SLOW MADE in Indonesia…

With over 17,000 tropical islands to call home, Indonesia is a cultural fascination. From batik to betel nuts and every island culture in between, this region has some of the world's poorest places but so rich with traditions.

Threads of Life work directly with more than 35 artisan groups on islands from Kalimantan to Timor, to help empower and preserve ancient cultures unique to this great archipelago.

IMAGE: The Hinggi is traditionally worn by Sumbanese men with the unique motifs announcing a man’s social status. Photo © Threads of Life.

SLOW MADE in Bali… Make A Scene!

If you’ve been to Bali you will definitely be familiar with the local craftsmanship and beauty of Canang Saris sprinkled all over the island, as daily offerings for the Gods that have been handmade for generations. This traditional connection to Mother Nature and the spiritual world through ceremony with gratitude is the Bali way…

Natural, sustainable and incredible… the artisan team at Make a Scene! in Bali, Indonesia combine traditional craftsmanship with wild imagination to create theatrical designs set to take the world stage, without being wasteful. Meet the talented, local team creating all the magic behind the Island’s larger-than-life scenes…

Image courtesy Juraj Sedlak

SLOW MADE in India: Dabu and woodblock printing

Woodblock printing in India is an old-world trade that still produces mile after mile of beautiful fabrics that could easily wrap the world!

Jeremy Fritzhand is the founder behind Studio Bagru in Rajasthan. He's been collaborating with these traditional artisans for years and is on a mission to help protect and empower these hard-working communities, so that their ancestral craftsmanship never fades. He takes us through the process of this 4000-year-old tradition… one manual woodblock print at a time.

Photo: Namdev Krishi Farm communal drying space in Bagru, India. Photo by Studio Bagru.

AAKS: Akosua Afriyie-Kumi

Meet Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, the gorgeous designer behind fashion label AAKS. She’s taking generations-old weaving tradition from her home country of Ghana, to the fashion world in an explosion of colour, style and authenticity.

We spoke to her about her love of slowmade-by-hand fashion and Ghana … and how she’s combined both loves to create an authentic and loveable brand that stands tall in the modern retail world.

Photo: © courtesy of AAKS.

Slow MadeSHIBUI & Co.July 1, 2019AAKSshibuiandco, culture, cultureconnection

Jake James: Blacksmith

Jake James specialises in architectural and contemporary modern-design forged ironwork, but he knows that everytime he places a piece of steel into an intense flame, he is stepping back into history which is several thousands of years old.

An Englishman now living in Canada, Jake has two decades of award-winning work under his belt, and crafts forged metal not just into a finished product, but into a sensory experience.

Mandy Aftel: Perfume Maker

Mandy Aftel is not your average artisanal perfumer. She is ranked in the top seven of natural perfume makers in the world by Forbes. She was recently invited to collaborate on a ‘multi-sensory’ project led by GOOGLE. Her nose has been appointed to recreate a perfume for a 2000 year old, Egyptian child mummy, and… Leonard Cohan asked her to create a signature perfume for him.

Portrait photo by Foster Curry

Tammy Kanat: Textile Artist

Australian fibre artist Tammy Kanat lets colour, shape and mood dictate her fabulous hand-woven pieces. After 12 years as a jewellery designer, Tammy fell in love with art at the opposite end of the size spectrum and now her wall art has made its way around the world.

Slow MadeSHIBUI & Co.March 24, 2019shibuiandco, meetthemaker, australia, traditional, artisan, textile, tammykanat, fibre, artist, melbourne

Jacopo De Michelis: Venice, Italy

DESTINATION Venice. Bellissimo Venice! The city of islands that is tidal and although a heritage-listed site potentially sinking onto Unescos’ in-danger list, Venice still remains a favourite bucket list destination to photograph at least once in a lifetime.

IMAGE: Gondola in the fog, Venice, Italy.

Thomas Bexon: Surfboard Shaper

We interview surfer and surfboard shaper Thomas Bexon from Thomas Surfboards in Noosa Heads, who shares his true-blue connection with Australia's world-renowned surf culture and the art of designing surfboards for all walks and waves.

Image: Ben Osborne Photo

Pamakane Pico: Aloha a Lei, Hawaii

LOVE is in the air and at the heart of Polynesian traditions. And what connects the Pacific Islands across the ocean so beautifully is the flower chain ‘lei’. Floral and lei artist Pamakane Lehua Pico shares the art of this aloha custom from her home in Hawaii.

Qi Fairtrade Tea: Xiaxi, China

In the mountainside village of Xiaxi, China, tea is being handpicked by local farmers as it has been since the Song Dynasty, over one thousand years ago. In the 21st century, the tea is making its way to the rest of the world: the only hint as to its history in the richness of its taste.

Slow MadeSHIBUI & Co.January 29, 2019tea, china, qi, fair trade, fairtrade

Zoe Bradley: Paper Scaper

Zoe Bradley’s hand-sculpted, paper installations are attracting global attention with luxe brands infusing the retail market with her intoxicatingly beautiful paper scapes.

SHIBUI & Co. HQ

AWARD WINNER 2021: ‘Best slow travel curation agency, australia.’ (business excellence awards, Acquisition International, UK)

award WINNER 2020 ‘Best Cultural Tourism Publisher’ (business excellence awards, Acquisition International, UK)