BearMade: The British Bag Brand Getting Everyone Outdoors
Collaborative Article with BearMade
BearMade founders, Oscar and Nell, just want to make great bags for awesome people, and to help even more people get outdoors.
Handcrafted by a small team of passionate craftspeople in the Suffolk countryside, using GOTS-certified organic dry-waxed cotton canvas, BearMade bags are guaranteed for life. Their bags are only made in batches of 25 a week. That's the team's full capacity and they have no intention of exponential growth.
Their collection of 8 bags ranges from backpacks to small shoulder bags, each with a timeless design, ethos and weatherproof materials. These bags are made to be used every day, no matter where that day may take you.
BearMade are also keen to challenge what it means to be a responsible brand through transparent prices, social and environmental commitments and lifetime warranties. They encourage people to buy once and buy well - by building bags that last a lifetime and prioritising making and selling locally and using high-quality materials, they minimise planet-damaging practices. They also keep their environmental impact low through carbon offsetting and circular programmes - encouraging people to return their used gear to be re-homed or recycled.
Beyond a sustainable product, the BearMade team believes that the best way to make something with the planet in mind is to also inspire people to protect it. Both Oscar and Nell suffer from mental health difficulties, and have found that the natural world and spending time outdoors with others has been a massive help. Over the past few years it became very apparent to them that not everyone has the opportunity to connect with nature and that’s why they started The Wildish Club. Funded by bag sales, “it’s a bit like cubs but for adults”. The main goal of the club is to connect people with nature and each other.
The club is completely free and has been running for the past year in the Yorkshire Dales. The uptake has been brilliant and it’s growing fast. Oscar and Nell are already looking at new locations to start more Wildish Clubs and will be starting 3 more in the coming months.
Why not check out BearMade bags or join The Wildish Club?
Happy adventuring!
Miranda Mazzarella looks after Ecommerce and Marketing at Vivida Lifestyle. When she's not making sure the website's working as it should be or creating our next email campaign, she enjoys meditation, yoga and woodland walks. Her happy place is sea snorkelling amongst the fishes.
