulously handcrafting his unique pieces from recycled or upcycled materials, such as wood, paper and leather. And his talent and unmatched style has not gone unnoticed, with signature, statement Jianhui necklaces, bracelets and earrings being worn by trend setters around the world. Bold style icons such as Iris Apfel, Lily Tomlin and Agnes B are all fans, and Jianhui pieces have been bought by institutions like MOMA in New York, as well as The V&A in London.

Jianhui draws his inspiration from a number of different sources. A great fan of Piet Mondrian, he recently made a collection that reflected his love of the 20th-century abstract artist’s most well known works. As for his production process, Jianhui uses an electricity-free, foot pedal operated machine to cut geometric shapes from recycled materials. All of his pieces are made by skilful artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds who he trained himself. As the jewellery collections are the only source of income for himself and so subsequently the ones of the artisans that work for him when COVID-19 hit Jianhui was impacted just like the rest of us. However, the mental strain only served to reinforce to him, just how important it is to remain positive and hopeful, embracing love for ourselves, for others and for the planet.

In response, Jianhui created his Love and Hope collection, made from recycled wood pallets and old ribbon that he bought from a factory many years ago. The ribbon had been sitting in his studio for years before he came up with a good use for it. Today that ribbon ties together the letters LOVE and HOPE which form the beads for the collection and are printed at a local studio and hand cut by the artisans he collaborates with. The ribbons are thicker than those found at shops or markets. In fact, nowadays factories rarely even produce ribbons of this thickness, which only serves to add an element of limited edition exclusivity to this stunning collection. Hurry and check them out now as the black and white pieces have already run out.

To view the full collection visit: https://www.jianhui.london

Written by Lupe Castro

Photography by Nyla Sammons

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