mums_news_MAY2016

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COLLECTION / MUM’S STORY / FAIR DESIGN & MATERIALS / FLOWERDROPS CHARITY
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THE STORY OF MUM’S
By Anna Akhmetova
Mum’s is a small design
company based in Finland
which sells textiles, home
decor items and jewellery
within the country and
abroad. The products are
designed in Finland in cooperation
with some of the
best designers and artists
in the region and produced
by skilled artisans in Bolivia,
South Africa, India and
Cambodia according to the
principles of fair trade.
Outi Puro is a designer,
an artist, the founder
and the heart of Mum’s. It
all started several years ago
when Outi was working as
a sculptor and doing her
communal art project. The
project consisted of a series
of baking performances.
One of them, “52 Sundays”,
included Outi baking buns
at home with her kids
and at Helsinki railway
station. Another performance,
called “Baking for
my long lost friend” lead
her to Africa in 2006 to
bake buns for her long
lost African friend Diane.
With the help of Diane,
Outi travelled around
Africa and met local craftsmen
and artists. She was
inspired by their culture
and their works and also
realized that they were in
the same situation as she
was - trying to combine
creative work and family.
Many of the craftsmen
she met were women with
children trying to balance
work with taking care of
their families. This lead
Outi to an idea of a collaboration,
and she designed
bags which women in
Africa could make for her
art project. Over the years,
this art project turned into
a sustainable design company
employing over 40
people, with Outi being in
charge of the collection.
Mum’s slogan is
“making good with goods.”
The company works in
close cooperation with the
craftsmen and takes into
account their needs. The
craftsmen, for example, can
work from home, which
eliminates travel costs,
saves on childcare expenses
and allows more people to
join the workforce. Working
for Mum’s improves
the quality of their lives
and creates many new
opportunities for them and
their children, who now
have the possibility
to
g o
t o
Hi, I’m Outi, mum of
Mum’s!
Take a look what has
happened to Mum’s since
the beginning from the
timeline below!
school and learn how to
read and write. You can
read interviews with the
craftsmen on page 4.
Mum’s products
are simple, joyful, and
functional, in the best
traditions of minimalistic
Scandinavian design. What
distinguishes them among
other high quality Scandinavian
interior products
is the touch of authentic
ancient handicraft culture
of countries like Bolivia,
South Africa, India and
Cambodia. Each design is
adjusted to the techniques
of the artisans in the areas
where these items are produced,
and all products are
handmade, making them
truly unique. Outi works
in collaboration with such
renowned designers as Anu
Penttinen, Susanna Vento,
Maija Louekari, Saana ja
Olli, Heath Nash, Haldane
Martin, and Reetta Ahola,
and carefully picks and finetunes
each product design
herself. The creation of
a new collection is a long
process. A product starts
out from a Nordic-inspired
design, goes through several
changes and adjustments
to fit the techniques of the
craftsmen, and finishes as a
beautiful and ecologically
sustainable product, made
with joy and love.
Mum’s not only aims
to improve the lives of
people in distant locations,
but also serves the Finnish
community by organizing
happenings and local charity
events. Since 2011, in
cooperation with other designers
and NGOs, Mum’s
has been organizing the
Flowerdrops project - an
art event, which promotes
ecological sustainability and
donates all the profits to
charity. You can read more
about it on pages 24-25.
Mum’s was born in 2006 while Outi and her family went to
Africa. These children are happy to go to school. And their
parents are even happier to be able to provide them the possibility
to go to school and learn things. Most of MUM’s
handicrafters cannot read or write, because they did not
have a chance to go to school as kids.
YES!
2006.
The beginning - Africa.
2 0 0 9 .
Mum’s toys are designed in
Scandinavia by best of professionals-
kids!
2 010 .
Mum’s gym ball won Playful interior
design competition Habitare
Finland.
2 015 .
Doing more good than ever!
2 0 0 7.
Designed in Finland handmade
in Africa, from surplus material.
2 010 .
Flowerdrops charity project
by Mum’s began.
2 013 .
Mrs. President Jenni
Haukio wearing a brooch
by Mum’s.
39 40