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What is the heart of your brand?
To us, life is poetry. Beautiful and simple. We believe in a path of love, and we believe that love is
action. Catori is about living an inspired and authentic life while loving, ie. helping to heal, the world.
I created this brand from the ground up with philanthropy and sustainability in mind. I wanted to
step out of the status quo of consumerism and create a company that would not only help women
feel empowered in their authenticity and personal truth, but that also had at its root a spirit of
generosity, and could redistribute funding to organizations and people that were doing the hard
work that must be done right now. We also believe in generous wages and sharing abundance. We
want everyone involved to be thriving. We want the organizations we support to thrive. We don’t
operate from a scarcity mentality, but an abundant one.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
My designs are inspired and informed by the natural movement of the earth and water around me, and ancient mysticism. I spend a lot of time sitting in nature and with tea in ceremony and in meditation, and these elements and practices inspire me very much.
What materials are you using to create your line?
We use recycled bronze, silver and gold. I’m very adamant about not ever working with or supporting newly mined gold, even “ethically” mined as the extraction process is terrible for the earth. I’m not sure many people know this.
What makes your brand sustainable?
First, I think we really need to know and understand that no company is truly sustainable, as manufacturing and consumption always takes its tole on some level, and this is simply the truth.
You cannot make something on a large scale that does not have an effect or impact on the environment, our resources or people involved. I think a conversation that needs to be had is what “sustainable” truly means. We can implement more sustainable materials
and practices but no brand can ever truly be sustainable, and people need to know that. Consumerism at its core, is not sustainable. Other brands will hate me for saying it but it needs to be said… and understood.
For example, we can have eco-friendly packaging, but we are still burning oil flying our products to you all over the world. We can use recycled materials, but somewhere in the supply chain someone is probably using chemicals that pollute the water, no matter how many questions we ask. Production has impact. We cannot turn a blind eye to these facts and pretend our actions do no harm.
What is different in the slow and “sustainable” fashion movement is that now many of us are striving to make change and do as much as we can to do things better, and differently. If we’re going to live and participate in this paradigm of capitalism and consumerism, how can we do it better? How can we shift the norm, educate our customers and give back to create healing and nourishment for people and the planet? How can we offset our impact and heal damage that has been done?
Everything we do has an impact. The question is, does our impact cause healing, or does it cause harm? The answer is always both. This is being human and this is what a conscious business needs to remember. And honestly, our mindset around consumerism must shift and we must consume less, in addition to implementing sustainable practices, if we hope to really make a change in the well being of our world.
I want my customers to understand and be educated about these facts, and I encourage them to buy less from us and from everyone else. Purchase only what you REALLY love and feel will add to
your life in a positive way. That makes a HUGE difference. Practice fulfillment in other ways than consuming… like hiking, spending time with loved ones, volunteering, adventuring, writing poetry, making love, laughing, dancing, cooking, painting and playing with your kids… this is human and this is implementing sustainable practices. This is loving.
I believe that true sustainability within the structure of a company means that the good
the company is doing outweighs the bad. We strive to hit as many aspects as we possibly can in making a positive impact rather than a negative. We are constantly researching and re-creating every aspect of the company to be more conscious and sustainable. We use eco-friendly biodegradable & recycled packaging. Our jewelry is made from recycled metals, locally here in New Mexico and we have a relationship with our production house and work closely with them and know first hand that the women making our jewelry have good treatment and working conditions. We have a low stress and fun work environment and provide jobs in our community, offering good wages and flexibility so that our employees can enjoy their lives. We believe in redistributing wealth and practice reciprocity by donating 5% of our total sales to non profits to support environmental healing and social good.
My hope and goal is that our company can create inspiration and beauty in the lives of our customers and employees and that our positive impact can outweigh any footprint we leave.
On a personal level why, how & when did you decide to create an eco-friendly brand?
Birthing Catori Life was a long path of learning and understanding. When I was 22 I started out with my first baby brand Spirit Tribe on Etsy in my early days of making jewelry as a hobby. I was a new mama and chose to do this as a way to keep a flexible schedule and make a little money working from home so I could be with my baby. I worked mostly at night when he was asleep. I did really well, had fun and learned a lot.
Simultaneously I became very involved in activism and our local Occupy Movement. I vividly remember protesting in the streets and thinking to myself.. “will this actually make significant change long term? As corporations leverage large amounts of money to influence a corrupt system?”
That thought and experience sparked something inside of me that began the birth of Catori Life. I realized that my current brand was not only not in any way sustainable but it did nothing to support or give back to the environment or people. It didn’t align with my beliefs or personal convictions. That critical evaluation led me to realize I had to completely dismantle my business as it was and build a new one from the ground up with intention and integrity, that could also leverage money.. To empower positive change.
Catori Life was created and birthed from day one as an Ethical and Philanthropic brand that wouldn’t compromise our impact for the sake of profit. I created Catori to inspire strength and empowerment in the women who purchased our jewelry as well as honor our connectedness to the earth.
Do you believe in the future of humanity?
I do.. But i believe things need to shift fast, and that people need to truly begin to realize their potential and purpose. I believe the human spirit is a gift to the world. Our ability to direct our attention and intention is powerful… and I believe our capacity to love is our purpose on this planet. To love a flower, an animal, a stone, another person… this turns the mundane into magic. We are magical creatures… yet we’ve all forgotten this. I think if we can remember and take responsibility for our power, in respect and love, we have the capacity to transcend our wounds and heal this world. And yet that must also be an individual practice.
What are some easy steps you can do to live a more sustainable & conscious lifestyle?
Consume less. Travel less. Go outside more. Fall more in love with your life. Practice gratitude. Understand what you are buying, where it comes from and how long it will be here for. Be kind. Lay on the ground and let it teach you how to live.
What are you most proud of?
My son River. He is the best thing I’ve ever made and the most magical being I’ve ever met.
Where do you see your role in creating a non toxic environment for future generations?
I believe the condition of our planet is a reflection of the condition of the human spirit. Toxicity leads to toxicity. The creation of poison is rooted deeply in the pain and trauma of humanity.
Toxicity needs to be addressed on so many levels and I believe ancestral trauma is the probably the most important issue that needs our attention and healing in order for us to reconnect, forgive and love ourselves and each other enough to stop poisoning the very body of the mother earth, and in in effect, again, ourselves.
I hope, that in my life, I can do enough of my own personal healing to not need to contribute to a toxic environment, chemical or otherwise. I hope I can encourage and inspire people to heal and let go of their trauma as well, love themselves more, be more loving to other people, future generations and the earth, forgive themselves and in turn become more empowered, so that they can simply make more aligned choices.
What are your hopes for the future?
To have a simple, easeful and beautiful life filled with joy, laughter and love.
What’s sexy about eco-friendly fashion to you?
Everything.
How do you think we can convince the fashion world to switch to sustainable practices?
Through education, and having conversations like this one. I don’t believe that people at their core actually want to do harm.. although sticking your head in the sand makes it easier… as they say, ignorance is bliss. But once one knows the damage being done I cant imagine the majority of people just not giving a fuck and continuing business as usual. I think so many people are learning and making better choices everyday.
How do you vote with your dollar?
Oh in everything I do. What I eat, where I buy things, who I support, who I donate to, how much I drive, where I do my banking…
How do you honor mother earth every day?
I try to live my entire life with low impact on her. I spend time in nature and appreciate the forests and rivers and wild flowers. I try to live slow, mindfully and beautifully to honor this earth.
What does love mean to you?
So much. Love is action, love is choice. To be loving is to be compassionate. I have the privilege of sharing my life with a wonderful man and son who I love and over the years I’ve learned that real love is not an emotion so much, as a choice. We can choose to be loving, and live in a loving way. That’s powerful.
Life Motto?
Carpe Diem
Anything you’d like to add? Important for us (the world) to know
I feel honored to be doing this work and sharing my designs with people all over the world. And I’m honored to have done this interview, thank you.
