Let’s talk about our REBRAND! This little journal update has been a long time coming, the ups and downs of day to day life have definitely gotten in the way as of late but we wanted to officially update you on our rebrand and share more about how Voice is operating between Uganda and the UK right now!
So one of the biggest questions that many of you have asked is WHY the rebrand? Has the name changed ?What was the inspiration behind the visual changes and where is the brand headed now your working with GOLD? All great questions and answers we now get to share with you, plus fun photos throughout!
So to the big WHY!?
You may remember back in 2020 we had the most incredible opportunity to showcase our designs at Paris Fashion Week, in the midst of a global pandemic we found ourselves venturing to the land of cheese, wine and fashion, where we were met with empty landmarks, (which made for stunning photos) and the most exciting few days collaborating with other designers and prepping our pieces for the catwalk! It was eye opening. We loved every minute of it, and left recharged and excited for the vision bubbling beneath inside of me of this big rebrand and shift for Voice.
We knew after Paris that if we wanted to really make a impact within the global fashion industry we needed to position ourselves slightly differently, change our visuals and colour palette and hugely upscale our jewellery. And that is what we have done. All whilst having a baby and learning how to run a business at the same time - true adventure.
Fast forward three years, we finally did it. Yes, three long and actually really FUN years, which many of you have been a part of in lots of different ways.
Are you Voice or Voice International?
We very nearly completely changed our name but actually then decided that our heart and vision has not changed one bit and our desire is still to create platforms for women’s Voices to be heard. So we decided to just shorten it to Voice! You’ll see at the moment our URL and social media handles haven’t changed, these will do at some point - keep those eyes peeled - don’t worry we’ll set up a redirect!
So let’s tell you about the new gold plating venture?
The jewellery industry is very competitive and as much as we did love working with brass as our main material, the natural tarnishing just wasn’t going to make the cut longterm. We want our jewellery to hold its style and class alongside other big brands seeking to change the industry through ethical and sustainable practices, so transitioning into 14 carat luxury gold plating was top of the list alongside our visual rebrand.
We also made the decision to start our gold plating set up in the UK with the hope that in the future we will move the machinery to our HQ in Uganda. But for now this is working really nicely and also gives us more creativity within the day to day. It was quite the steep learning curve for Eddy and I to suddenly start a literal science lab in our office, but it was our biggest achievement of 2023 and we are so proud for persevering the challenges that came with it!
What’s the journey of your jewellery now?
All our jewellery is still fully handcrafted, from brass or recycled silver by our artisan team in Uganda, Fedy, Regina ,Cathy, Scovia and newest member Jackie! They work hard on every piece, perfecting and continually improving their techniques for our designs.
Then these items make their way to us here in the UK where we micron plate them in 100% recycled 14ct gold in our home studio, before they make their way to you, in eco friendly plastic free packaging and gorgeous organic cotton pouches also woven & handmade in Uganda.
We do hope that with the bigger vision coming into play & with more happening on the ground in the UK that we will be able to offer creative opportunities to women here soon too, so watch this space and if you’re interested - get in touch.
So overall - are we happy with the rebrand ?
A great big yes! We’ve already seen and felt the love from so many of you! We’re really excited about where we are headed in the future, with sneaky sister brand companies on the horizon! 🤞🏻
We’d love to know what you think! So send us a DM or email if you have any questions or want to know more!
For now, big love from the Voice team! X