Blue must be my favourite colour. Coming from Greece I guess it's a colour I grew up with, blue skies and sea. So when I came across this photo below, the colour first and then the design caught my eye. it was miliseconds apart, so let's just say that I loved the products for both the colour and design. The products are part of the homeware range of Slovenian based ALMIRA SADAR, a fashion house that is making its way into the world of interiors. I researched the brand extensively and wanted to share it with you.

Their home collection includes textile accessories made with love of pattern and color for peoples home, using traditional techniques to achieve a contemporary product. All products are designed and produced at their studio and in a small family run knitting factory in Ljubljana, Slovenia. While keeping a low profile, the brand is well known in the country ans has been featured in various editorials in high fashion magazines like ELLE.

Brand Owner - Almira Sadar

Good design is one thing. Good design that is made ethically and supports local communities is even better. When it combines functionality, it's the best. That's how I feel about the products I have seen: they will last long and I will get a pretty good use out of them. This always means a successful purchase for me.

Why is it so important to support designers that use the skills of local craftsment?

Well, the pretty obvious answer to that is that otherwise the skills will be lost. A weaver that sees their trade as not being good enough to produce a good income for the family will push the next generation away from it. you can then forget about weaving and you can buy a machine made product instead. Don't complain when a few years down the line you will have to replace it because the materials used were not good enough.

Just a couple days ago, I visited a shop that I believed produced hand made beautiful rugs and blankets. I showed them a carpet that was proudly displayed on the wall and enquired about it price.

"Ah that", the shopowner said. "That's not for sale. We've been looking to source more of these but no one makes them any more".

* akward silence for a second too long and walked away in disbelief *

Locally owned businesses recycle a much larger share of their revenue back into the local economy, enriching the whole community. Is that not a good reason to support them as well?

I love the weaving detail of the Almira Sadar products. I will be looking to talk to them when they visit London next month for the 100% Design Exhibition in Kensington Olympia. You will be able to find them at stand L426.