House of Bean | ETHICS

GWITHIAN

ethics

supporting handmade, local, sustainable companies so that the makers of this world may thrive

we all live very different lives, and do our own part to take care of our environment. one of the basics that i work from are to encourage small businesses operating as consciously as they can to raise issues such as sweatshop labour, poverty, water usage, plastics and waste and create a counter revolution to end all of these things.

choosing to shop from your local maker instead of a high street store has so many beneficial affects on them and the community around them. eating food grown in your home county instead of importing it in, really does make a difference.

i have lived mostly off grid for eight of the eleven years that house of bean has been running. trying to keep costs low both for me and for you, dear reader, so that perhaps one day small grass roots companies like this will be the majority, not huge corporations.

house of bean operates from small structures whilst on the move, we are currently on the look out for a new one :-)

hemp & eco fabrics

a hemp revolution is starting and i'm proud to be part of it.

the rate at which we consume unethical materials such as (non-organic) cotton and polymer based fabrics is astounding, especially when environmentally friendly replacements are available.

choosing organic clothing severely reduces the use of water and pesticides. going a step further and choosing fibres such as organic hemp and bamboo also means you're decreasing the amount of land needed to grow the plants, enriching the soil in these areas and improving the eco systems that the crops grow in. not only that, but you're picking a fabric which will be much kinder on your skin, will last longer and help to regulate your body temperature.

i encourage you all to go away and do your own research on hemp and bamboo and their use in fabrics and all other industries. don't just take my word for it, because lots of awesome people are doing some great work in this field.

process

taking simple, natural materials to create contemporary adventure apparel using earthy colour tones and hand printed designs, each product has its own story and not one is the same due to the minimalistic production process involved - screen prints on a basic wooden framework, eco dyes, illustrations born from adventure and just one person on a sewing machine and an overlocker.

there is a bright, unique character to each product, so the you can feel how much time, care and precision has been put into each one. all fabrics, components and techniques are in the interest of comfort, flexibility and keeping the body both warm and cool. clothing should look good, feel good and BE good for you and your environment.

the house of bean aims not to categorise by age, gender or size, but to provide clothing that makes anyone feel they can explore any mountain, ocean, forest or city in practical and appealing garments. all whilst leaving a small a mark on the earth as possible.