Wenn Teppiche glücklich machen // Sukhi

1. März 2020

Warum ich Teppiche mag, über Fairness und soziale Verantwortung in der Teppichherstellung und was das alles mit Sukhi zu tun hat!

Ich bin in einer Wohnung mit viel Teppichen aufgewachsen. Nur in der Küche gab es einen abwaschbaren Fußbodenbelag und sowohl im Bad als auch Wohnzimmer Fliesen. Das war zu der Zeit irgendwie üblich. Da gab es generell selten sowas wie Parkett, Laminat, Vinylboden oder was ähnliches nicht-flauschiges. Zum Reinigen sind so glatte Böden irgendwie schon besser, aber sie strahlen halt auch keine Gemütlichkeit aus. Wer setzt sich schon gerne auf einen harten kalten Boden? Da will sich doch jeder lieber auf einem warmen kuschligen Teppich ausstrecken. Zudem strahlt so ein Knüpfwerk einfach eine wahre Gemütlichkeit aus, die einfach was Wohnliches an sich hat.

Zu den handelsüblichen Bodenbelägen, die man in normalen Baumärkten so bekommt, hatten wir zu Hause auch ein paar echte Orient-Teppiche. Ein riesigen roten mit schwarzen Ornamenten im Wohnzimmer, zwei Läufer im Gang und einen ziemlich speziellen, auf dem ein Lebensbaum abgebildet war in der Küche. Die hatten wir alle von einem Typen, der ein Teppichgeschäft in der Innenstadt hatte und mir als Kind irgendwie bisschen suspekt war ;) Der kam ab und zu mit zwei Angestellten, die dann die schweren Teppiche getragen haben und zeigten uns dann eine neue Auswahl. Alle Exemplare waren handgeknüpft und dementsprechend nicht ganz günstig. Worüber sich aber weder meine Eltern noch ich (gut - ich war ca. 7 Jahre alt ;) zu der Zeit Gedanken gemacht haben, ist die Frage woher diese denn genau stammen und unter welchen Bedingungen diese hergestellt wurden. Vor 30 Jahren hat man dies vermutlich einfach nicht so hinterfragt wie heute. Statt "Who made my clothes?" hätten wir die Frage stellen sollen "Who made my carpet?". Klar hatten die Knüpfwerke auch irgendwelche Zertifikate und Siegel, aber ich habe keine Ahnung wofür die denn standen. Zudem hätte man das auch überhaupt nicht nachprüfen können, denn da waren wir noch nicht mal online.

Bei der Textilindustrie versuchen einige hinter die Kulissen zu gucken und hinterfragen Arbeitsbedingungen, faire Löhne und die soziale Verantwortung, die die Firmen haben. In anderen Bereichen scheint das noch nicht so aktiv wahrnehmbar zu sein.
So ein handgefertigter Teppich erfordert unglaublich viele Arbeitsstunden und oft hat man keine Ahnung unter welchen Bedingungen dieser entstand. War vielleicht auch Kinderarbeit im Spiel? Wie viele Stunden am Tag musste derjenige dran arbeiten - vielleicht auch ohne Pause? Wie sieht der Ort aus, an dem das Schmuckstück entstand? Würde man sowas wissen, fände man es dann immer noch gut diesen im Wohnzimmer auszubreiten und zu erzählen, dass der ziemlich teuer war?

Oft kann man als Verbraucher nicht so richtig hinter die Kulissen gucken. Da will man es richtig machen und dann passiert es irgendwie, dass man sich doch falsch entscheidet, weil die nötige Transparenz fehlte. Der Wille war da, aber man hatte gar keine Chance das Richtige zu tun. Oft kennt man auch einfach nicht die Alternative. Aber in Sachen Teppichherstellung gibt es ein faires Label namens Sukhi! Hier fertigen erfahrene Kunsthandwerker aus Nepal, Marokko, Indien und der Türkei den kuschligen Belag per Hand. Das Unternehmen nimmt seine soziale Verantwortung richtig ernst. Die Mitarbeiter erhalten eine Arbeit, die ihnen Freude bereitet und Traditionen wahrt. Faire Löhne gibt es natürlich dazu und am Ende sind alle glücklich =) Wie das genau abläuft und was dem small business hierbei wichtig ist, erfahrt ihr jetzt. Viel Spaß beim Schmökern!

Just introduce yourself. Which three keywords describe you well? What is your position at Sukhi? Your professional background?

Happy, go-getter and Mother :) Sukhi was founded by me and Wouter Durville. The idea of bringing handmade carpets made with love, became a reality after a trip to Nepal. And that is how our business, Sukhi – which literally means ‘happy’ in Nepali – was born. I have studied textile design in the Netherlands and that is where my passion for the use of handmade techniques comes from. During our travel to Nepal (I would highly recommend you to visit this beautiful country), we discovered that the handicraft is truly amazing and we wanted to share this with the rest of the world so that everyone can have access to these lovely felt ball rugs. The cheerful colors and the high quality of the felted balls really jumped out. We decided to set up two workshops in two different parts of Kathmandu. The women who work for us live within walking distance from their workplace. Approximately half of the women make the felted balls, and the other half make the rugs. Others handle the supervision and training. As soon as they are done with making the balls or rugs, they bring the products back to the workshop. If you would like to see how the Sukhi felt ball rugs are made I would recommend you to watch our video. We sell handmade felt ball rugs from Nepal, Patchwork rugs from Turkey, Beni Ourain carpets from Morocco and Felt and wool rugs from India.We believe that the talented people who make our Sukhi rugs should have a great pay and excellent working conditions. That is why we visit our artisans regularly. We are very closely involved with every step from ordering, making and sending it to the buyer, directly from the maker.

How did the idea for Sukhi come about?

See my previous answer :) Our main goal was and is to preserve handicraft and make it available for anyone in the world while helping these artisans at the same time.

You are a social company that sells handmade carpets from Turkey, India, Nepal and Morocco. What exactly does that mean?

What is crucial for us and sets us apart from other rug sellers is that our customers are purchasing directly from the makers, with no one in between and with maximum transparency. Every rug comes with a tag that has the name of the person who made it. Customers can look up the artist’s email address on our website and get in touch personally, and send for example a picture of their new rug. That way, from a small village in Morocco, Turkey, India or from Nepal, artisans can see what their creations look like in their new homes anywhere in the world. It is amazing how this job at Sukhi makes them confident and strong and how it changes their status inside the family and the community. Every rug you buy positively impacts not only one person – the artisan who crafts it for you – but also their children and extended family. We also want to preserve the uniqueness that each country has. Each country has its own skill such as hand knotted rugs from India and felted wool rugs from Nepal.

Sukhi means "happy" in Nepalese. What is happiness for you?

Happines for me is now, living in this moment today. When you realize that and you have a moment like that (and I see my daughters smile or when my husband hugs me) I am completely happy. I also realize that I am fortunate that I can work daily with my husband, I love it taht I can spent so much time with him and my little daughter of 14 months, I was able to work in my own time during breastfeeding and still continue to work (like our artisans). I am a 100% #mompreneur :)

Your carpets are hand knotted and hand tufted. What is the difference between the two types of production?

The Indian rugs are indeed hand tufted or hand knotted: Sukhi artisans proudly make both hand-knotted and hand-tufted rugs. Each type has its own charm. Both are prized for their great beauty. But they have a different look and feel. Let me explain: some say that hand-knotted oriental rugs are the most beautiful of all rugs! That makes sense since these rugs are extremely complex. Learning this craft takes expertise and skill. Making them by hand is a time-consuming process. Hand-knotted rugs are true works of art. These rugs are true family heirlooms. These works of art are passed down from generation to generation. Hand-tufted rugs are also beautiful, but they are less labor intensive. This makes them more affordable. They are a perfect option for folks who can’t invest in a hand-knotted rug. Both of these Sukhi rugs are impressively durable and possess great beauty. When properly cared for, all our Oriental rugs will stand the test of time.

You use natural colours and materials to make your carpets. What are these and why did you choose them? What is used in the conventional way of production?

We only use 100% pure wool and the colors are achieved with chemical-free dyes. During our trip to Nepal, Morocco, Turkey and India we were awed by the beautiful materials and we want our customers to share that same feeling when they buy our product. We only use the highest quality materials and we never put “waste materials” or cheap fibers inside our carpets. For example, our rugs from Nepal are made from New Zealand wool. New Zealand wool is the purest, whitest wool in the world, offering excellent dyeing characteristics that create long-lasting colors. It is raised with little impact on the natural landscape. It is a renewable and biodegradable fiber that is one of the world’s most environmentally friendly products. The wool is produced on land mostly unsuitable for other agricultural purposes and does not compete with food production. No internationally banned pesticides are used on New Zealand farms, making New Zealand’s sheep industry one of the world’s greenest animal production systems.

For centuries, wool is an important part in our homes because it has extraordinary natural properties: it is sustainable and renewable. At Sukhi, the wool that goes into our rugs is 100% new and pure, directly from New Zealand or Morocco, the lands of healthy and happy sheep.

For example in Morocco. I visited the sheep, an ancient breed of sheep who give amazing natural wool that makes Beni Ourain rugs so special. They were shaved in March this year since summer is hot there , more than 49 degrees Celsius the day we visited the herds. I had the opportunity to see for themselves the enormous work that the artisans put into each Berber rug, in the local workshops. Each rug takes multiple weavers many, many days which is so impressive to see. Over a period of 12 weeks, artisans are busy threading wool and tying individual pile knots. Which results in a piece of art, which you can keep for lifetimes.

You offer the craftsmen a safe and fair workplace. What do you think has to happen for other companies to start rethinking?

I think it is a matter of time, customers want to know where their products come from, they want to know from what kind of material the products are made, they want to know who has made their products. We live in a world where we can not be selfish anymore we have to help each other. Sharing is caring :)

Introduce two of your artisans :)

1: Yashoda Parajuli. I am a widow, being single and raising two children one daughter and son is difficult. I have been working for Sukhi from 2014, after I started to work for Sukhi I have been able to give my daughter and son with good education . My daughter studies in Class 10 and my son in Class 6. I am able to live my life without depending on anyone for this I want to thank SUKHI from the bottom of my heart..

2: Samjana Rai Being a handicapped women I am unable to go out and work but Sukhi has given me a chance to work from my home and in the same time I am able to take care of my children and I am being able to contribute in our household expenses, which gives me great joy.

The carpets are only made to order. How are the individual steps from my order until I hold the unicum in my hands?

1. You choose a rug.
2. You determine the size.
3. Your rug is made by hand.
4. You receive a beautiful rug with a hand tag of the maker on it.

What is your current favourite Sukhi product and why?

I love the Indian braided rugs, we have it in our living room, see picture below :) It fits with everything and it is so soft and comfortable tat I sit on it the whole day haha. You can find it here.

Complete the sentence "With Sukhi..."

With Sukhi is my dream to continue exploring new designs and handmade carpets around the world which we can share and bring to the lucky new owners and homes (with free shipping worldwide). Stay tuned :)

Wo bekommt man die schönen & fairen Teppiche von Sukhi?

Die tollen Teppiche von Sukhi stammen aus Indien, Marokko, Nepal und der Türkei und können ganz easy über den umfangreichen Online-Shop geordert werden. Es gibt eine ziemlich große Auswahl und Ihr habt - wie immer - die Qual der Wahl welches der Kunstwerke vielleicht bald Eure Wohnung schmücken kann. Die verwendeten Techniken bei der Herstellung sind ganz unterschiedlich: geflochten, gestrickt oder gewebt. Ihr könnt in den folgenden Kategorien stöbern und Euch von der Vielfalt beindrucken lassen:

Aus Marokko:

• Beni Ourain Teppiche
   

Aus Nepal:

• Filzkugelteppiche
• Gestrickte Wollteppiche
• Grobe Wollteppiche

Aus der Türkei:

• Patchwork Teppiche

Aus Indien:

• Filz-Wollgarnteppiche
• Flache Webteppiche
• Geflochtene Filzteppiche
• Geflochtene Wollteppiche
• Moderne Orientteppiche (Handgeknüpft oder Handgetuftet)
• Schnitttmuster-Filzteppiche
• Steinteppiche
• Wollschlingteppiche

Schlusswort

Habt Ihr auch Teppiche zu Hause? Wie gefallen Euch die fairen Kunstwerke von Sukhi? In unserem Haus ist noch bisschen Platz ;) Da werd ich doch gleich mal noch ein bisschen stöbern ob ich was Flauschiges finde =)

Liebe Teppich-Grüße
Kerstin

Photo Credit: Sukhi (sofern nicht anders angegeben)

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