AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GIRLS BEHIND JIMINY MAGAZINE
When they met in a little town in North Yorkshire, not only did they immediately become great friends, they become ethical partners in crime. Danni (left) and Emily (right) are the girls behind Jiminy Magazine, a platform dedicated to showcasing the best in slow design, creativity and travel. Jiminy celebrates designers who create beautiful works of art with minimal impact to the social, ecological and natural environments.
HOW DID YOU MEET AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE JIMINY MAGAZINE TOGETHER?
I’m Danni, a 25 year old jewellery and silversmithery graduate living in Devon. Emily, also 25 and currently travelling the world, is my partner in crime when it comes to all things eco friendly. Emily and I go back a long way - over 10 years to be exact! We first met through mutual friends in a little town called Bedale in North Yorkshire, where we immediately became great friends and spent A LOT of time together.
When we got a little bit older, Emily went off to university to study Fashion Promotion and Styling, through which she learnt about the darker side of the fashion industry and the negative environmental impacts is causes. It really struck a nerve with her. When researching ethical fashion brands as part of her studies, Emily found it difficult to find brands that were transparent, and even more so, to find a positive outlet to showcase them. That’s where the idea originally came from - a platform that celebrated the companies who care, instead of just complaining about the ones who don’t! This was a few years ago now and it wasn’t until 2016 when I was planning a trip to South America that Emily expressed her desire to bring Jiminy Magazine to life and asked me if I wanted to be involved. Obviously I said yes, and our little romance with the world officially began!
WHAT MADE YOU BOTH SO PASSIONATE ABOUT TRAVELLING, ETHICAL DESIGN AND BEING ECO FRIENDLY?
A lot of things really. But mainly the way that we’ve both been brought up. We are country girls through and through - growing up in the Yorkshire Dales will do that to you! We’ve been raised going on hikes, wild camping, playing in fields and enjoying the fresh air.
But personally, I’ve learnt a lot from my parents. They are both extremely creative individuals - my mum is amazing! When she’s not in the garden, she’ll either be hunting the charity shops for things to use in her projects or making a strange concoction in the kitchen with all the leftovers! My dad is pretty cool too, he is a musician, a painter and basically built our house by hand using mainly reclaimed materials. They’ve always taught me to appreciate what I’ve got, not to be greedy and to enjoy the simple things in life. They are both also avid recyclers and energy savers. They even have their own vegetable plot! Growing up I was never the kid who wanted all the new toys and gadgets, I was always able to just entertain myself, whether that be playing in the garden, building a den or helping my mum to pick the veg. I remain the same now - very resourceful and conscious about the planet. I learnt that from them. I owe a lot to my parents and I thank them all the time for everything they have done for me over the years. Soppy I know - but I mean it!
As for the travelling - when you grown up in a tiny village in the middle of nowhere, being as free spirited as Emily and myself are, the first instinct once you’re old enough, is just to get out! Seeing other parts of the world has opened our eyes, we both love meeting new people and immersing ourselves in other cultures. We’re both just very conscious people I guess!
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF ARTISTS, DESIGNERS AND BRANDS THAT ARE CHANGING THEIR PRACTICES TO BETTER THE ENVIRONMENT? WHAT ARE THE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THOSE THAT AREN’T?
There are so many social and environmental issues that come from all elements of the design process in the fashion industry (amongst others) that are affecting the planet. Environmental issues include pollution through the release of toxic chemicals, deforestation and waste disposal. Some brands that are tackling this through bettering their design and production processes are Aganovich, Ono and Jake and Maya, plus many more that are featured on Jiminy! We work with artists who tackle social issues too such as poverty, human trafficking and women’s rights. The brands that we feature in Jiminy are those trying to oppose these troubling problems and make the world a better place to live in.
We’ve worked with so many amazing brands since starting Jiminy, it’s hard to name all the ones bettering the world, as they all are in one way or another. As a jeweller, I really look up to Alice Clarke, Giada Giachino, Wiebke Pandikow and Tribe of Lambs. I find it so touching when a brand has an incredible back story behind the work that they do. It’s also commendable when a brand not only ethically sources the materials they use to make their products but also gives something back to a place or community through volunteering, charities or just raising awareness of an issue. This is something that I’m trying to apply to my own jewellery brand - I’m keeping it all a secret at the moment though!
HOW DO YOU GUYS COMMUNICATE YOUR IDEAS LIVING IN DIFFERENT PLACES? DOES THAT MAKE IT HARDER TO RUN JIMINY?
Since Jiminy was launched in September 2016, we’ve come a long way in regards to organising ourselves and we are continuously learning. The distance between us has never been a problem. When we aren’t globetrotting, Emily’s home is still in North Yorkshire and I now live in Devon. We speak on the phone numerous times a week and use Google Drive to organise our content and to-do-lists. It works really well for us and we’ve developed a little system that keeps us in sync.
I, Lauren from Project 3 P, have been lucky enough to collaborate with Jiminy Magazine and I recently wrote a guest post about my Great Ocean Road adventures, which you can read here. You can also check out Jiminy Magazine on their blog as well as on their Instagram!