By Claudina Hannon
For Lauren Lewis and Kara Schutter, founders of Lokal5 (LK5), the idea of creating a jewelry line with more than an aesthetic purpose was something that came quite naturally to them. In fact, Lewis and Schutter proposed the idea via a late night text to one another, and so far, that proposition has been going great for the local designer duo. The concept behind Lokal5 itself originated from the idea of combining a love of jewelry and a desire to give back to local communities by donating 5 percent of sales to one of the five charities the brand works with today.
It’s refreshing to see when fashion gives back to charity. How did you start working with the charities? Should we expect more charities to be added to the existing list?
When we first sat down to design the bracelets, we picked five focus groups that we wanted to design our bracelets in honor of:
– Women: Arrow bracelet
Eyes on their target, strength in their hearts and resilience in their veins. Women are like arrows, moving forward through any challenge in their way.
– Children: Ribbon bracelet
Being a part of someone’s childhood is an honor and a privilege. Let us help children create memorable moments to leave them feeling loved, safe and valued.
– The Elderly: Infinity Bracelet
Respecting our elders is the most profound way to show our appreciation for those who pave the path for the next generation. It is as simple as giving patience, acknowledgment and a helping hand.
– Animals: Heart Bracelet
Animals are our role models in giving unconditional love. They are the most amazing creatures who are genuinely grateful and loyal.
– Our tagline “Cherish the act of giving” Circle Bracelet
Let us celebrate the giving spirit that exists in all of us. Let us use caring words and be uplifting toward one another. Let us cherish each moment with our loved ones and fill them with love and laughter!
After we designed the bracelets, we researched local charities in the area that dedicated themselves to our five focus groups. We sent them our proposals and crossed our fingers! We were beyond grateful that these amazing charities took a chance on us and partnered with us for our first year. We love these charities, what they stand for and what they do in our community.
We hope to expand as we build our brand and hope to partner with more charities as we move forward.
What do you enjoy most about creating jewelry pieces?
We truly enjoy the process of doing it as a team. We have similar tastes, but at the same time we have our own flair that we incorporate into our pieces. To hand-draw our pieces and be a part of each step to make them—that is so exciting!
How did you select Frank Billanti Casting Co. Inc. in NYC to be the manufacturer for the line?
Having LK5 bracelets made in the USA was very important to us. We wanted to partner with a family-based business, and the Billantis have been so wonderful. Again, we are so grateful to meet people who are so kind and helpful to us newbies.
Can you tell me more about the designs themselves and what inspires the aesthetic?
We wanted to create pieces that were timeless, classic, delicate and pretty. It has been wonderful to see from 8-year-olds to 80 years young ladies rocking their LK5. LK5 bracelets are meant to start conversations about charities and inspire people to be giving members of their community. How wonderful is it to have a grandmother, mother and granddaughter who all wear the same piece of jewelry and introduce the next generation to “Cherish the act of giving”?
What’s next for Lokal5? Can we expect to shop for the jewelry in local stores soon?
We hope to introduce LK5 bracelets to all of the DMV. We love meeting new people at our pop-up shops and sharing the missions of our partner charities. It’s so exciting for us when we meet people who get as excited about a charity’s mission as we do. We hope to expand to local stores in the new year for sure.
