Zero-Waste Jeweler Hatice Rosato Draws Inspiration From the Earth

Designers in D.C. work with home in mind — whether home is in the city or a faraway place that adds extra texture and color to their products. Each maker featured in our October Issue is unique, but a common theme persists: a focus on cultural appreciation, sustainability and naturalness. We tell their stories and dive into details of each business below, from cocktail syrups to minimalist earrings to vintage repurposed maps.

Hatice Rosato, owner of Definition Studio, sells natural and sustainable products with a focus on zero waste. Each piece is simple and colorful, curated and created with Rosato’s hometown of Istanbul in mind. Definition Studio’s storefront in NoMa will open in the next few months.

District Fray: Your jewelry designs are so lovely — very minimal and earthy. What inspires you?
Hatice Rosato: So many different things can be a source of inspiration for me. My first jewelry collection was inspired by the idea of the “little black dress.” I called it little black jewelry. I wanted to create a piece of jewelry that was like your favorite little black dress; you could just throw it on when everything else fails. My biggest inspiration, though, is mother nature. I respect and admire nature so much I only want to work with materials that are good for the planet and people at the same time.

What’s the status on the other products on your website? Can we expect to see them anytime soon?
Linens will be in full production once we have more space for all our collections. We will be producing clothing, as well as table wares and home textiles. The website is always a work in progress as I have been prioritizing working with local shops and selling directly in person through events and festivals. I think major website updates will come after the holiday season as we will be doing a few different pop-ups throughout DMV.

How do you put your focus on sustainability and zero waste into practice?
It is very important for me to create a brand that reflects my personal values. I choose materials that are natural, petrochemical free and sustainable. Linen is a great example: It is the most sustainable fabric, requires no pesticides, is very durable and perfectly biodegradable all at the same time. Zero waste is the future; that is why I added vintage leather collections to my products lines. Instead of producing new jackets, I decided sourcing vintage or dead stock is better for the environment. I’m now working on partnering with a leather studio that will re-dye and recover jackets with very minimal defections or color variations. My jewelry collections are also great examples of the same vision: sustainable materials, small batch, handmade and very minimal packaging and branding. We also use scrap materials whenever we can — we make scrunchies from linen scraps and earrings from leather scraps. We are also learning to naturally dye fabrics with earth pigments and botanicals.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about Definition Studio?
Definition Studio will have a new studio and shop space soon in Union Market District. We will be sharing the space with one of our favorite local brands, Charix Shoes. Charix is also based in Istanbul and D.C., and together we are hoping to create a concept focused on sustainable slow fashion with major Mediterranean vibes.

Definition Studio: definitionstudiodc.com // @definitionstudio; @haticerosato

Abi Newhouse

Abi Newhouse is a writer based in Washington, D.C. A recent MFA graduate from George Mason University, her work can be found in The American Scholar, Mud Season Review, and Sediments Literary-Arts Journal, among others.