Email

hannahlaylafryer@hotmail.co.uk

Independent Project

Anthology

Anthology is a Fair Trade gold charm bracelet company. The charms are designed to be collected for each memorable event in the wearer’s life, eventually telling their life story. Anthology has a strong focus: to empower women and girls in the community of Chocó, Columbia where the Fair Trade Gold is mined. Of the 1.7billion people living on less than $1 a day 70% are women; this is because women are often treated as second class citizen in developing countries with girls receiving little or no education and therefore forced into working in the “informal sector” (mining, farming, etc). Anthology with Fair Trade will develop programs to train women, to give them the same opportunities as men. Fair Trade can help alleviate poverty and teach communities to develop sustainable ways of production. Anthology is a jewellery brand with a conscience, created for women to help women.

Inspiration for project

I was inspired to focus on Fair Trade after travelling overland through South East Asia, starting in India overland to Vietnam, where I saw great deprivation and poverty. When I returned home I worked in a jewellers and the stark contrast became even more apparent. The exuberance and wealth associated with the jewellery market did not seem fair when there can be so much poverty in the creation of the product. I wanted to show that although a product was Fair Trade it could still be a luxury fashion item.

Contacts & Mentors

• Anna Gibson – Marketing Initiatives Manager of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham.
• Eleanor Blasgrove – Personal tutor.
• Jane Sarkar – Course Director, Birmingham City University.
• Jo Andrews – Business lecturer, Birmingham City University.
• Julia South – Personal tutor.
• Julie Turner – Totally Media.
• Mark Smith – Eco Strategy.
• Neil Grant – Crescent Silver, jewellery designer and maker.
• Peter Bradley – Owner and manager of the Bradley’s Fine Jewellery chain.
• Stuart Townsend – Sainsbury’s Store Manager.

Ambition

I am now looking to gain experience in different fields with the outlook to open my own retail business.

Experience

Palladio pr
Palladio PR, Arch 210, Newnham Terrace, Hercules Road, London, SE1 7DR . February 2009 – March 2009
•    Provide prices for products featured in magazines.
•    Create collections of clothing and accessories suitable for send outs for specific photo shoots.
•    Log all clothing and accessories sent out and received on spreadsheets.
•    Write press leases for new collections.
•    Write press loans for all items sent out.
•    Liaise with buyers, stylists and photographers and provide information on collections.
•    Met many celebrities and worked with big name brands. (Cheryl Cole, Siwy Jeans, Miuccia Prada)

Bradley’s Fine Jewellers – Assistant Manager.
Bradley’s, High Street, Marlow, Buckinghamshire. June 2009 – December 2009
•    Open and close shop (key holder)  
•    Stock takes
•    Order new stock
•    Display stock (Windows and Cabinets)
•    Sold many large name brands but with a focus to Pandora and Links of London.
•    Manually calculate staff hours and arrange rota.
•    Take repairs for watches and jewellery.
•    Liaise with customers, buyers and representatives.

Dreams Plc – Time and Attendance Assistant
Dreams Plc, Knaves Beech, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. November 2006 – February 2007
•    Contact all stores in the morning to ensure they were open.
•    Ensure all stores were fully staffed using an electronic swipe card system.
•    Manually calculate individual staff hours worked.
•    Assist the pay roll department in calculating wages.
•    Record all holiday and sickness taken by staff.

Dreams Plc – Personnel assistant
Dreams Plc, Knaves Beech, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. September 2006 – November 2006
•    Read and screen all CVs received for available jobs.
•    Record and hold CVs in spreadsheets for future jobs.
•    Assist with interviews by taking initial information from applicants.
•    Give job offers and declines by calling the applicant or in writing.