Rosh Mahtani: Divine Inspirations
Rosh Mahtani and human vulnerability interpreted in a Dantesque key. This is the philosophy behind the Alighieri brand, pure “ethos” towards Mother Nature, to be respected through green practices
«With this project, Alighieri’s aim, from the very beginning, was to create modern jewelry with a timeless allure that could be handed down from generation to generation, telling stories linked to human weaknesses, to those fragilities that actually make us real. Every item is a bit like a talisman and is designed to evolve with the wearer as they go through life while still remaining faithful to the concept of non “seasonality”, which places our creations in a world far from that of fast fashion or from “take and throw.” The jewelry industry in itself produces very little waste because of the preciousness of the metals. However, being sustainable is something totally different. It means only using recycled metals and giving work to small companies, like, for example, a family-run business that does everything by hand. This is a fundamental aspect in our ethos, in our being “kind” to the Planet as well as to others. Personally, I believe that it is important to thoroughly know those who produce what you sell and the more you do, the more you are, in some way, also taking care of your products and making them special. Our best seller, the Lion Medallion, is a prime example of this philosophy, which derives from reading the “Divine Comedy”: it was inspired by the first canto when Dante wakes up, lost in the dark wilderness, afraid and alone. He finds himself facing a lion which is described as so terrifying that even the air around him trembles with fear. Dante immediately tries to escape but, all of a sudden, Virgilio appears to guide him and urge him to be brave. A really moving example of fear that, in a tercet, turns into courage. I created the medallion to remind myself to always be brave and the good thing about it is, that when people buy it, they often write to me about why they chose that particular piece and their reason for needing courage. That’s how the “Lion Club” community started. This is what Alighieri is all about: connecting with people through objects and stories. Over the years, we have continued to grow and I am proud to say that our team is made up of 25 wonderful young women. This is an incredible result for me because Alighieri has always been my “baby” and now its growing up and doing so by following the three key words that I taught it when it was still in my womb: vulnerable, honest and hand-made.»
