Welcome to 2024, and welcome to the January Sustainable Edit; a new month and new year edition of Citizen Femme’s column showcasing the sustainable collectives on our radar.
From conscious cashmere and handcrafted jewellery to the Cotswold’s most sustainable hotel, these are the names making a positive change this January.
JEWELLERY
Bonvo
Founded by Greek designer Maria Leonidopoulou in 2015, Bonvo – which means valuable in Haitian Creole – is a jewellery brand that prides itself on precision, with hand-crafted pieces made from recycled 925 sterling silver and 18 carat solid gold. Sustainability is at the forefront of the brand’s DNA; using local artisans, plus conscious materials and techniques to create effortless jewellery that combines clean lines and understated luxury. Maria’s minimalistic jewellery is the epitome of every day chic, inspired by simplicity, with an emphasis on wearability and timelessness.
FASHION
OYUNA
Designed in London and proudly made in Mongolia, OYUNA is a considered Nomadic cashmere brand. Designing thoughtful garments using the world’s most luxurious natural ingredient, Mongolian cashmere, OYUNA adopt the principle of having few but precious objects in our lives, to maintain relevance and quality. Their clothes are created in Mongolia by fine-skilled crafts people and they’ve been working with the same factories for almost 20 years, providing transparency from fibre to final stitch. The environmentally-friendly way this cashmere is produced safeguards the livelihoods of the herding communities and protects the fragile environment in which they live. With threats to Mongolian grasslands increasing due to pressures of climate change and overgrazing, OYUNA are working on a ground-breaking programme to collaborate with nomads; tracking the cashmere lifecycle to help preserve the land.
BEAUTY
Suri
Suri is a brand on a mission: to highlight the fact that our bathrooms have a sustainability issue that extends beyond the bottles in your shower. Every year, over four billion toothbrushes end up in landfill or the ocean and, to tackle the issue, Suri challenged itself to redesign the electric toothbrush as we know it, making it more reuseable, repairable and recyclable. With brush heads made from corn starch and bristles from castor oil, they have succeeded. The company is also committed to offering a sleek, portable design (so you’ll actually want to use it), and the sonic vibrations provide a thorough yet gentle clean to rival those already on the market. Becki Murray
STAY
Whatley Manor
This sustainably-minded Cotswold retreat in the charming town of Malmesbury is dedicated to the best environmental practices and leads the way for sustainable hospitality in the UK. The picturesque 18th-century country house hotel offers a five-star guest experience but in a responsible way; they are already using 100% certified renewable Biogas energy and have set a target to achieve net zero emissions for energy use by 2028, and for their supply chain by 2035. Adopting a refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle initiative and a circular economy model, Whatley Manor’s efforts have been rewarded with a Silver accreditation by EarthCheck. This cosy country house not only oozes character and warmth, but 12 acres of beautiful gardens, a spa and a Michelin star restaurant to indulge in.
EAT
Dovetale
Dovetale is one of three places to dine at the new 1Hotel Mayfair, one of London’s latest hotels to lead with sustainability at the forefront of their agenda. The hotel, built retaining over 80% of the existing building and now run using 50% less energy than the standard hotel in the UK, carries this ethos into the bespoke, fine dining services also on offer. Headed up by two Michelin star chef Tom Sellers (who opened Restaurant Story in 2013), Dovetale serves a produce-led menu which shifts in line with seasonality and availability and makes for a memorable experience. From the animated Raw Bar where fresh seafood served with champagne provides the perfect spot for a meetup with friends to one of London’s best Sunday roasts, Dovetale specialises in London’s favourite modern twist on European cuisine. Also not to miss is the lunch set menu where you can choose between two or three courses of seasonal dishes which change throughout the year. Following a novel night of delicate plates, walk back through the hotel to find Dover Yard, the hotel’s cocktail bar and lounge for a lively digestif.
©Jon Day
Lead image: Dovetale Terrace by MiloBrown
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