Bohemia
Bohemia | Sustainably produced accessories
Working with artisans to produce sustainably produced homeware, footwear & accessories
Bohemia work collaboratively with artisans in Morocco, India, Kenya and Turkey to produce sustainably produced homeware and accessories.
The Moroccan baskets are natural, handwoven shopping baskets made from sustainable palm leaf and provide a wonderful eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags.
The Hammam towels are handwoven in Turkey or Morocco and make the perfect travel accessory or home accessory. Use as a beach towel, picnic blanket or throw or even wear as a sarong or shawl.
The Morroccan Babouche slippers are handmade using moroccan leather in bright colours.
Bohemia believe in handmade; perfectly imperfect wares crafted slowly from natural materials locally sourced. Pottery, basketry, weaving are processes as old as human time, containers for storage and carrying, cloth for warmth and protection. Goods made by hand bear the character of their creator, the nuances and eccentricities integral to each piece. We yearn for meaning in our lives, and the connection felt in owning a unique item made using centuries old techniques by an individual human being has increasing value in our fast-paced world.
They believe in fair trade and treating everybody they meet as they would expect to be treated themselves and their relationships are built on trust, respect, equality and friendship. As a company Bohemia aim is to elevate the status of artisanal craft and those who produce it. In Marrakech they have established their own workshops to improve the living and working conditions of their partners.
The Bohemia baskets/bags are made by artisans throughout Morocco and woven from locally available and sustainable doum palm, reed and alfa grass. The fibres are woven into long strips which are then stitched into 2D or 3D forms such as mats, baskets, lampshades and decorative objects.
Basket making is an important source of income for rural villagers as it provides a means of supplementing the money earnt through shepherding and farming, but now there are also many artisans employed on a full time basis to meet the growing demand for baskets as increasingly popular fashion and home accessories.
The Hammam towels are handwoven in Turkey or Morocco on wooden looms.
The babouche slipper is an iconic feature of Moroccan culture and has been an important element of the traditional dress code for centuries. Firstly the finest leathers are sourced from the traditional tanneries in Marrakech where the leather is organically tanned using the same methods and natural agents as across the preceding centuries.
Each piece of leather is cut to shape before dying by hand using natural plant based materials. Once the dyed leathers have dried in the hot Moroccan sun they are hand stitched, finished and quality checked.
The majority of the process is carried out by men in small workshops but the fine decorative detail is crafted by women who work in their own homes while also being free to care for their children and families.
