Yuko Tsukada: From grief to sustainable jewellery for cat lovers
In creating her collection, the former Bloomberg creative director is also rediscovering herself
PET lovers understand how intense the pain of loss can be when their beloved animal companions die.
For Yuko Tsukada, the 2017 passing of her two 19-year-old cats, Tuna and Caesar, left her “completely broken”.
“I was in such a dark place I couldn’t get up, couldn’t do anything,” recalls Tsukada, who was formerly creative director at Bloomberg Media Studios (Asia-Pacific and Japan) based in Singapore. The Tokyo native and animal lover grew up with pets in the household – from a dog and rabbit to cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, turtles and even an injured bat her mother brought home.
“I’d had these two cats since they were tiny and gave them milk and looked after them like a mother, so they were very close to me,” recalls Tsukada of the two felines who relocated here from Tokyo with her.
She snipped small bits of the cats’ hair as keepsakes but wasn’t sure what to do with them until the idea of putting them in mourning jewellery came to her in 2019. “I’ve always loved jewellery and I’m also really passionate about sustainability,” she says. “But I couldn’t find something that suited my style.”
That’s when she decided to put her storytelling and conceptual skills to use by designing the jewellery herself.
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Finding peace
“Vivienne Westwood was my inspiration and she was big on sustainability as well,” says Tsukada of the English fashion designer known for bringing modern punk and new wave fashion into the mainstream. Instead of tacky cat jewellery, the rock ‘n’ roll fan wanted Victorian-inspired, edgy designs made of silver.
After much searching during the pandemic, Tsukada finally found a Japanese-owned manufacturer in Bangkok which is a certified member of the Responsible Jewellery Council – a UK-based sustainability standard setting organisation for the jewellery and watch industry.
“Other manufacturers would only accept huge orders, but overproduction is not sustainable and does not work for me,” she explains.
As her jewellery brand, Catastrophy, took shape, it also brought solace and peace. “That’s when I started coming out of the darkness,” says Tsukada, who studied theatre design, photography and graphic design in East Devon College in the UK.
When her daughter arrived in 2023, she decided to leave her corporate life after almost three decades with Bloomberg – with the last 13 years in Singapore.
Sustainable, vegan and ethical
Not only is Catastrophy handcrafted in small batches, it is made with recycled 925 silver and vegan materials. This means its jewellery-making process does not involve animal-derived materials such as polishing compounds containing animal fats and adhesives using animal-derived binders.
The brand’s packaging is also sustainably and ethically made in Chiang Mai – using cotton bags and recycled cardboard boxes that are hand-folded and hand-wrapped with fabric, thus creating jobs for the local community.
Every piece of jewellery also comes in a biodegradable zip-lock bag, designed to protect silver from tarnish.
As a result, Catastrophy is the first jewellery brand to be certified vegan by The Vegan Society, which coined the term “vegan” in 1944.
The handcrafted jewellery collection symbolising the bond between humans and their feline companions ranges from rings and earrings to cuff bracelets and necklaces with locket pendants. Cat details can be very discreet – appearing as paw-shaped claws or cat nose clasps, alongside rock ‘n’ roll elements such as studs, chains and black onyx.
“I wanted to bring an edginess that’s very subtle so it’ll work whether you’re wearing a plain T-shirt or an office shirt in a corporate environment,” she says. “They’re for people who want something cool over cute, and because the pieces resonate with them.”
Prices range from about S$225 to S$595, and include worldwide shipping as well as a little booklet with a short cat story.
Catastrophy donates 10 per cent of every purchase to the Cat Welfare Society in Singapore and the Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand, which rescues vulnerable cats and campaigns to end the cat meat trade in Asia.
On a path of discovery
When Tsukada left Bloomberg about a year ago, she experienced another big loss – her identity.
“I’ve lived in the corporate world for such a long time that when I came off that, I didn’t know who I was,” confesses the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Award-winning creative director.
The workaholic who enjoyed the buzz of her role says she put “120 per cent” into her job, working even on weekends and to the extent that she would forget to pay her bills.
“So it’s been a process of soul searching, together with doing something a bit more meaningful with my jewellery, to find myself.”
Along the way, she remembers something her grandmother once told her.
“She said that even in her 80s, she was still figuring out who she was. That thought has stayed with me, and reminds me that identity isn’t fixed; it evolves. Right now, I’m embracing the journey and building something that truly reflects who I am.”
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