Weaving some magic

British fashion graduates bring African handwoven storage baskets to the global market, helping to change the lives of the remarkable women who make them

You don’t have to rewind history too far to get back to a pre-plastic time when baskets were an everyday essential. Thought to be the oldest craft in the world, basketry dates back 11,000 years, predating pottery.

But time moves on, and in the age of Snapchat and Siri, baskets urgently needed an image makeover. Thanks to The Basket Room, a venture co-founded by fashion graduates Holly Dutton and Camilla Sutton, that’s exactly what they’ve had.

Set up as an ethical lifestyle brand, The Basket Room specialises in handwoven baskets made by women who are part of weaving cooperatives in rural Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Swaziland.

Holly says; “Our main goal is to create access to market for these talented weavers, to provide them with a sustainable livelihood and the recognition they deserve.

“Many of these women rely on farming but when crops fail during dry periods, they turn to the art of weaving as an essential alternative income.”

Woven with vibrant colours and unique patterns, the baskets are eye-catching and unmistakably African. Most importantly, they are Fair Trade accessories with a story. Each comes with a label showing a photo of the weavers, enhancing the direct connection between the maker and buyer.

Camilla quit her job in the fashion industry to follow her dream of sourcing crafted decorative products and bringing them to the wider world. She and Holly regularly spend time meeting with the craft collectives across Africa and overseeing basket production.

Camilla says: “We’ve looked far and wide to find the most remarkable weaving communities where traditional techniques have been honed over many years. it’s our precious network of weavers who take centre stage.

“We know where the baskets have been made and by whom. And our unique perspective allows us to provide a truly ethical product with minimum outside involvement.”

It’s a sustainable business model which speaks to consumers who increasingly look for transparent supply chains. Something the retail world is waking up to, with both The Conran Shop and Notonthehighstreet,com stocking The Basket Room items.

“We wholeheartedly believe that fashion should feel good,” says Holly. “The craftswomen we work with are empowered to support their families and emboldened to overcome gender barriers with every new order they produce.

“When you buy a woven basket from The Basket Room you’re not only supporting fair trade, you also helping forge a better working world, and one that’s more inclusive and more gender equal.”

The last word must of course go to the weavers themselves, the biggest stars of The Basket Room story. Dorcas Ndinda, a member of a weaving cooperative in Kenya, says: “Since the death of my husband I am able to clothe and feed myself and my family from the income from weaving. The proceeds have helped educate my children, and sometimes I find that I even have money left over, which I save or invest in my grocery business.

“It makes me happy when I interact with fellow members of our cooperative and see visible results of basket weaving in their lives – one member is able to purchase medicine for her child, another can afford a new dress, more are able to educate their children. Our cooperative was also able to purchase a piece of land, upon which we plan to build a community centre. Such actions I believe have emboldened other women in this area to get out there, join such ventures and take charge of their own lives.”

For more information visit www.thebasketroom.com or email info@thebasketroom.com