For the past few weeks our team has been traveling around Turkey meeting with our designers, artisans and women’s cooperatives. We’ve driven thousands of kilometers to work in many different remote villages alongside our talented makers. With each visit to Turkey, we learn more about the many steps that go into making our textiles. We also learn about Turkey’s rich culture and traditions, and more specifically about the history behind traditional art forms. We’ve had the honour and the pleasure to work alongside the best of the best and are proud to say that our team has now finished designing our 2019 collection.
Handmade production that honours ancient tradition is something that takes a lot of time, skill, effort and expertise, and even more so when done ethically. From sourcing the finest organically grown Turkish cotton to the natural dying process to the weaving and then finally to the palm rolling of the each and every tassel. Even the cotton ties and wooden beads that we use to roll our towels are handmade. The beauty is in the detail.
This production allows artisans to have meaningful employment doing something they love, while supporting their families and often working from home. Our team is proud to work with so many incredibly talented people, and in particular with so many women. We see first hand the difference that our business makes in their lives, and the way that it helps to ameliorate their communities. We are humbled by the amount of work and love that goes into the production of these beautiful pieces of art.
Next time you get out of the shower and wrap yourself in your Stray & Wander towel, think about the fact that your purchase has done many meaningful things. It’s provided gainful and ethical employment to communities of women, it’s helped to preserve ancient weaving and dying traditions and has helped to support social services in the communities in which we work.
At Stray & Wander we're all about buying quality and buying less. We travel around the globe and work alongside some of the most talented artisans in the world. And, we support handmade, fair trade and ethical sourcing.
XOXO
Stray & Wander Team