Circular urban production

Amalthea & Branding Heritage: the people behind the fabric

Amalthea’s (Ellie Sfika) made-to-order bags each tell a story of people, of natural materials, and of finding use for waste. With consulting company Branding Heritage, she was put in contact with the traditional weavers of Crete, a Greek island, providing her with a whole new source of inspiration.

The companies involved

Amalthea Athens creates bespoke and limited-edition handbags in Greece, treating materials, colours and forms as the starting point for each object's story. Founder Ellie Sfika combines small-scale ethical production, zero-waste thinking and contemporary design with a sustained interest in Greek textile traditions and innovative alternatives such as pineapple-leaf fibre materials.

Branding Heritage is a non-profit organisation by Katerina Frentzou that bridges Greek cultural heritage and contemporary creation. It documents textile artisans, weavers and other makers, builds collaborations with designers and communities, and translates tradition through exhibitions, education and digital tools.

The problem addressed

Ellie is always in search of new and truly unique materials that she can “weave” into a story for her made-to-order bags. Katerina put her in contact with heritage networks on the Greek island of Crete, including weaver Eleni Koukoulaki who creates contemporary interpretations of Greek weaving. The two women traveled to Crete together to meet the artisans and select valuable local materials for Ellie’s creations. This extended an existing dialogue between design and cultural memory, connecting the brand with weaving knowledge and a platform able to make artisan networks visible. Two prototype bags are the tangible result.

Contributed by Cedecs-TCBL.