Swelle Giveaway! Win a PONO Warrior Refined Necklace

PONO is the Hawaiian word meaning 'righteousness.' And the Warrior Refined Necklace in 'Beach', above, embodies all kinds of goodness: it is made of sculpted, lacquered wood; is manufactured in Italy under strict environmental regulations; and it's from PONO by Joan Goodman, an NY-based, environmentally and socially conscious accessories company that has initiated the Give Love, Practice Peace Campaign. Three collections have been created with the purpose of donating a portion of the profits to designated charities: Save the Planet supports The Climate Project; Brightness of Life assists Give a Girl a Chance; and Arctic Awareness is for the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). 

And you can win this gorgeous statement necklace that retails for $550! For a chance to make it yours, you need to do the following:

1. Become a Fan of PONO on Facebook
2. Become a Fan of The Swelle Life (New!)
   
3. In the comments section of this post, tell us what you're doing to help a social cause or what you plan to do!
4. Re-tweeting this post on Twitter will get you a second entry!

And be sure to see below for the interview with Joan Goodman!

If you like statement necklaces, you may also be interested in taking a look at the infinity name necklace to add to your collection.

The winner will be chosen at random next Sunday, August 30th at midnight, London time. Anyone can enter. The announcement will be made on Monday. Pomaikai! (Good luck!)

Here's my awesome friend Tammy of You Say Potato, a fantastic cooking blog, doing a stellar job modeling the Warrior Refined necklace. Especially considering it was completely spontaneous! I put it around her neck on Yonge St. in Toronto and snapped the photo, luckily she was up for it!

 

 

 

Joan Goodman, a button-maker for 20 years, has a genuine appreciation and love for nature, having lived in Hawaii in the 70s. These qualities are reflected in her jewelry designs as well as her business model. Her necklaces, bracelets, bangles and earrings are made of high quality wood, resins and unusual materials such as cow horn and are typically bursting with colour. And they've been featured in many fashionable films and TV shows including The Devil Wears Prada and Gossip Girl.

Here, Joan gives us a glimpse into her life with PONO:

How did you make the transition from making buttons to creating jewelry?

I'm very lucky in that I work with two amazing Italian button factories. It was somewhat of a natural progression to push the envelope and try something new.

 Can you tell us how your time living in Hawaii has shaped what PONO has become today?

The inspiration of PONO is in the beauty and colour of Hawaii. The ocean, the flowers, the trees, the mountains, the birds...some part of all these elements is infused in every piece.

I like that you don't rely on trends to provide direction for your creations. What do you think it is about your collections that appeals, exclusive of what's happening at the moment?

The pieces can fit into many categories because they are classic with a twist. A lot of the pieces can be worn with just a white shirt...there are no boundaries. So the pieces work for lots of people, places and things. 

PONO is both environmentally and socially conscious, yet you are able to offer a range of price points that includes the very affordable. How are you able to achieve this while demanding a high level of quality?

We work with our Italian factories to make it possible. We try to cover a wide-range of prices; it's not always easy to make that happen and stay true to your beliefs. But we do our best without compromising our beliefs.

What do you attribute to your success as a designer who has made it all happen for herself?

A lot of hard work and I'm very lucky I have a lot of angels.

What's next for Joan Goodman and PONO?

I wonder about that every single day! I'm going to Italy in a couple of weeks. I'll keep you posted!

swelle.

Comments

[Argie]

This post is awesome!

As a student there isn't always time to dedicate to others, but I definitely do what I can at every chance. I start classes on Monday, but this weekend I am working on a mural project with the Girl Scouts of America. I wasn't a Girl Scout as a kid but to see the skills and values the girls develop is inspiring. And of course I always try to be as green as possible. My costume design research is presented in Power Point, Facebook event invites are a BIG thing for me, and I've always got reusable vinyl bags with me at the grocery store, library, or other shops. Fabric left over from projects goes into collage in my paintings or swatches for future costume designs, etc. A big thing for me also is Breast Cancer--I lost my aunt three years ago after it spread throughout her body. I click everyday at thebreastcancersite.com, volunteer at Susan G. Komen events, and try to educate others.

If there's anything else I can do in my everyday life, someone let me know!

[alexandra keller]

we do many things at home that are pretty standard (i hope!) such as conserving water, recycling, reducing, reusing....but this year we are going to choose a cause and donate 1% of our income. there is always someone who needs more than we do.

x2

[Grad School Mommy]

There are many social justice issues for which I volunteer time and support financially, and they all engage feminist principles. Locally, I am active in supporting the Atlanta Feminist Women's Health Center, the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center, and the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. I have participated in fundraising for everything from AIDS Walk to the Relay for Life (American Cancer Society), and my family does small-scale community work (like field maintenance at the local park -- this morning!) :) More globally, I support St. Jude's Hospital, the Heifer Organization, and Habitat for Humanity each holiday season (in lieu of holiday gifts for our family). And, for the last 9 years, I've organized a "Holiday Gift Drive" at my place of employment to provide money and gifts for families who are staying at local shelters. Community service and social justice is as vital to me as breathing...and I consider my most important job is to impart that to my children. I truly believe, we are our sisters' keeper. ;)

[T.Renee]

I volunteer for a local low-cost spay/neuter program for pets. We get up well before daylight to pick up people's precious pooches and kitties at a designated area and make sure they make it safely and comfortably to and from the vet's! Bob Barker would be proud!

[T.Renee]

I became a fan of PONO and The Swelle Life on Facebook - Tina Renee Barker

[T.Renee]

tweet: http://twitter.com/warp65/statuses/3502000199

[Cynthia Richardson]

I'm a fan of PONO on Facebook

[Cynthia Richardson]

I'm a fan of the Swelle Life on Facebook

[Cynthia Richardson]

I am a criminal defense attorney working with the seriously mentally ill charged with criminal misdemeanors - working with them to get their charges dismissed in exchange for them getting mental health treatment.

[Katherine]

I became a fan of both on facebook!

I do a lot of general things at home in order to preserve our environment - I recycle anything I can in a handy recycle bin, I reuse the backside of every piece of paper I can get my hands on (I take a lot of junk paper home from work!), I use a reuseable water bottle instead of buying bottle upon bottle, etc. I also use ecofriendly lightbulbs and cleaning products only!

(2)

[Katherine]

Tweet! http://twitter.com/ktkatherine/status/3520993232

[Aik]

I'm a fan of PONO and Swelle Life on Facebook.
I only purchase eco-friendly products and I recycle everything that I can.

(2)

[Aik]

I tweeted.
http://twitter.com/aikchien/status/3528595394

[Grad School Mommy]

I happily shared the news (& tweeted!):

Win a PONO Necklace -- details here: http://bit.ly/6QXOW

[Grad School Mommy]

oops -- forgot to mention:

My ID is: GradSchoolMommy

And I am a fan of PONO and The Swelle Life on FB...

sorry!

[Kathy Liang]

I would like to say that i am superwoman, but alas i am a simple high school girl. Although i do not have superhuman powers, I do believe that small actions are important to change. I am a dedicated member of a school club called Teens Against Domestic Violence. TADV, as we like to call it, works closely with two local shelters, Haven hills and Sojourn Services. Each season we typically have different drives: summer we put together backpacks and school supplies, winter we literally provide gifts for every one staying in the shelters, so on and so forth. Most of our drives sound like very simple things. why cant the women get these things themselves? For the first couple of month the families are not allowed to leave the shelter. I was the TADV publiblicity for two year.
Aside from work within TADV, I am the president of Scribbles, a community service painting club. Scribbles paints various murals in classrooms as a way to enhance learning. Additionally, i hope that these murals not only further the art education of the artists but also inspire other bored students to explore art. I feel that too often, public arts programs are underfunded and ignored.

this sounds like a college application D:

i am a fan of pono and the swelle life :D

kathy

[Kerri Weir]

Thanks for the info on Pono, great site! I'm now a fan of both. I've tried to be more eco friendly in the products I buy and my energy usage around the house. I work for a cleaning company that only uses natural, chemical free products.
I volunteer my time at a local animal rescue shelter that helps pregnant cats and kittens find homes off the streets. I'm going to be walking in the CIBC Run for the Cure this fall for my sister(who beat it)and my cousin(who's fighting it).
I'm hoping to do even more in the future. :)

Kerri

[Corinne O'Brien]

Wow, what a fabulous giveaway Denise!

Personally, I have made a great effort at living green in the past few months. I just recently started mulching my food leftovers and have stopped buying bottled water. I am always conscious of how much energy, water, etc. I am using day to day.
Another thing that I am looking to start is to donate my time as a makeup artist to a good cause. I want to start working with women in the Look Good, Feel Better program. I think helping others feel good about themselves when they are going through a tough time is a good way to give back.
Aside from that, I am always looking to do better and will always be searching out ways to give back.
xo
Corinne

[Andrea O. Lockhart]

I am a student studying fashion design in Chicago. And I am currently drafting a business plan to start a awesome scholarship for fashion students. I am also a member of AIBI and also Chicago Fashion Foundation.

[Kelsi Smith]

Hello,

Well I fanned everyone I was supposed to!

Most recently I have volunteered with The Young Storytellers, wherein one meets with a group of youngsters and teaches them about writing, they all write their own screenplays and at the end of the course a troupe of professional actors come in and perform their creations.

Very fun, I'm looking to do it next year as well. I believe that children are our future. (how corny is that!) Education and nurturing creativity is so very important.

Kelsi x

[Kelsi Smith]

And a retweet to get me another.. x