The Swarovski Conscious Design Hub is the product of the brand's inaugural Conscious Design programme delivered in collaboration with Jewellery, Textiles and Materials programme at Central Saint Martins. It is intended to be a lasting, free resource for designers from across a range of disciplines and to champion the transformational power of education and collaboration.
Documenting the creative outcomes of the partnership, the Hub serves as an online platform which offers insight into sustainable design through case studies, lectures and other resources.
Swarovski x Central Saint Martins - Conscious Design
What is conscious design?
Conscious design means adopting principles that directly respond to issues relating to social and environmental sustainability. It means inspiring future generations of talented creatives and business leaders to transform those principles into practice.
Swarovski works with established and emerging designers and academic institutions to catalyse change, challenging them to reconsider waste as a resource whilst raising awareness on the importance of sustainability. Through their reignited crustal program the company donates unused crystals to schools and designers across the world allowing them another chance to be adored, not letting a precious resource go to waste.
For many years Swarovski has donated reignited crystals to Central Saint Martins for use in student projects to support the next generation of creatives and designers in engaging in sustainable practice. Having previously partnered with BA Jewellery, in 2019 Swarovski extended its partnership to include the entire Jewellery, Textiles and Materials Programme at Central Saint Martins.
Reigniting crystals
In 2022 Swarovski invited BA Jewellery students to collaborate on a project that explored the creative potential of their reignited crystal to communicate new ideas, make statements and explore opportunities. Using the Swarovski Sustainability Report as a focus, students were challenged to design statement jewellery inspired by social and environmental challenges.
Five winners were selected who excelled in the categories of: best innovation, best statement, best concept, best design and overall winner.
Best innovation
Saravich Sungtrakankul created a bracelet influenced by traditional Japanese packaging. He explored solutions around packaging waste, a prominent issue in the jewellery industry, and used wood off-cuts, silk cord, copper and Swarovski reignited crystals to design a piece of statement jewellery that has both a natural packaging function and, once unrolled, becomes a bracelet.
Best statement
Imane Boutgueray's creation puts a spotlight on lung disease affecting mining workers through dust inhalation in the wider jewellery supply chain (a challenge that exists beyond Swarovski's production of man-made crystals). The piece resembles a large pair of lungs, one side representing a healthy lung and the other, created using 50 jet black crystals, representing a diseased lung.
Best concept
Zoe Zhang's creation is a nod to the blurred lines and precarious balancing of freedom of speech. Made of recycled silver and Swarovski reignited crystals, her ring depicts a bird carefully balancing on its beak. Zoe calls it an obedient bird - "if it is your jewellery, it remains in its beauty. Allow it to fall, if it is your liberation'.
Best design
Hana Mulaku's research was based on the ocean and how important reefs help heal the sea. Her work is a celebration of the oyster's function in the eco-0system and its beauty. Hana created earrings made of oyster shell waste taken from restaurants; the jewellery item is modular and can be worn as a whole piece of only the stud, allowing choice and encouraging sustainability.
Best overall
Nina Srdanovic was inspired by the key themes in Swarovski's Sustainability Report of 'supply chain', 'closed production loop' and 'circular models'. Referencing these terms, Nina used a chainmail structure made from ring loops which held together circular clay balls embedded in Swarovski reignited crystals. The colours of the balls are of the 5 UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals which Swarovski are contributing to.
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Swarovspheres, Nina Srdanovic, BA Jewellery Design
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Imane Boutgueray, BA Jewellery Design
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The Frontier of Piece, Zoe Zhang BA Jewellery
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Hana Mulaku, BA Jewellery Design
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Saravich Sungtrakenkul, BA Jewellery Design
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Imane Boutgueray, BA Jewellery Design
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Hana Mulaku, BA Jewellery Design
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Saravich Sungtrakenkul, BA Jewellery Design
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Nina Srdanovic, BA Jewellery Design
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The Frontier of Piece, Zoe Zhang BA Jewellery
The conscious design toolkit
Find out more about conscious design and how you can use it.
Zoe Chutong Huang
BA Jewellery student Chutong discusses her project with artist and poet Wilson Oryema
Katie-May Boyd
MA Material Futures graduate Katie-May Boyd discusses her 'Foreign Garbage' project
Wilson Oryema
Artist and poet Wilson Oryema explains the importance of conscious design
Zoë Daley
BA Textiles student Zoë tells us about her project and approach to conscious design
Yasmin Everley
BA Jewellery student Yasmin talks about her project and approaches to conscious design
Conscious design panel discussion
Panel discussion with artist and poet Wilson Oryema, mining activist Dr Greg Valerio, Global VP for Corporate Sustainability and Social Responsibility at Swarovski Dax Lovegrove and MA Material Futures graduate Katie-May Boyd
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Image: swarovskiwaterschool.com
Swarovski Water School
Discover the way Swarovski supports the provision of clean water and water education to schools
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Photo: Bruce Basudde
Conscious design approaches
Discover how other students approached their work through conscious design
Further resources
Reading materials
- Conscious design reading list [pdf 60kb] compiled by academics from Jewellery, Textiles and Materials
- Read our Jewellery, Textiles and Materials Programme Manifesto [pdf 30kb]
Lectures
A series of lectures were delivered to our students by key academics and designers - you can view these below:
- Caitlin Hinshelwood, Joint Course Leader BA Textile Design
- Giles Last, Course Leader BA Jewellery Design
- Kieren Jones, Course Leader, MA Material Futures
- Katie-May Boyd (MA Material Futures graduate, Central Saint Martins)
- Panel Discussion
Dax Lovegrove (Global Vice President Corporate Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Swarovski)
Wilson Oryema (artist and poet)
Dr Greg Vallerio MBE (agrarian, artisan and mining activist)
Katie-May Boyd (MA Material Futures graduate)
Using conscious design
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Precious Fish, Sissel Gustavsen (BA Textiles) Photo: Sissel Gustavsen
Precious Fish
BA Textiles: Print winner Sissel Gustavsen - textile prints inspired by declining marine life populations
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Solar Forge, Sean Ross (MA Material Futures) Photo: Bruce Basudde
Solar Forge
MA Material Futures winner, Sean T. Ross - harnessing the power of the sun through crystals
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Creating Clarity, Imogen Burch (BA Jewellery) Photo: Mael Henaff
Creating Clarity
BA Jewellery winner, Imogen Burch - engraved crystals to be kept for a lifetime
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This Little Light of Mine, Hannah Livesey (BA Textiles) Photo: Hannah Livesey
This Little Light of Mine
BA Textiles: Weave winner, Hannah Livesey - naturally-dyed fabrics that enhance the natural beauty of light
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Future Brown, Ferenc Zepko (BA Textiles) Photo: Ferenc Zepko
Future Brown
BA Textiles: Knit runner up, Ferenc Zepko - democratising luxury for slow fashion
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You Are Not Alone, Kieu Vu (BA Textiles) Photo: Bruce Basudde
You Are Not Alone
BA Textiles: Weave runner up, Kieu Vu - fabrics that let cancer sufferers know they are not alone
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Construction Rebellion, Millicent Sanders (BA Textiles) Photo: Millicent Sanders
Construction Rebellion
BA Textiles: Knit winner, Millicent Sanders - weaving high visibility jackets into eye-catching fabrics
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Piezoelectric Pavement, Riina Jun (MA Material Futures) Photo: Bruce Basudde
Piezoelectric Pavement
MA Material Futures runner up, Rina Oun - light-up paving slabs powered by footsteps
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A bag design created by Christy Shum for her Cultural Cuisines project (BA Textiles) Photo: Christy Shum
Cultural Cuisines
BA Textiles: Print runner up, Christy Shum - reusable bags that reflect the importance of food in cultural heritage
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Evergreen, Kirsten Schultze (BA Jewellery). Photo: Elina Nasimova
Evergreen
BA Jewellery runner up - Kirsten Schultze - a necklace inspired by the enduring nature of the evergreen tree