All Eversom designs are handmade in their studio in Rotterdam. Production is very small-scale, much of it done by Ilse herself. As the brand grows, Eversom also wants to become a social atelier. The brand collaborates with Rotterdam inclusief to provide a social workshop for people with a distance to the labour market. So you can be sure that your latest purchase was not only made locally and circular, but also very socially!
The unique manufacturing process was developed by Eversom itself. After all, fire hoses are not easy to process into new products. After the hoses are sorted, they are cut open with specially designed tools. Production is done by hand, with the artisanal process guided by the properties of the material.
Fire hoses are made of synthetic materials and consist of three layers. The inner and outer jacket of the hose are made of a synthetic rubber mixture with a fabric layer in between. The synthetic rubber is resistant to oil, chemicals, ozone and UV rays. This ensures that a fire hose can easily last 40 years, but also that the material cannot be recycled after use. When a fire hose shows signs of wear, it can no longer be used for its intended purpose and there is no recycling process for the discarded material.
So Eversom devised a way to upcycle the material into new products. The brand developed its own techniques and tools to process the sturdy material. This allows the bags, backpacks and accessories to be made by hand, without the use of new materials.
Eversom uses as few other materials as possible in their designs, which is why the bags have no lining inside. This also gives the advantage that the bags are easier to repair.
Additional pockets inside the designs are made from old sails from sailing ships. This is another material that cannot be recycled but can be upcycled. The strong, water-repellent sail is more flexible than fire hose leather, making it ideal for a laptop compartment or inside pocket in your bag.
Eversom products cannot be recycled after use, yet the brand is partly circular. It upcycles old fire hoses, giving them a second life as a handbag or backpack. As a result, fewer fire hoses end up as waste, and Eversom does not need new materials.
Eversom has a very short supply chain. The brand collects fire hoses from fire brigades and companies in the Netherlands. The hoses are then processed into new products in their own workshop in Rotterdam, the supply chain could hardly be any shorter!
The Eversom collection is completely vegan. Fire hoses are used as an alternative to leather, making the bags completely animal-friendly!
Because fire hoses are made to withstand the harshest conditions, your bag or backpack can also withstand them. Eversom products retain their beauty for a very long time, even after years of intensive use they still look like new! The products are naturally water-repellent and resistant to stains and scratches.
Don’t worry if something does break, Eversom has designed the products in such a way that they can easily be repaired by your local shoemaker or by Eversom itself.
Eversom lets the fire hose design itself. The brand also integrates unique marks like the hoses’ codings and markings into the design to do justice to the material. The collection features. The brand wants to expand their collection and is always looking for new opportunities, they are for example working on a range of unique garden furniture.
Eversom is definitely transparent, through their website you can easily find information about the upcycling process. Because the brand makes all the products itself, it is also easier to share information about this.
Zaključak
Looking for a nice handbag or backpack you can enjoy for a long time? Then be sure to take a look at Eversom’s collection! This Dutch brand upcycles fire hoses into new bags and accessories.
