What trinkets does model Halima Aden have on her charm bracelet? “An elephant,” she says with a smile. “I grew up in the largest refugee camp in Kenya, and a few years ago I returned to the country and adopted a baby elephant. It’s special to carry that memory with me.”
Indeed, Aden’s rich tapestry of life experiences—born in a United Nations camp after her mother fled the Somali Civil War, emigrating to the USA and ultimately breaking big on the global fashion scene—make her a natural partner for Pandora, a brand built on self-expression and story-telling.
Last year, Aden was named a Pandora Muse, a woman who represents the label’s values of inclusivity, social responsibility and female empowerment.
Pandora might be best known for reinventing the charm bracelet—transforming it from a tween-age fad to a coveted fashion piece in the early noughties—but today, it’s enhancing that sparkle with substance.
Pre-pandemic, the Pandora Muses—including Aden, model Georgia May Jagger and Australian influencer Margaret Zhang—visited the brand’s crafting centre in Lamphun, northern Thailand. “It’s one of the greenest jewellery facilities in the world,” shares Aden. “Each piece passed through 25 pairs of skilled hands to become a finished product. And they really looked after their staff; I loved how they took care of the pregnant mamas—as a woman, that was very special to see. Meeting the people behind the magic made me so much more appreciative of the jewellery.”
Increasingly, we want to know where our products come from (whether that’s the bananas we eat or the bracelets we wear), and Pandora is transparent about the steps it’s taking to become cleaner, greener and more ethical. By 2025, the brand will only use recycled silver and gold (mining for virgin metals is highly polluting), and be fully carbon neutral in its own operations.
Meanwhile, a portion of proceeds from its new Charms for Change range will be donated to UNICEF, a cause particularly close to Aden’s heart. “I joke that I was a UNICEF baby,” says the modelactivist, now an ambassador for the humanitarian aid organisation. “I went from one extreme to another, from experiencing first-hand the work of UNICEF to now being on the giving end, and I want to make a difference.”
Speaking of giving, this year the Pandora Moments snake chain bracelet, an iconic gift, turns 20. A new snake-inspired collection will mark the milestone along with 12 limited-edition charms based on the brand’s best-loved designs. Aden’s elephant didn’t make the cut, but thankfully it’s already on her wrist: a shiny silver bauble, but also a daily reminder of her past and her purpose.
PANDORA Sparkling Wrapped Snake charm, $89; au.pandora.net.
PANDORA T-Bar Snake Chain Bracelet, $229; au.pandora.net.
PANDORA Triple Band Pavé Snake Chain Pattern Ring, $149; au.pandora.net.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
