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ESTILA TALKS are short conversational sessions with founders of independent designer brands and artists as well as industry experts sharing the stories that matter.
Reshaping the way we shop with Vigour and Skills
Cotswold locals Clement and Beatrice wanted to find a way to showcase the work of their neighbouring creative communities, celebrating their craftsmanship and helping share their stories with customers across the country. Now a nationwide operation, Vigour and Skills has built a community of expert makers whose wares are stocked on the site, from hand-thrown ceramics to travel accessories and fine jewellery.
Most importantly, customers have access to behind-the-scenes interviews with makers, directed by Clement himself, which tell intimate stories of how each item on the website has come to life. Storytelling, traceability and transparency are an essential part of the Vigour and Skills experience. By empowering customers to make informed choices about what they buy, Beatrice, Clement and the Vigour and Skills team are helping to reshape how we shop.
Vigour and Skills is a community of makers with shared values of sustainability, longevity and enduring quality. They are proud to stock meticulously crafted items made from sustainably sourced materials.
As the founders say, “We hold ourselves to account by partnering with makers who work to the highest environmental standards. By choosing Vigour and Skills, customers are helping to re-shape the way we shop as a society and celebrating process over mass production.”
“As a community of makers we want to show customers the more sustainable ways of shopping and consumption.”
In comparison to other marketplaces, Vigour & Skills proudly shares every stage of the makers’ creative process with customers. Detailed bios and behind-the-scenes videos open the door to the world of creatives and their crafts.
By documenting the makers’ slow production process from beginning to end, customers can see exactly how their items have come to life.
Offering highly personalised shopping experience, they connect customers with the makers, so they can see every step of the creative process. By shopping with Vigour & Skills, customers also help to support the network of suppliers the makers work with.
Many items are made-to-order so customers receive something truly unique to them. The objects are created with love and the upmost attention to detail, making them truly individual and special. Every piece they stock has been thrown, painted, woven, spun, whittled, blown or dyed in its own unique way.
Everything from Vigour & Skills is sure to spark a conversation – and every conversation helps to preserve the makers’ crafts.
One of the projects and new relationships they are most excited about growing and supporting is joining forces with the incredible team at The Amber Foundation. The Amber Foundation is a charity that works tirelessly to help homeless, unemployed young people from the ages of 17-30 who are in need to move on to a positive independent future.
Family break down, drug abuse, mental health, bad decisions are only some of the reasons that can redirect a young person’s life in to an abyss of difficulties that can be hard to move on from. The Amber foundation has created a number of centres across the UK that can support, train in areas and encourage young people to find strength and inspiration to move on and up with their lives to secure work, housing and a bright future.
They currently donate 5% proceeds from every sale to the Amber Foundation. Their next plan is to start working on a series of tailor-made workshops with some of their makers, who hope to inspire and support the young lives.
Makers from Vigour & Skill will be visiting the Amber locations across the country to tell their story, how they inspired and supported themselves and teach their crafts.
From these workshops they will be developing unique collections, created by members of the Amber programme, where customers will be able to purchase their products and know that all proceeds go directly to foundation.
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