Photo credit: Simon Wheeler

International Women’s Day is almost here! This year, we’re celebrating with a very special collaboration with Women for Women International, an organization that helps women in war-torn countries develop the skills they need to provide for themselves and their families. Five of our independent designers created exclusive pieces to raise money for this wonderful cause – all profits will go straight to Women for Women. Each designer has created an item that reflects the strength and character of women in the world today. Here, we present each piece in this special collection. Shop this collection and help support sisters around the world! Click here to learn more about our collaboration with Women for Women International.

Hornica, jewelry designer.
Paris, France

Introducing Hornica: Hornica’s designer Mathilde Bénil creates jewelry based on her original illustrations, which are inspired by her travels, calligraphy and Arabesque motifs. With customization options and fresh styles, these decidedly French bijoux are irresistible.

Why we love Hornica: The delicate patterns and pretty cutouts are feminine, but never fussy. Her lace-like designs inspire thoughts of bursting sketchbooks and international travels – they embody Mathilde’s unique perspective on the beauty of the world. The Sunny and Hara collections are great for everyday wear, while the Fay collection features cutouts that add just a touch of whimsy to any look.

Hringa, jewelry designer.
Reykjavik, Iceland.

Introducing Hringa: Hringa is the work of designer Inga R. Bachmann, who uses reclaimed and recycled materials to create intricate jewelry that experiments with contexts and textures. The name Hringa means ring in Icelandic, representing the cyclical nature of the brand – her jewelry gives new life to her materials.

Why we love Hringa: Every item in Hringa’s collection is made with extreme care for environmental and aesthetic concerns. Each piece is rendered in extraordinary detail, inspired by Iceland’s natural beauty and occasional flights of fancy. The detailed Atlas pendant is a favorite of ours.  

Bisou Bijoux Ariela, jewelry designer.
Tuscany, Italy.

Introducing Bisou Bijoux Ariela: BisouBijoux designer Ariela creates cameo jewelry for the 21^st Century. “‘Old’ is what I decided to change about cameos,” Ariela says. She grew up admiring her mother’s collection of cameos, which spanned generations. Her update of the cameo is made with bronze, palladium, gemstones and colored enamels.

Why we love Bisou Bijoux Ariela: Ariela’s fresh perspective gives the beloved cameo a fashion-forward, luxurious twist. Every piece is made with passion and exceptional attention to detail – the enameled pieces are utterly of-the-moment, but are made to last a lifetime. We hope to keep our Bisou Bijoux cameos in our families for generations.  

The Boticca team has the delightful task of sorting through countless images from our designers to see what inspires them and how they create their beautiful works. We found images of some hand-painted scarves particularly compelling and decided to put together a feature about dyeing and painting by hand, processes that have become ever rarer in modern production. Click through to learn about these interesting techniques and see how it all comes together.

Jewelry designer Burcu Okut finds inspiration in organic forms and the chaos of cities. She uses traditional techniques to create contemporary jewelry that features strong shapes and powerful details. Burcu travels frequently, collecting raw stones along the way. Upon her return, she smashes the stones and uses them to fill her jewelry, elegantly binding them to the metal to represent the vibrant life that thrives in a chaotic city. Burcu’s Lines collection features layered lines that represent the varied paths that lead to different lives and styles. Her Pure collection is inspired by nature and combines concrete elements of nature with abstract notions like hope and joy.

Lauren Geoghegan skillfully crafts every one of her unique, structured handbags in her East London studio. She has a fascination with saddlery and equine tack, which has led to her interest in leather and construction. Lauren applies the natural curves used in bridle and saddle construction and applies them to handbags, adding details like barbed studs and suede details to add interest. Lauren’s unique shapes, colors and fittings give the bags an utterly of-the-moment feel.

Every Thursday, we have a chat about to discuss the newest designers on the site. I always get a thrill when our Style Hunters discuss the new designers and products and explain how they found these brilliant talents. This week, our feature profiles four of the fantastic designers who’ve joined the site in the last few months. ALVA-NORGE’s scarves are stunning representations of her childhood home in Norway. V. Sabrina is a jewelry brand that honors the Age of Discover in a fascinating way. INA KENT designs bags that transform in a snap – essential for any city-dweller! Last but certainly not least, we introduce Cabbage Is King, the brainchild of jewelry designer and artisan Greig Alderman. He has more than a few things in common with Lewis Carroll. Click here to read the whole feature.

Onikann is the work of Anne Boivin, a Parisian textile consultant turned scarf designer. Onikann scarves feature vivid colors, sharp imagery and luxurious Lyon silk. Anne experiments with the colors on her scarves, contrasting areas of layered color with translucent patches, creating scarves that play with light and perspective. The kaleidoscopic scarves easily blend vintage and modern styles – there is an old-fashioned romance to these endlessly elegant scarves, but the sharp graphics on them are undeniably contemporary. Inspired by Japanese gardens and astronomy, these considered scarves stir the senses.

Tita’ Bijoux’s creations are the delicate yet strong creations of a mother-daughter design team. Laura runs an interior design business in Milan, where she specializes in using lace and macramé to cover and upholster furniture, giving even the simplest wooden chests a beautiful embossed texture. Her daughter Celine is a jewelry designer and together, they envisioned a new way to use the intricate lace they both love. Laura and Celine now design their own lace for striking, Baroque statement earrings. They dye each piece in their Milan workshop and use a special finish to preserve each piece, ensuring that your earrings will be both beautiful and durable. We’re so grateful to these brilliant women for finding a new way to celebrate this ancient art form.

When she was younger, Assemblage Unique designer Dikla Levi-Harel left her home in Israel to travel extensively, visiting South America and New York before heading to San Francisco, where she fell in love with photography. When she returned home to Israel, she enrolled in art school, studied graphic design and began to consider the many ways to use her design skills. Her past creative experiences culminate in Assemblage Unique, a collection of hand-painted and everyday bags inspired by her love of interior design (the first painted clutch was inspired by an upholstered chair). The hand-painted bags showcase every shift of Dikla’s brush, displaying her passion for design and creation.

I have to admit it: I’m not a collar convert. At least, I wasn’t until I met these three designers. !KAPPIO! is known for knit and crochet collars and neckpieces that make a major statement. MARGOT’s collars are more romantic – still knitted, but featuring soft fur accents and small chains. And then there’s Gemma Lister, who creates sparkling embellished collars that light up any look. Click through to find more irresistible collars.    

Desti Saint

Desti Saint was born in Hong Kong and says Asia is her “own personal heaven.” She currently lives in Singapore, where she designs and manages her handbag collection. Each Desti Saint bag features tributes to Asia and Asian culture in the form of jade ingots of Chinese characters, artisan touches and etched patterns of Balinese plants and flowers. Desti Saint’s passion for bags is unrivalled: She has dedicated several collections to her children.

Katherine Seaman

Dartford-based jewelry designer Katherine Seaman was just a teenager when she fell in love with crafting jewelry while on a trip to Georgia. She studied jewelry design at university, but she also had time to work closely with archaeologists and explore their practice. These two interests are united in her current collection, “Foreshore,” jewelry cast from objects found alongside the River Thames. In this way, Katherine preserves elements of her home’s history and sends small pieces of the Thames around the world.

I’ve never been to South Korea, but we’ve had an influx of designers from the country, so it’s quickly jumped to the top of my list. I reached out to a few of our designers there to learn more about the inspiration behind their designs and their favorite spots in Seoul and Busan. Click here to check out the feature.

Sarah Baily

Sarah Baily built a career in interior design before moving on to accessories. Her experience in interiors gave her an in-depth knowledge of the leather industry, which she now applies to her line of totes and clutches. Sarah began making bags for her friends with leather left over from her interiors projects, but the bags are irresistible and this grew into a thriving business. Her clutches and totes are refreshingly clean and simple, allowing her beautiful materials to do all the talking.