No matter what it is you’re putting on your body, there’s a way to do it more ethically and sustainably. That’s the attitude I’ve been adopting as of late, as I try to tackle more aspects of my fashion and purchases. So, when I came across Hailey Watson’s Depop shop, Gentle & Kind, I was more than elated! Hailey offers the gorgeous geometric clay and metallic jewelry you have always wanted (even if you didn’t know it until now).
As you may remember, I also featured Gentle & Kind in my 2019 holiday gift guide! However, after receiving some of her pieces and being even happier about how gorgeous they are in person, I knew I had to do a full-length article all about Hailey’s business. So, that’s this post! It’s been a long time coming, and I’m very excited to finally be getting it up.
the origin story
Hailey has been passionate about sustainability and conscious living since she was sixteen. Since that point, she’s gone back and forth between living a vegan and a vegetarian lifestyle. Thrifting is one of the other ways in which she has managed what she’s put into the world. It allows her to avoid waste and to avoid new production!
After getting into thrifting, Hailey discovered the slow fashion movement. She also saw the trend of clay earrings arising quickly, and wanted some for herself. As a college student, though, they were incredibly pricey. These elements together led her to start creating earrings for herself in order to avoid buying them new! Suddenly, Gentle & Kind was born!
There were a few key things which Hailey knew she wanted to prioritize as she built this new business. First and foremost, she wanted sustainability and slow fashion to be accessible to everyone, regardless of their income or what size clothing they wear. More than making money, Hailey was concerned with getting people to care about the issue, and providing a good that everyone would be able to access. She never wanted customers to have to choose between her products and those of a fast fashion brand, and although she knew it wouldn’t be possible to make the prices exactly equivalent, she wanted to make them at least comparable.
hailey’s small biz experience
As Hailey states in her Instagram bio, Gentle & Kind is a queer-owned business. She told me that she’s gotten a ton of support from both the queer and the women creator communities. In her experience, she wouldn’t say that being a queer woman has adversely impacted her work. Instead, she believes including this part of her identity in her business has allowed her to reach people within these communities online. Social media has allowed her to connect with queer folks who are looking to support other queer-owned businesses.
the style identity
Hailey designs and creates pieces based on what she personally finds to be beautiful. The colours and shapes that you see in her earrings and necklaces are ones she has always been drawn to. She enjoys muted or neutral tones which allow her pieces to be worn with everything.
She also often gets inspired by her own clothing! A favourite piece or outfit will lead her to design a new product based upon it. Although Hailey says she plans to stay in a similar colour scheme to what she offers now, she did tell me things will always be changing and she plans to try types of jewelry other than what she currently offers.
the broader goal
Another big part of the reason why Hailey started Gentle & Kind was to put herself through university debt-free. This in and of itself is an incredible goal; however, her aspirations extend past this. Hailey strongly identifies as a feminist, and is incredibly passionate about women’s education. She believes education is beautiful and an important platform for absolutely everything. For these reasons, she is planning to become a teacher and to instruct women in the Global South after she graduates. These are the motives behind the brand that you should keep in mind when deciding whether to go support Gentle & Kind...just saying.
Hailey said that although she’s not totally sure what the future of Gentle & Kind will look like, as she launched it with a few broader goals in mind, she plans on continuing it indefinitely. She absolutely loves what she does and doesn’t see that going away after she finishes college. For my part, I can’t wait to see what Hailey creates next.
With love and sustainability,
Ethigirl
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