IKEA MÄVINN: Unique Handcrafted Home Accessories
This June, IKEA is launching the MÄVINN Collection, a new limited collection that is all about appreciating the artisanal craft and workmanship that goes into making unique accessories for the home.
The MÄVINN collection sings with tactile details and joyful bursts of color that will enrich your home with character. The collection is comprised of cottons, over-run materials from denim production, and natural fibers such as paper made from the bark of mulberry trees, banana fiber, and jute. Most materials are sourced locally in Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The new IKEA collection consists of twenty handmade items that are made together with seven social businesses across Asia that provide long-term opportunities for people from vulnerable groups. The handmade accessories celebrate the traditional craftsmanship of the artisans involved in their creation.
Each product is handcrafted, which means that no two pieces are the same in shape and form. The collection includes baskets, rugs, a lampshade, an apron, bags, cushion covers, a wall organizer, and more.
The Story Behind MÄVINN
The collection designers, Maria Vinka and Paulin Machado, wanted to emphasize craftsmanship and bring the person who made the product to the forefront. This led them to think about the experience of visiting a local craft market: the interesting objects you might find there and the local people selling their crafts.
Every item has the distinctive look and rustic feel of a handpicked item, blending colorful splashes with natural materials through embroidery and woven designs where their handmade nature gives its uniqueness.
Forever in Blue Denim
Denim is a classic that never goes out of style. This durable apron in cool blues is an inventive interpretation of the durable material. It is a sturdy accessory that can be worn in the kitchen, garden, or for crafts that will get better with age and with each wash. Sometimes a classic is a classic for a reason.
Denim that Makes a Difference
One of the ways that the MÄVINN collection stands out is through the bold use of denim in a mish-mash of blue shades. These denim pieces, such as a frayed cushion cover and a wall organizer, are all made from overrun production denim by persons with disabilities at IKEA’s partner Saitex in Vietnam.
Robust and thick, denim is a great material for a handy tote bag. Crafty patchwork detailing adds an authentic touch, while a pocket with a zipper keeps your essentials safe.
Embroidery that Empowers
Dress the table with this elegant table runner in smart dark blue cotton. The serene landscape has been hand embroidered by artisans employed by IKEA’s partner Spun, which empowers women through employment, education, healthcare, and opportunities for their families.
Bold Pops of Color
Our homes are where we can express ourselves, and what’s a better way to do that than experimenting with color and pattern? This handwoven cotton rug instantly injects vitality into our home with its cheerful spectrum. Meanwhile, this cushion cover is boosted with playful patches in warm hues finished with a hand-embroidered trim.
Pure and Simple
With its iconic form made from rustic banana fiber, this lampshade is a statement piece. Braided by artisans at IKEA’s social business partner Ramesh Flowers in India, the long strips of fiber are shaped into a timeless lampshade that will enliven any room. “It’s a chameleon,” says designer Maria Vinka. Light softly flows through the uneven texture.
Ramesh Flowers employs and trains women from rural villages in the production of handmade products using natural materials like banana fiber and waste from food production such as nut shells. It is committed to bringing women from the factory floor into management positions.
Tracing Your Roots
Having things in your home that are rich in personal meaning brings a warm sense of comfort. This mulberry paper wall poster is printed with a blank drawing of a family tree that you can fill with the names of your loved ones, thoughtfully connecting your family history to your everyday.
The paper is made by peeling off the bark from the mulberry tree, which does not damage the tree. The bar is then soaked to remove any impurities and ground into a pulp, which is passed through a screen. Afterward, the sheets are hung up and left to fry.
Where the Heart is..
This rich-toned handwoven cushion cover has a touching feature. It comes with a tiny hand-embroidered heart detail that was added to the final design to provide more jobs for the women artisans employed by IKEA’s partner in India. “The heart emphasizes that it’s made with love, but also that it’s a hand that makes this little heart,” says designer Paulin Machado.
A Little Colorful Around the Edges
Embrace the little details that speckle the home with joy. These bowls, made from braided jute, are finished with hand-embroidered details in rainbow colors, carefully stitched around the rim, or added here and there in vibrant slivers. They are the beautiful work of artisans at IKEA’s partner Classical Handmade Products in Bangladesh.
Sprinkle Some Artisanal Flair
Everyday tasks such as setting the table are made special with decorative accessories such as this soft jute placemat with a fringed edge and characterful woven design. Complete the table with cotton napkins, hand-finished with intricate French knots in vibrant pink, that can be used again and again.
For All Your Trinkets
Whether you’re short on space or the kind of person who is always collecting little knick-knacks, this handing storage basket is the perfect solution. As it’s handwoven from banana fiber, each one has a unique expression. The strong jute strings provide support.
Banana fiber is a durable, renewable material that is made when the fiber from the bark of the banana plant is knotted into long strips of yarn. Artisans then handwave this yarn into products such as baskets and lampshades.
IKEA’s Collaboration with Social Businesses
IKEA has been collaborating with social businesses to create long-term job opportunities and livelihoods since 2012. This effort has expanded to over 11 social businesses worldwide, focusing on creating global products that can be produced in higher volumes, leading to more job opportunities.
MÄVINN is the second global social entrepreneurship collection from IKEA and marks the first annually recurring collection that will go under the name. The collection name “MÄVINN” is an expression of dialect from Småland, where IKEA was founded, and means “having the wind at your back”.
The new MÄVINN collection will be available in stores and online in June