“Small But Mighty Business” is all about celebrating small UK entrepreneurs who really deserve to be on your radar. The global pandemic has hit the independent market hard, and if we want to see it thrive, it needs our investment. Each week I’ll be showcasing an awesome biz offering bold and beautiful homewares, which I think you will love as much as I do. Don’t forget to sign up to the newsletter if you’d like the latest features direct to your inbox! This week, we’re discovering Woven Rosa.
Who are Woven Rosa?
Some time ago now, Laura Selby, cofounder of Woven Rosa reached out to me via Instagram to see what I thought about her brand. A new name to me, so I thought, “hey, I’ll check out the website”. This is the statement I read which made me think, “Ok, this is the kind of brand we should absolutely be supporting.”
We are advocates of fairtrade. We work directly with small, often remote communities and are proud to support women who practice these traditional skills as we feel these groups are often undervalued and over looked. Supporting women to earn an income benefits their whole family.
Girl power, am I right? Woven Rosa souce handmade sustainable products from all around the world in an ethical way, cherishing traditional crafts and the communities which birthed them – with the idea born on a 20-hour bumpy bus ride across Peru.
“We had just visited Cusco and fell in love with the idea of how the local artisans weave stories into their colourful textiles – as if the textiles weren’t beautiful enough without knowing this personal backstory!” says Laura.
“We had never really seen anything like this in the UK and wanted to share these with people at home. As many of the textiles that we sell have a pink hue, Woven Rosa (pink in Spanish) felt like a fitting name.”
“Tom and I have always had a love for travelling; not only visiting countries but staying there long enough to appreciate local culture. We feel very fortunate we have been able to visit some wonderful far away places & have always daydreamed about creating a brand around various treasures we found along the way – & more so celebrating the people behind the art that we’ve had the pleasure of meeting. There was something quite special about the textiles in Peru & the talented artisans who make them so after an adrenaline fused brainstorm on the back of a Peruvian bus it felt like the right time to take the plunge into business.”
Let’s talk shop! What Woven Rosa products should we be excited about?
You can find rugs, cushions, throws and bags on the website (and I have a Woven Rosa cushion proudly nestled in my collection which you can see at the top of this post), but ultimately it’s the people behind the product which attracts Laura when sourcing her collection.
“We are all about stories behind products and quality pieces that last a lifetime,” according to Laura. “Everything that we showcase is handmade and handpicked. Our Frazadas and Throws are woven on back-strapped looms that sometimes take months to finish. All of the colours are natural and dyed organically using locally sourced plants, flowers and bugs.
“The Alpaca throws are true statement pieces & some of our favourites – so soft & woven with high quality yarn. You can see why people have been using their yarn for centuries (all the way back to the Mayans). They are natural in colours, & woven with classic design – to add texture to your home.
But I’m also a sucker for the bright statement large rugs that fill a space with so much energy – The Emilia and Ana rugs are definitely favourites of mine! I almost love them too much to give away!”
Where do Woven Rosa hang out online
For more on the background of Woven Rosa, head to the website for their full collection or if you’re in Manchester, they currently have a pop-up shop at Peru Perdu. The Journal section of the site has the most stunning behind the scenes imagery from Laura and Tom’s travels, with the below image my absolute favourite image taken from their Sheep or Alpaca wool discussion. But if you’re here simply for the homewares window shopping, you can also find them on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
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