Vegan-Connections_Nov18_V3

B oodi
8 9
Words: Emma Cooper
Images: Boodi
For the full experience of Boodi and to find out more about
Sarah, visit www.vegan-connections.com where we’ll
release the full interview.
Finding a gift, or a cheeky payday treat that is as ethical
as it is beautiful is often a challenge. Luckily, brands like
Boodi are on the rise and now looking stylish whilst keeping
your conscience clear has never been easier.
I spoke to jewellery designer and founder of Boodi, Sarah
Marafie, from her home in Hackney, London. With her slight
East London accent, chunky frames and a beachy up-do, she
has that effortless style which reflects in her non-fussy, uber
cool jewellery collection. Boodi jewellery has got the sort of
'more is more' vibe that lends itself to piling on geometric rings,
layering pendants and grouping together chunky bangles.
But it's the stories and the ethos behind Sarah's designs
that make them truly special. I chat to her about forgotten
stories, keeping it ethical and giving back to charities that
are firmly rooted in her vegan lifestyle.
What inspires your designs?
I would say that ancient culture inspires me. I do say that
it's history a lot of the time but it [history] is so broad, isn't
it, and I'm not really inspired by factual history, it's more of
a feeling that you get from historical objects or buildings.
I've always really been interested in found, old objects and
then I start to think about their stories and where they come
from. Everything I've always done, even when I went to art
school before the jewellery, it's always been about found or
abandoned objects and buildings that have some sort of
story or unknown story.
There's the spiritual side too, like the ancient Egyptians
and how they had sun temples and moon temples. And also
symbols, there are a lot of symbols in ancient history which
I just love because of the spiritual meanings behind them or
even the unknown meanings behind these things that were
just written everywhere. It's that lost or forgotten meaning.
Even animal cave drawings, that presence of someone being
in that cave, at that time, so long ago and writing things on a
wall. Those sorts of things really inspire me, I guess I wanted
to create objects that have that look, that element of being
old and create my own symbols that have their own meanings.
I try to create new symbols based on old symbols, adding
in things. Like, crescent moons and suns are symbols that
have been around for thousands of years already, I just add
something to them. Or if they're based on nature anyway, like
a mountain, I make it into a symbol. Like the family symbol
I've got in my collection is based on crescent moons and a
sun. I've got a new one coming out which is Animal Utopia
- I've put the letters together to create a symbol.
Do you also keep an eye on the fashion world? Your
jewellery feels very current.
Obviously trends are always in your face, I see them on Instagram
or on programmes and in the media so I guess I'm
influenced subconsciously by them. But I don't read fashion
magazines or follow the seasons, or whatever it is you call
them. (She laughs). I've never ever been a follower of that sort
of stuff. I went to London College of Fashion and did styling
- I didn't really know any designers! Everyone was coming
in with bags from designers and knew everything from the
fashion world. I still don't know anything about any of that.
I definitely see trends and if I really like one I might use it,
like signet rings are a trendy thing now but they're also hundreds
of years old. These are the sorts of things I might pick
up on and incorporate with a more ancient looking design.
What made you start doing jewellery?
I started making jewellery from broken pottery shards, I
think I first did that 7 years ago. That was purely out of dog
walking! In the ground near Hackney Marshes, there was this
one path with loads of pottery in it. So I just started to collect
it and I ended up having a massive collection so I started
experimenting with making jewellery. I sold a few here and
there and got onto the Princes Trust enterprise programme
and decided to make a business out of it.
I got onto another programme where I got free jewellery
lessons and learnt to solder and silversmith - so yeah! It all
started from dog walking.
Do you have a favourite piece?
I think out of the silver stuff I've done, my favourite piece is
the Dea Dia bangle (https://boodijewellery.com/product/
dea-dia-viking-bangle-gold/) which I wear every day. It's a
really solid, really heavy piece and I love the detail on it. It's not
one of the most popular ones I've sold but it's my favourite.
It's quite Viking, like with the rope.
You grew up in the middle east (in Kuwait) how did
that influence you?
I was born there. My dad's Kuwaiti, (my mum is English) and
I lived there until I was 18 with my brother and sister. You get
3 months of summer holiday there because it's so hot, so
we'd come back to England for the whole summer. It's a very
international place, so growing up in a school like that was
great. My mum loves Arabic decor and so we'd go to markets
and that's probably where I get it all from. She would buy so
many old rugs and ornaments. At home I'd go through all
of it, bags full of stuff she’d got from a market. As I became
a teenager I'd be like, 'why have you got so much crap!?' I
love it now though. As a little kid, I'd always go through her
jewellery box which was a massive influence because there
was so much colour and so many different materials. I’d think
about where they were from.
The animal influence is also from Kuwait and my mum.
My mum was a massive animal lover. Growing up, we had so
many animals at home that we’d recused. She would rescue
all the cats and dogs that she would see. Going to the house
next door, because it was abandoned, we would go to see
a dog and her litter that we would feed. There were a lot of
empty houses around after the war in 1990 so there would
be stray animals everywhere. There still are. One morning
I remember waking up and there were so many dogs in the
garden, it's like they'd all spoken to one another and said -
this is where the lady lives that feeds everyone!
That love for animals, that came from my mum, I guess
it’s definitely made its way into the jewellery.
Is that what inspired you to be vegan eventually?
Oh yeah, definitely.
With the animal coins, you give some of the proceeds
to Friends Animal Sanctuary. You've said it makes
sense to you to give back, what inspired the decision
to give to that particular place?
I knew I wanted to donate, it was just a case of deciding
where to. Before the coins, I spent a lot of time researching
charities and what they do. So I already had Animals Asia
and I picked Born Free for the landscape ring and then I
wanted an ocean conservation one because I had some
whale earrings, so I did some research on that and chose
Whale and Dolphin Conservation. So all that took quite a
bit of research.
So then when I made the coins I felt like I wanted it to
be smaller and more local. I'd already heard about Friends.
I'd been to other farm animal sanctuaries which are also
amazing but I felt like they were bigger and already getting
some help from other brands. I really like that Friends are
vegan and I loved what they were doing. They're a no kill
sanctuary so every animal will either find a home or stay there
and they also do a lot on vegan educating and spreading
the message. I loved what they were doing and that it was
local, so it worked well.
I love that, even with the bigger charities, all the people
are always the same. Compassionate, friendly, caring people
- it’s great to be a part of that. I wanted to move away
from the jewellery world and be more involved in the vegan
world or animal world. It feels more 'me' and everyone you
meet through it is so lovely.
I love doing vegan events and markets. The vibes of those
places and being around like-minded people is so different to
anything else. I love that people are there trying to do good.
All the people behind vegan brands are such kind people.
I recently did a vegan festival in Brighton, and one last
weekend called Plant Based Live. I’ll be doing No Planet B
in October and then there's Vegfest at the end of October as
well which I'm considering, and Vegan Nights In December.
Yeah so I'm trying to do more, definitely.
Are you loving the vegan revolution?
Yeah of course, absolutely love it. So many more options when
you're on the go. And such a good feeling to see veganism
growing and know that it's helping animals because that's
the name of the game. Especially where I live, it's amazing.
Hackney is crazy! Anything I could want to eat, it's there for
me. Like pizza, curry, donuts, puddings, tiramisu, lasagne
(she laughs as she reels them off) - anything at all. I can
always have a vegan option. It's crazy how it's all changed
around me because I've been in Hackney now for about 12
odd years and just in the last 2 years it's completely vegan
everywhere, a new place on every corner and vegan events
and nights. So I’m absolutely loving it, so cool.
For a vegan business owner do you have any tips
to get started?
I think from experience of everything that I've done and tried
and not tried, and everything that I'm going through at the
moment I would say - don't try and be led by things that you
think you should be doing. Sort of do things that come from
the heart. I know that sounds cheesy but it’s so important
to do things that you're passionate about rather than the
things that people tell you you should be doing, because
those are what is usually done. And I guess just start simple,
like really simple. Even if it's with one good thing that you've
researched really well. Just start with one product and go with
that, rather than trying to do a million things.
When I started I was like, I want to do this and I want
to do that, and I have to do this and I have to do that, but
then you've also got so many other things to do like sourcing
suppliers and then other bits and bobs you didn’t think
of, and it can all get a bit much. Then your energy goes on
the things that aren't really what you wanted to do to start
with. Now I'm trying to bring it back to basics again. Keep
things simple. You really need to try to go with your heart
and what feels right and enjoyable, rather than what you
think you should be doing.
Where can we find your jewellery?
I have an online shop at https://boodijewellery.com/ but I'm
always working on new stuff and some of the pieces are oneoffs,
like the coins, so it's best to keep an eye on my instagram
at @boodi_jewellery or email me: info@boodijewellery.com
Also I plan to do a few events from now until December,
so you can keep an eye on my social media for where I’ll be.
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