ALKE Design : Sexy, Fierce and Fabulous Jewellery Redefining Fashion and Wellness

Dee interviews Sara Nazoor, founder of the Sri Lankan jewellery brand ALKE. The conversation delves into Sara's journey of creating unique and show stopping pieces using recycled materials and considering emotions of the designer and the user. They discuss ALKE's eco-friendly approach, mental health advocacy, and Sara's 73-day walk around Sri Lanka to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.

The podcast highlights the blend of creativity, sustainability, and emotional expression in Sara's work and her vision for scaling ALKE by empowering communities through sustainable practices.

Summary

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast

01:04 Meet Sara Nazoor: Founder of ALKE

01:28 The Unique Approach of ALKE Jewellery

04:24 Combining Jewellery Design with Mental Health Advocacy

07:25 The 73-Day Walk for Mental Health Awareness

16:45 Scaling ALKE: Community Training and Sustainable Practices

24:36 Challenges and Successes of a Female Creative in Sri Lanka

29:44 Future projects

About Sara Nazoor and links

Sara Nazoor started making jewellery at 13 years old and kept developing her techniques over the years to finally launch her brand ALKE in 2014.

ALKE jewellery is made of recycled material, designed and crafted by people who are paid fair wages and given recognition for the work they do. She has worked with Emerge Global as a design mentor at their incubation centre, training young women in designing and manufacturing contemporary jewellery. 

In 2015 she showcased at ARTWALK in Sri Lanka, and in 2016 her work was placed third at the International Art and Design Competition conducted by Accademia Riaci, Italy. She was also chosen as a mentor for the Shilpa Saviya design mentoring program in 2017 by the Colombo Design Market. 

ALKE Design pieces

Dee Gibson is the award winning designer and founder of boutique hotel Kalukanda House in Sri Lanka, www.kalukandahouse.com ~ Conde Nast Best Places to Visit in Asia 2024 & HIP Hotels Best Hotels 2025. You can follow on
instagram @deegibson2017 or @kalukandahouse

This podcast lifts the veil on what, and more importantly WHO this island is with conversations about all the things you never read about in the travel pages. Dee showcases a fascinating modern society reclaiming their identity and taking ownership of their narratives on the global stage. No subject is taboo so expect guests talking about everything from activism through art and yoga, why sari was modified by British colonisers, a performance on love and lust to episodes on forgotten heroines being narrated back into our history books and much more.