Susan Bijl
Susan Bijl
PRODUCTLINE.
The bag’s original design was based on the silhouette of a generic plastic bag. Susan gave it her own spin by creating a colourful variation, crafted from Ripstop nylon. The same fabric kites are made of, Ripstop is both indestructible and lightweight – making it the ultimate choice. The only thing lacking was a signature. After many sketches and prototypes, Susan created the iconic ‘Flash’ – a diagonal stripe that has appeared on every product she’s designed since.
THE MAKER.
In her childhood, her favourite way of cleaning her room would be throwing away most of her stuff to create a minimalist and peaceful place, simply because she doesn’t like to have a lot of ‘stuff’ laying around. With this same spirit, but many years later, she would design the bag to replace all bags.
DID YOU KNOW…?
In the ongoing effort to produce as environment friendly as possible, since late 2019 all the fabrics used are made of recycled materials. The nylon is mostly made of fishing nets, but also of pre-consumer fabric waste and computer chips.
Charlotte Wooning
Charlotte Wooning
PRODUCTLINE.
Charlotte started creating jewelry in 2005. A few years after graduating in fashion she started to experiment with silver and soldering. It took quite some time to learn the skills of this handcraft, but slowly on a new jewelry label arose. Her style has become unmistakably recognizable throughout the years. Every piece expresses a feminine, contemporary, delicate style.
THE MAKER.
Inspired by many things in life such as art, vintage jewelry, or just that woman in the subway, Charlotte keeps on reinventing her jewelry within the borders of her handwriting. Several pieces are timeless beauties and stay in the collection for many years. The creational process is a never-ending challenge but is nonetheless one of best things of their working day. Creating a jewel that will accompany a customer in her life is the most grateful part of her job. Charlotte’s small enterprise has grown to be a grown-up company. They now employ 5 professionally graduated goldsmiths, lovely girls who create every piece by hand in the style of Charlotte. And for two years her husband Steven is fully committed to the company as a new business partner of Charlotte. They work closely with their gemstone suppliers to know exactly where the stones are mined and under what conditions.
DID YOU KNOW…?
To retain the earth from overflowing with unnecessary things they create on demand. They have low stock and work with a dynamic inventory system. Sometimes it means you have to wait a little longer for your jewel to arrive. Overall it means they can keep their prices fair.
Matt & Nat
Matt & Nat
PRODUCTLINE.
Matt & Nat is a Canadian vegan-leather bags and shoe brand which originates from Montreal. They do not work with leather, fur, wool, silk or any other product that comes from animals. Their vegan-leather is made from polyurethane, a strong type of plastic, which cannot be distinguished from real leather. Besides this, materials from recycled PET bottles and nylon, cork and rubber are used to produce their collection. For Matt & Nat the well-being of people, animals and the planet is key.
THE MAKER.
The name Matt & Nat stands for “Materials and Nature”. Their best quality vegan leather is produced in their factory in China. The mantra of Matt & Nat is: “live beautifully”, which for them means “live with respect for people and nature”.
DID YOU KNOW…?
On average, 21 plastic bottles are recycled to create one bag. From 2016 up till now, Matt & Nat has recycled more than three million plastic bottles!
WOO – Worlds of Opportunities
WOO – Worlds of Opportunities
PRODUCTLINE.
Worlds of Opportunities, better known as WOO, is a global sustainable, fair-trade, and impact lifestyle brand. They co-design, co-create and co-produce an array of luxury items that are a living reflection of their values: the well-being of our planet and its people is at the core of everything they do. They offer authentic products that are co-created by communities around the world. The connect a global community of aspirational consumers, partners and supporters who are all committed to create a better future. WOO sources all their materials sustainable and upcycles them to create their products. They furthermore use only natural ingredients. They do this by educating, employing and investing in disadvantaged people so they can empower them to achieve a better quality of life.
THE MAKER.
WOO works with a group of female garbage collectors that operate on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The product line of WOO increase the demand for upcycled bottles and, therefore, increase income opportunities for these individuals. This difference allows our bottle collectors to earn enough money to raise their children themselves, instead of sending their sons and daughters to remote villages under the care of distant relatives. Upcycled glasses are used in WOO Lucky Candles and Diffusers.
DID YOU KNOW…?
After successful trade shows in Germany and the Netherlands in the summer of 2017, WOO has stepped up production at its Ho Chi Minh City workshop. In August 2017 there was, for the first time, a full container load of luxury products headed for the retail stores in Holland and Germany.
A-dam Underwear
A-dam Underwear
PRODUCTLINE.
A boxer must sit comfortably. An A-dam Underwear boxer does that like no other. The perfect fit and the soft touch coating are the basis for this. The boxers are made from organic cotton and also have the highest worldwide certification, namely GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard). In addition, the products from A-dam Underwear are made under fair working conditions (BSCI label).
THE MAKER.
A-dam was the first man on earth and also invented the first original underwear: the fig leaf, more environmentally friendly is almost impossible. At A-dam, the two Dutch founders want to make the world less serious with humor and self-mockery, because everyone can use a smile.
DID YOU KNOW…?
The gentlemen have an office in Amsterdam-Oost and are often the models themselves for the cool advertisements of A-dam Underwear!
Snurk
Snurk
PRODUCTLINE.
Snurk creates beautiful, imaginative prints for bedding and homewear. Made with their own hands, camera and photoshop. Driven to give new meaning to the art of doing nothing. Snurk is a sustainable fashion brand that only uses organic cotton which is sustainably produced in Portugal. By being awake and conscious of their own impact on the environment, they can make others sleep better.
THE MAKER.
SNURK is designed in Amsterdam and produced in the Porto area in Portugal. They work closely with a number of fixed, relatively small factories and confection centers in this area. They visit these places 4 times a year. This guarantees the quality of the prints and their business relationships. They print both using screen printing and digital printing.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Did you know that they have a collection for women, men, children and even babies?
Julia Otilia Jewelry
Julia Otilia Jewelry
PRODUCTLINE.
Julia Otilia is a sustainable and conscious jewelry brand that stands for capturing the essence of the moment. Their brand reflects timeless elegance paired with a sophisticated and simplistic Scandinavian aesthetic. All of their jewellery is inspired by organic shapes and the finest details of nature. As our planet and people are both concerns, they make conscious decisions for all their materials and production and aim to be as sustainable as possible.
THE MAKER.
Their production is done ethically and fairly in a small atelier in Bali. They support the local artisans with their intricate skills and dedication to recreate their delicate designs. Further assembling work is done in the Netherlands. Their jewellery is available in both silver and gold. They repurpose pure scrap pieces of 925 sterling silver for sustainable upcycling practices. All of their golden jewellery are plated with a 2 micron coat of 24K gold on a pure silver sterling base. Furthermore, they like to incorporate organic materials into their designs, including wood, seeds and nuts in form of carvings and beads.
DID YOU KNOW…?
For every order they plant one tree. As of August 2019, Julia Otilia has officially partnered with One Tree Planted. A non-profit organisation that is focused on global reforestation.
Alpaca Loca
Alpaca Loca
PRODUCTLINE.
Alpaca Loca is a young and innovative label that specializes in designing and producing quality products from alpaca wool. They are mainly known for their luxurious and silk soft plaids and scarves. Alpaca wool is a natural, super soft fabric and has many advantages compared to sheep’s wool or cashmere. It is hypoallergenic because it contains no lanolin such as sheep wool. The structure of alpaca wool is also stronger than that of sheep wool or cashmere. It sheds a lot less, so it is very comfortable to wear and does not sting. Besides this, it is dirt and water repellent. It is a 100% natural product and fair trade.
THE MAKER.
The wool used for the Alpaca Loca products comes from alpaca’s from Ecuador. The products are all made by hand in Ecuador by a community of weavers. Alpaca Loca places great value on quality, tradition, integrity and social responsibility and have consciously chosen to set up production in this way.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Your purchase contributes directly to the economic growth of Ecuador and alleviating the poverty of the alpaca herders.
Sjaal Met Verhaal
Sjaal Met Verhaal
PRODUCTLINE.
In 2013, Inge went to Nepal for the first time and was immediately touched by the beautiful people and nature. A visit to a children’s home in Pokhara showed her that you don’t have to have children of your own to be able to do something good for a child. The power of the Nepalese women also touched her deeply. She bought handmade felt scarves from these women which she brought home for family and friends. The scarves immediately become very popular amongst her family members and friends. She was often asked if she could somehow buy more and import them to The Netherlands. This is how Sjaal met Verhaal was created!
THE MAKER.
Sjaal met Verhaal stands for creating work for women in Nepal and Thailand. There is collaboration with around 35 entrepreneurs, all of which are visited once or twice a year. Where in the beginning the emphasis was on purchasing products, the transition is now being made with a focus into their own product development.
DID YOU KNOW…?
They work with a team in Nepal and a team in the Netherlands. Every team member of Sjaal met Verhaal has his or her own story.
Nudie Jeans
Nudie Jeans
PRODUCTLINE.
Nudie Jeans is a sustainable fashion brand. Their jeans are not designed to be used a few times and then thrown away. Nudie Jeans cherishes the well-worn and mended. Jeans that become a part of ourselves when worn a long time – a second skin. A pair of dry denim jeans is the materialized version of our values: No extra treatment or washes. Made with 100% organic cotton.
THE MAKER.
They work only with suppliers that share their values. Together with Fair Wear Foundation they ensure safe and ethical working conditions across the whole line of production.
DID YOU KNOW…?
They are using old Nudie Jeans brought in by customers, in different ways.
Thinking Mu
Thinking Mu
PRODUCTLINE.
This Spanish sustainable fashion brand makes clothing for both men and women. Their t-shirts and sweaters feature colorful prints and humorous texts. For these unique prints, this brand often works with graffiti artists and graphic designers such as Cachete Jack and Cocolia. In addition to clothing, they also make bags, glasses and shoes.
THE MAKER.
Thinking Mu was founded in 2010 by four friends in Barcelona. Their motto is: “Life is an attitude.” Positive thinking, respect, sustainability, friendships and attention to the small things that make life so fantastic, that is the message that Thinking Mu wants to spread.
DID YOU KNOW…?
To protect the almost extinct Xisqueta sheep in the Pyrenees, Thinking MU cooperates with the Obrador Xisqueta foundation.
P.F. Candle Co
P.F. Candle Co
PRODUCTLINE.
After losing her publishing job in New York during the recession in 2008, Kristen headed to Texas – a DIY hub with a cheaper cost of living. This is where she met Tom and started an Etsy shop and eventually became business partners. P.F. Candle Co. is a sustainable and vegan independent fragrance brand from Los Angels, owned and operated by wife-and-husband team Kristen Pumphrey and Thomas Neuberger. Since their founding in 2008, P.F. has grown from a one-woman operation to a team of over 60 people, making candles, reed diffusers, incense, and more. From a studio apartment operation to a globally recognized brand. With no formal business degrees or experience, this company has been built by the spirit of grit, passion, and DIY.
THE MAKER.
The entire collection is vegan, cruelty-free, and phthalate-free – always. All of their candles are made with 100% domestically-grown soy wax. While their production methods have improved over the years, something that has not changed is the people behind these products. All of their products are developed, produced, tested, packed, and shipped by their team out of their own warehouse in Los Angels.
DID YOU KNOW…?
Kristen named the business after her DIY blog called Pommes Frites, which is a play to her last name Pumphrey.
