If you were to travel to Southeast Asia, just east of Thailand, you’d find the landlocked country of Laos—a place known for its lush mountains, serene Buddhist temples, and warm, resilient people. But beneath its beauty lies a haunting legacy of war.
Between 1964 and 1973, during the height of the Vietnam War, the U.S. carried out a covert bombing campaign over Laos, making it the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. More than 270 million cluster bombs were dropped—roughly one bomb every eight minutes for nine years. Of those, an estimated 80 million failed to detonate and remain scattered across the countryside to this day, threatening lives and livelihoods.
In response to this painful history, a remarkable movement was born.
Article22, a socially conscious and sustainable jewelry company, was founded to help transform the remnants of war into symbols of peace. Working directly with Laotian artisans, they create handcrafted pieces from war scrap metal and safely cleared unexploded ordnance (UXO), turning weapons of destruction into wearable reminders of hope.
Their first design, the Original Story Bangle from the peaceBOMB collection, embodied the company’s mission: to turn something negative into something powerfully positive. Each piece of jewelry supports local artisans, contributes to community development, and helps fund the work of MAG (Mines Advisory Group), which continues to clear dangerous UXO from villages across Laos.
Purchasing from Article22 isn’t just about sustainable fashion—it’s about conscious action. It’s good karma in its purest form: supporting healing, safety, and prosperity for a community still rebuilding from a war that ended decades ago.
By wearing one of these pieces, you’re making more than a statement, you’re making a difference.