KIND Collection X Aerende
With the holiday season in sight, we have been thinking about topical issue of gifting, and the links back to fast-consumerism. We have always been a strong advocate of buying one gift that will last - instead of lots of smaller items.
One of our all time favourite sites, which naturally sprung to mind when contemplating the ways to combat this issue, is Aerende Store. Aerende is an online shop that sells ethical homewares and gifts, all hand-made in the UK, by “The Makers”, who are individuals that are facing employment barriers. Since launching in 2016, Aerende has been awarded the Sustainable Homeware Brand of the Year, in 2019, which truly highlights their incredible efforts.
This week we had the pleasure of chatting to the founder, Emily Mathieson, and talking through a few ways in which they help our planet and their local community. Without further ado - here is a peek into our latest conversation with the innovative Emily.
Tell us a little about Aerende
Aerende launched in 2016 as an antidote to the lack of individuality, ethics and transparency in the interior retail sector. It’s a new twist on purpose-driven shopping, where every single element of the business has been considered to do no harm and to benefit makers as much as it delights consumers.
Aerende’s tagline of ‘life-improving homewares’ reflects our commitment to sourcing and designing unique, limited-edition products that will bring joy, beauty and utility to our customers, as well as a sense of purpose, pride and revenue to makers, via the charities and social enterprises that support them. It’s important to us that our collection and brand are competitive on the market–we want customers to love the products and to buy them because of their desirability, not just because of their positive back story (though that is a key USP).
The makers and their stories are a huge part of Aerende, how did (and do) you connect with them?
Well, it’s a complex process. Unlike almost every other online interiors/gift store, we can’t find items at trade fairs or on social media because our makers aren’t really on/at either. Whist this has given us the advantage of ensuring our products are totally unique and mostly exclusive to us, it makes discovering new talent quite a challenge. Finding makers has always been the result of lots of Googling, word of mouth and research. I’m also always scouring newspapers for articles about therapeutic craft groups and working out if those might be a good fit for us, or if the skills might be there for us to commission a product. And then, because we want the products to be desirable and to fit with the collection we work out colour schemes and shapes and sizes that would work well, and create each product in collaboration with the makers – so they can explore their skills and we can ensure a never-changing collection. Now that we have a stronger business profile, makers are starting to find us too!
One of the first organisations I approached was Studio 306, a creative programme for people recovering from mental health illnesses. They now make our beautiful soap dishes and pottery candle holders. They are always coming up with brilliant new ideas. The links between making with our hands and wellbeing are well documented, but craft is not a particularly inclusive sector so it’s rewarding to know we’re helping raise awareness and nudge the dial a little bit.
Do you believe it is possible to achieve a sustainable and ethical home without compromising on style?
Absolutely, yes! Aerende was an early adopter but now there are a number of other brands really making it possible to buy stylish products that are kind to humans and the earth. Of course, second-hand is normally best and many second-hand products (especially from the 50s) are style classics. Just watch out for greenwashing of mass market/high street shops jumping on the bandwagon.
What 3 tips would you give anyone else thinking of setting up their own business?
Plan ahead and do the finances but be prepared to ditch the plan and to drop an idea if it isn’t working. Have a story. Tell it confidently and regularly. Make this your point of difference. And, increasingly, have a vision. Knowing where you want to get to really helps to prioritise and focus on the day to day.
Do you have any top tips for making a home look beautiful without spending a fortune?
eBay! Honestly, pretty much everything you see in photos of my home is from there. Discovering Shiply means you can get in on all the cheap stuff outside of main cities because delivery is so much cheaper and easier.
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Copenhagen – It’s outdoorsy and stylish with an undercurrent of political and environmental awareness
It has been such a pleasure getting to know the delightful Emily, and leaning more about her innovative business. To learn more about Aerende, head to their website here.