Tales by Solid

Solid’s Tales collection is produced in ethical conditions. The brand has workshops and workplaces in India, Peru and Kenya, among others. There, Solid aims to provide employment and training for women in difficult living situations.

In India, Solid has a weaving mill that employs 60 artisans. The weaving mill is located in Jharkhand, northern India. This is one of the poorest regions in the country, by establishing their production here Solid wants to help improve social conditions. 

The weaving of the baskets is done in Kenya. Solid works with a production partner for this, Hadithi Crafts. This is an organization that offers basket weavers in Kenya a steady income for their work. In this way the techniques and knowledge remain alive, and the weavers receive a fair wage.

It is very expensive for small production partners and workshops to become certified. To ensure that the productions take place in ethical, fair and safe conditions, Solid visits production sites annually.

Hadithi baskets are made from Sisal fibre. Sisal fibre is extracted from the leaves of the Agave tree. The trees are grown locally on the weavers’ farms or in the surrounding area. Sisal is a sustainable material, the trees require little water and no chemicals. The fibres are very strong, ideal for weaving natural and high-quality baskets. The artisans dye the fibres with natural dyes they get from tree bark and charcoal, among other things.

The rugs, coasters, seat cushions and blankets are produced in India. The weaving workshop transforms old saris into new products. The colours of the saris are preserved, so no chemical dyes are needed in the production process. The Solid atelier sorts and selects the saris by colour to create the colourful patterns in the woven rug.

The cushions are also woven from leftover materials from recycled saris. For this, Tales by Solid mainly uses the silk sari ribbons. These cushions are dyed using a dip dye technique. For this, Tales by Solid uses natural dyes so that no harmful chemicals are involved.

The Tales by Solid collection is very circular. The woven products are made from scrap materials. The recycling process ensures that the materials do not end up in a landfill, but are given a new life. 

The Hadithi baskets are also circular. The baskets are made of natural fibres and are coloured with natural dyes. Therefore, they are biodegradable.

The products do have to travel a long distance to get to you, yet Tales by Solid has a limited supply chain. The materials are always sourced local to the production site. For instance, the saris are collected in the region where the weaving workshop is located, and the agave plants grow on the basket weavers’ own farms.

Direct contact between Solid and the production sites is also good. This way, the brand has direct influence and control over working conditions and wages are also paid directly to the artisans.

A smaller part of the collection includes animal materials. These are often recycled materials, which means Tales by Solid does not use animals directly for their production. The recycled saris, for example, are often made of silk and cotton.

Tales by Solid also sells dog collars for your favourite pet. The collars are handmade in Kenya with local goat leather. The goats are kept according to Kenyan culture, with the leather being a co-product.

Tales by Solid uses good quality materials to assure that their products have a longer lifespan. The brand also provides tips and tricks with each product so you can properly maintain your purchase.

Because Tales by Solid products are made from recycled and natural materials, there may be differences. Each product is unique and handcrafted just for you!

Tales by Solid operates very transparent. The brand provides a lot of information about its production sites and materials. You can even see where and by whom your purchase was produced.