Celebrating cultures around the world!
Over the years, we have established lasting partnerships with artisans and their families in five countries around the world. We feel it is a great honor that the creators of the motifs value the Ethnotek brand equally and that we are allowed to incorporate their traditional handmade textiles into functional bags and backpacks. Our shared desire is to celebrate cultural diversity and give local crafts a global stage.
Ethno - tek
Ethnotek is the combination of two terms: ethnology and technology.
[Ethno]
Ethnology - a branch of anthropology that deals with the analysis of cultures, especially their historical development and the similarities and differences.
[Tek]
Technology - the study and development of techniques, tools and machines created by humans. Technology makes it possible to further develop the known physical elements.
Threads™:
All Raja backpacks can be customized using the removable front panel, called Thread™. Each Thread™ is made with a handcrafted fabric sourced directly from the artisans. We are constantly traveling the world to find motifs and people that represent the vibrancy and beauty of traditional textile making.
You'll find new Threads™ regularly, so you can update the look of your Raja backpack without having to buy a completely new backpack.
Boosting demand:
Unfortunately, nowadays traditional motifs are too often simply reprinted industrially. Usually without asking the creators of the motifs for permission or understanding the cultural significance of the motifs. We condemn this form of cultural appropriation, observed in major sports and fashion brands, and would like to show how it can be done better:
Together with the artisans, we want to stimulate the demand for traditional textiles in order to improve the living conditions in the partner villages with an ethically sound product.
Cultural diversity:
The last and most important part of our mission is to spread the idea that we should celebrate each other's differences more often. With an Ethnothek bag you show your appreciation for different cultures from the tribes of Yunnan Province to the subways of New York City. From the ghats of Varanasi to the cafes of Paris. That's why we see our bags as a flag of cosmopolitanism! To recognize the specialness of incredible cultural diversity, we should learn about other cultures and understand their history. "Even if we travel all over the world to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, otherwise we will not find it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson.