8-eden-avenue
LUXURY SCARVES FROM THE HIMALAYAN FOOTHILLS
The cashmere label 8 Eden Avenue knows what matters: finest materials, outstanding quality - and the most important thing: appreciation for people and nature.
Mukti Datta and Jessica Breidt in Nepal
In 2009, she met Mukti Datta in India, an entrepreneur and activist who had previously successfully campaigned for the creation of a nature conservation area in the northern Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. As a result, many female field workers became unemployed. In Mukti Datta's "Panchachuli Women Weavers" cooperative, the women are given a new task and learn the traditional embroidery and weaving art of the region from an old nomad. Jessica Breidt was immediately enthusiastic about the project and knew that she absolutely wanted to work with Mukti Datta.
Jessica Breidt and Mukti Datta among the female workers of the "Panchachuli Women Weavers" cooperative.
Since 2010, the cuddly cashmere scarves for 8 Eden Avenue have been the result of this collaboration. Depending on their size, they consist of 110 to 350 grams of the finest Mongolian cashmere, hand-woven on traditional looms and partly hand-embroidered with silk. Dyeing is done mostly with natural colors.
Working on a scarf requires a lot of attention to detail and takes several days. As a tribute to the employees, each of the eleven models bears the name of a weaver. Jessica Breidt wants to give something back to the women of the region she appreciates so much.
"We pay the women of the cooperative more than usual. On their basic salary we pay an additional 30%. And finally, the women also receive a bonus of 10% of our turnover," explains the founder.
With this money, the women often feed the whole family and can pay for their children's education and medical treatment. One thing is clear to Jessica Breidt: "True luxury lies in togetherness."
Insights in 8 Eden Avenues manufacturing process