Annarita Celano Blends Luxe, Spirituality in Jewelry Brand
● The Milan-based fashion veteran has developed a conscious jewelry collection inspired by nature and yoga philosophy.
MILAN — Who said luxury and spirituality can't coexist? The two worlds have found a balance in the jewelry brand established in Milan by fashion veteran Annarita Celano.
“My goal is to create authentically beautiful luxury products, which, along with aesthetics, also embrace ethical values and practices,” Celano said. “After pursuing a long career in the fashion business, I embarked on a spiritual journey that pushed me to explore yoga, Buddhism and a plantbased nutrition. The goal of my collection is to combine my passions, luxury and spirituality, by creating beautiful, but also meaningful, items.”
A graduate of Milan's prestigious fashion school Istituto Marangoni, Celano, a bubbling Neapolitan with sparkling blue eyes, worked for several years as a fashion designer at several brands, including Missoni, Brunello Cucinelli and Ken Scott. In 1999, in London she teamed up with Luca Tommassini — who worked as a dancer and choreographer for a plethora of music stars, including Madonna and Michael Jackson
— to open The Apartment Ltd., where she created special outfits for concerts, music tours and red carpets for A-list celebrities, including Kylie Minogue, Geri Halliwell, Usher, Keira Knightley, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Cat Deeley and Atomic Kitten.
However, once back in Milan, she started thinking about developing her own jewelry line, which, after years of tests and research, is now taking off with a sustainable approach.
“Since my collections are inspired by the values I'm trying to observe in my life, I had to stick to conscious practices also with my business,” Celano said. “My jewelry pieces have a positive impact on the life of the communities of minors, on the prevention of conflicts and they support artisanal craftsmanship, at the same time giving emotional benefits and creating human connections among those who wear them.”
In keeping with her conscious approach to sourcing and production, Celano looks at nature and at the spirituality of the yoga philosophy as the main sources of inspiration for her creations. If memories of her childhood spent in Naples echo in the Riccio collection, where the curved shape of the sea urchin takes center stage, the Onda lineup celebrates the theta waves experienced during meditation. Chakra symbols are also featured in the brand's namesake collection, giving a distinctive touch to pendants, rings, cuffs and body chains. The brand's average price is around 2,500 euros.
“I feel I have this great opportunity to work for promoting change, creating value and meaning. And, for transforming luxury into an occasion to generate authentic beauty,” said Celano, referring to her sustainable approach. “For years, I have focused on finding the right suppliers, guaranteeing the right certifications and adopting the correct sustainable practices. I have never settled for green washing. I'm also happy that I can contribute to raise awareness among people that are learning to think that each purchase we make has a social and environmental impact.”
For her creations, Celano uses gold approved by Fairmined, an assurance label that certifies gold from artisanal and small-scale mining organizations that meet standards for responsible practices. In addition, the brand's collections only employ diamonds recognized by the United Nations' Kimberley Process. The core of this regime is the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme under which states implement safeguards on shipments of rough diamonds and certify them as “conflict free.”
Respecting the value of local artisanal craftsmanship, the Annarita Celano jewelry pieces are all crafted by Sisti Srl, a Milan-based company and a member of the Responsible Jewelry Council, where everything is crafted by hand in small quantities to avoid over production.
“At the same time, Sisti Srl is a company owned and managed by women,” Celano said. “They are committed to equal salaries, support maternity rights with policies including paternity leaves, and observe rigid rules limiting overtime work.”