For pieces that are so small in your wardrobe, jewelry carries a lot of weight — and often, it’s because of the sentimental value. Whether it’s your great grandmother’s string of pearls that have been passed down generations or the first pair of gold earrings you ever bought for yourself, there’s a story behind each piece. And for The Chain’s new jewelry collection, that story is community.
Founded in 2017 by fashion industry veterans Ruthie Friedlander and Christina Gasso, The Chain is a non-profit organization supporting women — particularly in the fashion, media, and entertainment realms — who are struggling and recovering from eating disorders. Since it first began, The Chain has been creating spaces to bring its members together through regular events with the help of designers and brands. Now, the organization has a new way for its community to unite as one — even when they’re apart.
“Being in isolation is an especially difficult time for people with eating disorders — eating disorders thrive in isolation,” Friedlander shares with The Zoe Report in an email. “Does wearing a necklace we made make that all go away? Of course not! But it certainly does serve as a daily reminder that I chose recovery, and recovery is a choice I want to make every day.” The co-founder and editorial consultant also expressed that if people can shop during this time, they want to buy pieces with purpose or with meaning behind them. For The Chain and its audience, one of those things is jewelry.
To raise more funding for its events and other areas of its organization, The Chain recently launched its debut jewelry collection, which ranges from $49 to $4,499 and includes nine semi-fine pieces inspired by its namesake. Friedlander and Gasso worked with the online marketplace Pietra to create a timeless selection of chain necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings that will go seamlessly with your wardrobe — whether they’re worn with the rest of your jewelry or not.
Friedlander also tells TZR that she hopes anyone who owns a piece of the brand’s jewelry will see it as more than a beautiful bauble. “[I hope] that they think of it as a sort of talisman, a good luck charm, or protection,” she says. “For me, it is very much related to my eating disorder/ But for whatever your personal struggle is, whatever you’ve grown from, I hope a piece from our collection can serve as a reminder of where you’ve been, how far you’ve come, and where you’re going.”
If you want to contribute to The Chain’s cause and get a pretty piece of jewelry while you’re at it, scroll down to shop the debut collection below.
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