The world is filled with amazing and talented people. You no longer need to get on a jet plane to see this. Gail Barratt and her partners Hop and Svintha from Common Texture are proving this, with their headquarters being located in Les Vans, France, from where they ship worldwide. They recently started shipping from Melbourne, Australia which means for us Aussies we are lowering the carbon footprint of products getting to us, and also getting our beautiful handmade sustainable homewares and textiles much sooner. Common Texture is an online boutique with an intrepid collection of handcrafted homewares, accessories and travel goods. Designed with global craftspeople, featuring natural fibres and a zero waste concept. “We respect people and planet” says Gail.
Some of the things you can find at Common Texture include:
- Sustainably harvested banana fibre baskets and bags
- 100% pure flax linen hand block printed in a fairtrade studio for bedding, robes and table linens
- Upcycled pure cotton Do Good Yoga Mat Bags
- Natural Wooden earrings
- Upcycled veg tan leather travel accessories
- Sustainably sourced rattan handwoven bangle range
Between the three women they are a cross cultural partnership themselves, with a French, Dutch, Swiss, Vietnamese, English and Australian partnership! Gail, Hop and Svintha met during their years living in India. They formed a firm friendship based on a common love of Indian travel and the array of textile techniques it had to offer. “We wanted to create a quality collection that would last the test of time, classic limited edition pieces that preserved generational crafts. Marry that with giving our customers a beautiful one-of-a-kind product and the story of how that individual piece is made and by whom. We yearned to take a piece of India with us when we left and this was a great way to keep a connection to Mother India whilst exploring other Asian handicrafts and expanding our collection” remembers Gail.
In such a multi-cultural business, Gail says the best part is exploring the vast, unknown lands in search of inspiring crafts people. The worst part is the gruelling travel from one community to another. “When we find that perfectly humble, awe-inspiring artist, it’s like the days of dust and heat slide from our memory. A choir of angels chimes in harmony and BAM, we have an idea! A light-bulb moment of how we want to collaborate with the gem that stands before us. We want to make beautiful products for the world, that do not need to be produced in factories with inferior materials. Keepsakes cultivated from exotic destinations” says Gail.
Collaborating in foreign countries has its challenges. There are vast cultural nuances when it comes to doing business. What the women try to practice consistently is to treat the artisans with respect, humanity and fairness – not only to build a rapport for future business, but to help sustain the small communities where the artisans live. In doing this they hope future generations will be inspired to take these generational skills to the next level.
On a lighter note, says Gail, dealing with a rich tapestry of people on a daily basis does lead them into some humorous situations! Even the most mundane task of searching for the perfect zipper can turn into a full day adventure. Gail tells the story of the removal of a stubborn sacred cow from the doorway of the shop in a bustling lane way – “which in turn took 5 men and 2 vegetable vendors to lure the cow off with carrots! After which we all sat for a sweet cup of chai, exchanged pleasantries about our respective countries and only then could the theatre of haggling begin” laughs Gail.
In the main, the business uses crafting communities that are independently run by the families living there. They are anti mass production, and feel that mass production consumerism beats down people’s individuality – both as a consumer and a producer. “Imagine the tedium of creating a single product 10,000 times, it breaks the human spirit. We don’t want to put that kind of pressure on our small collective artisans, we prefer they guide us with what’s achievable” explains Gail.
In line with this they run smaller batches and repeat if required; or try different products or variations which keeps everyone inspired. They personally like to visit all of their collaborative studios so they can get to know the artisans and their processes. They very much stand by their philosophy of ‘hand made, one piece at a time’. There is nothing in the Common Texture collection that they wouldn’t use in their own homes. Gail says they are all such natural fibre nuts and they blend that with a complimentary colour palette throughout the different collections. Everything can be mixed and matched.The pure linen bedding range was specifically designed for that purpose. It feels great, it looks great.
“There seems to be so much mass produced interior decor flooding into high street shops and selling for ridiculously cheap prices. When did you last stop and ask the shopkeeper “Who made this?” A factory in China is most likely the answer. Think twice and walk away. We are quite happy to dedicate time and money to buy fresh organic vegetables, groceries and skin care. Then go home and sleep in sweat factory polyester sheets and microfibre rugs. We can apply the same principles throughout the home not just in the kitchen and bathroom”.
Gail’s tips on being more sustainable at home
- Buy less, buy right!
- Don’t get sucked into seasonal home decor trends. Pick colours that are going to last more than a season. If a bedroom needs a burst of seasonal colour select a plain coloured duvet and mix and match with pattern and texture in your smaller pieces. It’s cheaper than painting the walls.
- Having just finished our summer in Australia I’ll share a tip with you. I used my pure linen duvet cover as a sheet for most of the season. Sleeping under two layers of linen was perfect for the warmest of nights and the occasional cool ones too. I was surprised to discover this versatile product was perfect for all seasons. I look forward to the weight of the linen around my down doona for the winter months we have coming
- We are just nuts about banana fibre – it is amazingly strong, looks, feels and smells great. Our banana fibre Carryall Bag, uses 100 meters of hand rolled rope and takes three days of hand knitting to complete. This is by far the best bag to use at the farmers market or supermarket, it will put all the plastic bag users in your cue to shame. We work directly with the women at the South Indian women’s cooperative, ensuring that each bag we sell helps improve the livelihood and supports education for them and their children.
- Give up straws, I have seen them polluting the oceans all over Asia. Refreshingly I had a cocktail the other day using a long pasta straw.. Genius.
- Everytime I get the urge to buy some tacky trinket for my home, I put the item down, slowly back away and head to the nearest plant nursery. Indoor plants, I just can’t get enough of them.
In this kind of business, Gail says the hardest thing about being online, is that people can’t feel your products before they buy. The collections are very textural, so mostly people are blown away by the quality and feel of the products once they receive them. Some people just gasp and say.. ’oh I didn’t think they would be this luxe’ says Gail. When not swanning around in her linen robe, Gail likes to sew clothes. “I have a pet hate for all that un-natural fibre in today’s fast fashion. So I like to make my own. Learning how to sew was the best thing my Mum handed down to me. Repair, renovate, recycle, revamp and create, all with my trusty sewing machine” says Gail. The Common Texture Linen Kantha Robe is one of her favourite pieces (and mine!). It’s in beautiful Dried Lavender Linen with a delicate sleeve block print.”It just feels so regal to wear and red wine tastes so much better when you are wearing it!’ laughs Gail.
As well as bringing us beautiful, handmade and sustainable homewares and linens for our homes, the Common Texture Mantras are great ones to remember in your everyday life:
“Use me, love me, pass me on. Embrace the beauty in the handcrafted. Earth friendly goods with clever design and superb quality. Handmade one piece at a time”.
You can find out more about Common Texture (and grab one of those divine linen robes!) on the Sustainable Home Hub and follow through to all of their links here.
Helen
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