Redefining Accessibility: Ashita New York

Ashita New York creates jewelry of exceptional quality, with vibrant and contrasting colors, that is breaking the mold with its accessibility. Removing unnecessary markups, the online retailer offers factory-direct pricing, alongside a commitment to making a global change in the world of prosthetics. A portion of the sales from each piece of jewelry purchased goes to Jaipur Foot, an organization that providing free artificial limbs and calipers to disabled individuals in 33 countries. Pietra Communications interviewed founder, Ashita Dhadda, to learn more about the company and its future. Read along to find out more.

The Spring Necklace by Ashita New York, available in various colors.

We love that humanitarian work is something that you deeply care about and that you want to make an impact by improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. Why did you choose jewelry design to be a creative and public outlet to support this goal?

I am continuously working on my nonprofit organization, Prosthetics for Change, in efforts to help ensure a seamless and simple process for obtaining a prosthetic. My involvement with the United Nations made me realize that many women and girls across the world are discouraged from taking jobs or getting an education, and this stigma is compounded by disability. I wanted to speak up for the women and girls who are discouraged from expressing themselves because of their gender and disability.

I have always seen jewelry as a beautiful way to express yourself. When designing these collections, I added a variety of options in colors and designs so that everyone could find a piece that reflected who they are. I want the whole Ashita New York family to feel included, comfortable, and confident in their jewelry.

New York is the headquarters for the production and design of Ashita New York. Can you tell us about your local production and manufacturing process, and how that plays a role in the strength of your designs?

Stacker Bands by Ashita New York

We manufacture all of our pieces in-house in our New York manufacturing facility. We work alongside our manufacturing team to create quality pieces. It is truly wonderful seeing the piece from start to finish, knowing that it will one day be in the hands of our customers!

Who are the people behind the scenes that make Ashita New York an ethical brand? How do you stay on top of best practices and consistently strive to improve, in-house?

The Ashita New York family is always looking for ways to improve our ethical practices. Manufacturing in-house allows us to have a strong, positive relationship with our factory, making all production aspects ethical. Being an online retailer, we understand the effects shipping and packaging can have on our planet, so we are constantly working on implementing ways to reduce waste in packaging, transportation, and production in general.

Your jewelry is delicate, feminine, and modern. Where does the inspiration for your designs generally come from? Can you walk us through your design process and the timeline for making a collection?

SoHo Huggie Earrings by Ashita New York, which are reversible and available in multiple colors.

Knowing that enamel traces back thousands of years in art and architecture, I have always been interested in applying the beauty of art and architecture into jewelry. I have been especially influenced by the work of Kandinsky. His use of geometric shapes and colors inspired me to apply similar features that are very prevalent in the Ashita New York collection. My design process is comprised of hand-sketching, 3D designing, and 3D printing. Once complete, our production specialists cast and assemble the pieces. We are constantly updating our collection as new trends and new inspirations surface!

What makes Ashita New York’s jewelry unique?

Our jewelry explores an uncharted territory in the realm of jewelry: Colorful Gold. By combining minimalistic designs with a variety of colors we can make bold pieces that go with just about anything.

From a design perspective, what are you most proud of in your brand? Do you have a favorite piece, or collection?

Enamel bezel bands by Ashita New York.

Our stacker bands are my absolute favorite! The set together makes these minimalistic pieces bold statement pieces as well. Each piece is beautiful and intricate on its own, but when combined becomes even more glamorous.

Why is it important to you that your jewelry is inclusive, and priced without “unnecessary markups?”

At Ashita New York, we want fine jewelry to be accessible to all. Since we are manufacturing in-house, we are able to cut the middlemen costs and make our own jewelry at factory-direct prices. We want our customers to express themselves and enjoy their styles without worrying about breaking the bank.

How do you think Ashita New York is setting up a new framework for jewelry design/brands?

I think our focus on the personalization of jewelry really sets us apart. We value our customers’ preferences and unique styles and are trying to cater to each individual. We believe that jewelry is an important way to express yourself and we want our customers to have all the tools necessary to feel great! We believe it is important to always put our customer’s preferences first in every decision we make as a company.

 What types of strategies do you use to best market your brand?

Delancey Bracelets by Ashita New York

We focus on digital marketing such as Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook ads. We are working on expanding into influencer marketing as well as initiating our Ambassador Program. Our Ashita New York Ambassadors Program will consist of women who are committed to sharing our brand and vibrant philosophy with their followers. Our ambassadors will receive a promo code to share with social media followers and to encourage them to become a part of the Ashita New York colorful community. Every time someone uses their code at checkout, they’ll seamlessly earn a commission along the way. On top of commission, Ambassadors also receive a 20% discount on personal purchases, early access to limited-edition releases, and jewelry training at our New York headquarters.

The Lafayette Necklace by Ashita New York, which has an adjustable chain.

Would you like to share with our readers any future plans for Ashita? Perhaps an upcoming collection? Also, let us know the best way for our readers to stay in touch and follow you.

We are hoping to improve customization in the future. We truly value personalization, so we are planning on adding color selection to our pieces giving customers even more options. We are so excited to unveil our new features so please stay up to date via Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, (@ashitanewyork) or by signing up for our email newsletter on our website at www.ashitanewyork.com.