A brown leather wrap kit for your bike’s crossbar. An apron that lets every other bartender in the business to take your tips. A weekender bag made from upcycled army tents, weathered by the desert. With a stamp, Made in Tel Aviv. Meet Archie and Denis, brothers in life and in business. They are the Tel Aviv brand Havie.

I stumbled across them on one of my early evening walks around the Tel Aviv neighborhood of Jaffa, around the hipster neighborhood of Noga Theatre in Jaffa. At street level I spotted a couple of young and attractive men working away on sewing machines, with surfboards and vintage items stacked in the backdrop. Of course, I had to go in! and there I met the brothers, from the Ukraine, who are giving all their skills to raise a new boutique brand of hand-made called Havie, which to them means “to have”. I just adore handmade goods, especially when they use upcycled materials. But not as a reason to use the materials, but in finding a method to give the old a dignified and even better than previous existence.

“We are building our brand on a foundation that celebrates quality, craftsmanship, and tradition at every stage from raw material to finished product. Our goals are simple; to envision, design, and create in-house and by hand, beautiful pieces,” is their statement.

With backgrounds in finance, then design and inspired by the military and being authentic, the brand was created in the mornings and evenings during day jobs and now all their products are sewn, cut and stitched by hand in their Tel Aviv studio. Some on their sewing machine they call Monika.

“We love how our brand is growing and evolving. To us, our goods express everything we value. We are well aware that the way we work is not the most efficient, and certainly not very cost effective, but we are sure that we have sacrificed nothing of our vision.”

Sourcing raw materials is one of the challenges and joy. The brothers look for old army gear, uniforms, tents and duffel bags –- all which then get upcycled into new products you can love.

Maybe you’ll find someone’s initials handwritten on an old army tent or you’ll decipher a hidden message scribbled down on some canvas 50 years ago. Maybe it’s in Hebrew, Arabic or English – left by British soldiers back in the day? All of the Holy Land is a code waiting to be deciphered. Havie makes us think of the lives and the adventures that these objects in their first incarnation went through.

“We’re not saving lives here, we’re just making bags, but sometimes when a new style is created we have a moment when we feel like we’re saving our own. We want to applaud everyone else who’s working to do the same, because quite simply – it’s hard!”

::Havie website

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Pressured to knock off your Christmas shopping? Need a uniquely sustainable gift?  Online marketplaces Etsy and Dawanda let you browse quirky, handmade items without burning any petrol, and offer a decent alternative to glitzy energy-guzzling “lifestyle centers.”

It’s a brilliant way to shop the world’s smallest businesses, often providing greener, more interesting selections at very competitive pricing.

Snowbound in Amman, Jordan,  where impassable roads and power outages have officially “closed” the city for a second business day,  I discovered ten affordable finds in 20 minutes of browsing:

1. Dictionary Print  ($8)

Hamilton House Prints creates clever designs on pages from vintage dictionaries, rescued before they reach landfills. I’m loving the 8″ x 10″ print (shown above) entitled “Bacon”, but it’s not the best pick for my vegan, kosher or Muslim friends.  Luckily they have loads more options on offer.

2. Felted Baby Shoes (22 euro)

Sunday Creations hand knits tiny slippers from unspun Icelandic wool, felts them into soft shoes for little feet, then adds embroidered embellishments. The shoes arrive in a small gift box with a card explaining their origin and washing instructions. If only they came in grown-up sizes!

3. Recycled Tetra Pak Handbag – DIY Instruction Book ($13.98)

Artist Regina Lustig pays homage to her granny’s crocodile handbags in a version crafted entirely of upcycled milk and juice cartons. Her 34-page instructions are loaded with photos to help you create fabulous bags without sewing a single stitch. The pattern booklet is emailed to you within 24 hours so, depending on how fast you drink, you could have a bag finished this week!

4. Braided baskets made from recycled cotton tees ($14)

Handiwork1 braids cotton tee-shirts then securely sews the coils into basket shapes and rugs. Baskets (4.5″ high x 12.5″ long x 4.5″ deep) start as low as $12, with vibrantly colored braided rugs starting around $30.

5. Bottle Glass Necklace

This stunningly simple pendant is handcrafted from a slice of Skyy Vodka bottle glass; its trademark cobalt blue has been given a sea glass finish and hangs from a 18-20 inch natural leather cord. Maker reVetro jewelry is always handcrafted from reclaimed glass and recycled materials; see their Tanqueray green. Glass size, shape and hue will vary due to the nature of our products, your purchase is one of a kind.

6. Armbands made from jeans – (14.50 euro)

OHHO TEXTIL sews old denim jeans into colorful bracelets, unisex styling that wraps three times around your wrist.  Single strand versions cost 8.50 euro; all feature colorful top stitching and a magnetic clasp closure.

7. Upcycled Elephant Calf ($33)

Dentdelion turns gently used sweaters and felted woolens into imaginative, earth-friendly toys. Don’t be sad if this adorable elephant is sold!  She will make new items to order, just scan through the images under her “sold” tab to see the full range of options.

 8. J. Boutique Stencils

Living in a rental with limited decorating options?  Want to avoid pricey wallpaper or vinyl decals? Then give reusable wall stencils a shot. Easier and faster than you think, stenciling is also for floors, ceilings, furniture, and fabrics!  J. Boutique makes customizable stencils too. Personalized stencils could be the greatest gift ever.

9. Kinies Gathered Waist Purse (32 euro)

The “waist purse” is a stylish upgrade on your mother’s fanny-pack, made from cotton canvas and fully lined in easy-care black microfiber. A 6-inch zipper is concealed beneath the gathered ruffle for stowing your smartphone and smaller gadgets; a separate compartment is for your keys, passport, and cosmetics. The adjustable strap gives quite a bit of variation in length.

10. Chocolat Negro Recycling ($22)

This South African designer, artist and photographer works in recycled design incorporating traditional African craftsmanship techniques. Check out the cool earrings, necklaces and wrist cuffs made of old buttons.  Ridiculously affordable for wearable art.

See what 20 minutes of your own online browsing will turn up!

All images are from the vendors’ Etsy and Dawanda shops.

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Tatiana Fayad and Joanne Hayek have been friends since they were small children and first started collecting random objects as potential materials for new jewelry pieces while they were in college.

That was seven years ago. Now they are working together in a northern suburb of Beirut as Vanina – a rather cheeky name inspired by a French song from the 1970s.

In an interview with The Daily Star, they said they chose this name for their fashion studio because the song’s upbeat tempo and feminine quality resonate with their mission as designers. And it does, but there is also a certain social and environmental awareness that drives their choices as artists.

Rather than buy new materials for their accessories, for example, the duo find value in discarded objects that have special aesthetic qualities.

“We took the concept of taking an everyday object and giving it a higher value,” Joanne Hayek told the paper. “It’s a call for waste management.”

One of their earliest jewelry collections, “Coined,” was comprised of old Lebanese coins decorated with beads, patterns, or words.

Another, “Disc-carded,” involves using bits of metal from CD discs, which have lost their appeal since the advent of iPods and iPhones.

Parts of the keys mentioned in the introduction were used in a collection called “Unlocked.”

In addition to having a clunky, industrial edge, these pieces were created to encourage people to be friendly and neighborly, like they were before Beirut became overrun with high-rise apartments. They are reminders to “keep doors open.”

Taken both metaphorically and physically, Vanina’s upcycled jewelry communicates a message, which is perhaps what distinguishes them from a great number of contemporary jewelry makers.

Like solar power versus oil, their work replenishes the earth while others, who are still stuck on the idea that only gems and precious metals are worthwhile as adornments, extract from it.

Of course, they aren’t the first in Lebanon to join a growing number of international artists and designers who reuse existing materials in order to spare landfills and slow down unsustainable consumerism.

Although they are using recycled materials that are normally frowned upon in Arab societies, the pair have been incredibly successful and their designs have appeared in several respected fashion magazines.

In Egypt, the recycling trend is also catching on slowly. We recently interviewed a group of girls who have turned plastic into marketable products that encourage Egyptians to pay better attention to where stuff comes from and where it lands up.

So, tell us in the comments: would you wear “trash”?

Updated 2024: Soulful in its essence, Vanina was born in Beirut from a friendship between Tatiana Fayad and Joanne Hayek. Together, they shared a vision of creating a label that embodies the notion of femininity, with sustainable and mindful methods woven into every collection.

Since its founding in 2007, Vanina has organically evolved from a jewelry line to a full-fledged lifestyle brand, presenting seasonal collections of clothing, accessories, and jewelry, all proudly handcrafted in Lebanon, and sold internationally.

It remains rooted in Beirut, promoting social and environmental consciousness and contributing to a more sustainable future through a focus on community and circularity.

::Vanina

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