As a sustainable brand, it is important that all our designs considered the materials used, the impact to the environment and the impact to people and the animals.

 

Whatever we make needs to be of high quality so that it lasts for years, it’s practical and where possible, it is versatile so it can be used for many purposes.

 

Our Organic Cotton Tote Bag covers off on all of the above points and I especially love the fact that we were able to incorporate into the design, beautiful 500-year-old traditional artistry from Rajasthan, India.

 

 

The initial concept

Our desire was to create a spacious, open tote bag made from organic cotton as this material has far less impact on the environment than traditional cotton. It needed to be versatile so that the customer can use it for a multitude of uses and not just for the one purpose.

 

The Design

When exploring ideas with our ethical partner in Nepal, they put forward a sustainable, artisan-based brand that produces beautiful hand-block printing.  We jumped on this immediately and incorporated the hand-block printing into the design making sure, it is the main feature of the bag and continues inside as the lining.

 

Why Hand-Block Printing?

I’ve had the privilege of travelling to many counties and this allowed me to see beautiful rural and village communities who continue to live a slow, intentional, and a more harmonious life in sync with the environment around them.

I was exposed to the tremendous beauty of their handicrafts, and the skill and precision of their artistry, which would have taken years to perfect. From hand-block printing to weaving baskets and rugs to stone and wood carving to fine arts painting and intricate embroidery - every piece capturing the soul of the maker.

Each craft carries the strong identity of the community from which it originates. It captures the history of the people who made them and their significance.

The beauty of rural craft based and hand-made products lies in the fact that each item is truly unique and differ slightly from each other. Even though the same technique or ingredients have been used, the variations occur because every hand behind the craft adds their own identity and soul.

By choosing hand-block printing and supporting rural communities through purchasing their handicraft this results in:

  • Providing a source of income
  • Employment of entire communities
  • Maintaining knowledge transfer from master craftspeople to students
  • Allowing families to stay together
  • The ability for women to gain employment and income
  • Enablement of communities to maintain connection to their cultural heritage
  • Low environmental impact products brought to consumers

 

Final construction of the bag

Once we chose the hand-block designs and colours, we had those rolls of fabric shipped over to our ethical partner in Nepal who then sourced our thick organic cotton canvas material to form as the shell for the bag. 

We needed the canvas to be thick so that it is durable and can hold a decent amount of weight – again making the bag last for years which is in line with our sustainability values.

When the rolls of hand-block fabric arrived, the team in Nepal cut and sewed according to the final signed-off design and attached our care labels and tags.

 

Our Ethical Partner in Nepal

We created our brand to use as a platform to help uplift and transform lives.  Therefore, it was import for us to make sure that we only partner with suppliers and production houses that share our values and that we too align to theirs.

After many months of research, we found a social enterprise in Nepal with a mission to create jobs that empower marginalised people and survivors of exploitation to fresh starts and fulfilled lives. The staff receive technical skills training, life-skills training (budgeting, relationships, literacy, numeracy, health & nutrition), access to counselling, healthcare, and employer-matched savings in a positive work environment.

We loved their mission and values and began working with them with the intention of developing a long-term relationship.

Wherever possible, support sustainable and ethical brands. Vote with your wallet.

Shop our range of Organic Cotton Tote Bags