We at “The Green Side Of Pink” have had the opportunity to participate in the 2020 edition of the White Show, in Milan: one of the most renowned appointments of the Milanese Fashion Week, full of interesting ideas and disseminating important messages. This year White Show had a high percentage of sustainable brands, which presented their collections to buyers and the press. Among the brands we talked to – and that impressed us the most – is “Wood’d”.
“Wood’d” is a brand of objects and accessories for smartphones, founded in 2012 by two brothers from Busto Arsizio: Andrea and Stefano Aschieri, heirs of an industrial wood shop, the one graduated in Fashion Business from the Marangoni Institute, the another graduated from the Italian Institute of Photography.
The main goal of the brand is to eliminate plastic, which is too often used to create objects that are present every day on our desks or in our hands. The material chosen by “Wood’d” is wood, which has the good fortune of being: renewable, because if the harvest is controlled, no human intervention is required to regrow the trees; sustainable, because its life cycle is zero-emission; and flexible, because it has no creative limits.
Among the objects that we have had the opportunity to touch with our hands together with Stefano, one of the two founders of Wood’d, there are the biodegradable covers. Made with natural starches and fibers, once their life cycle is over, they can be thrown in the wet or in compostame (a material that derives from the composting process of organic waste), and then be disposed of in 48 months. Even the packaging of the covers is “recyclable”: it turns into a desk stander on which to place your smartphone, tablet, and so on and so forth.
Stefano explained to us that Wood’d defines itself as a “premium utility” brand, aimed at redefining the concept of “useful”, leading the consumer to buy telephony or household items while respecting the environment, rather than buying them in department stores or online. We deepened the discussion: you can find out what he told us by reading the interview below!
How did the idea of founding “Wood’d” come about? What was the creative process that led you to say “yes, let’s do it”?
The idea was born in 2012, and has gained more strength since 2013. WOOD’D’s mission has always been to propose a selection of accessories for technology, and more, that were of quality, fun and sustainable . The products in our catalog are often considered as “utilities”, or accessories for everyday use without great value. But we, playing on design, quality materials and many collaborations, try to give another meaning to this category of products.
Each piece of your collections is unique, made of wood and respecting the environment: what is behind the creation of a cover?
Our wooden covers are produced internally in our workshops near Milan. We start from the selection of the wood, using certified materials, and then we sand, laser cut, inlay and paint. It is a real artisan process.
Right from the start, you decided to focus everything on sustainability: how does “Wood’d” preserve the environment? What does it actually do to avoid waste and produce eco-friendly?
The sustainability issue is part of many processes, and the first concerns the choice of materials, from wood to the new biodegradable materials we are using now. On wood there is often the belief that it cannot be considered sustainable, as it comes from trees, without considering that woodworking has practically no energy impact compared to plastics and other materials. In addition, all our business partners have a totally environmentally friendly forestation policy. Another aspect we focus on a lot is to promote sustainable lifestyles through fun design products. An example of this are our new foldable bags: a fashion, fun and sustainable alternative to disposable plastic bags.
On the brand’s website there is also a blog where you often talk about important issues, such as the environment or the excessive use of plastic. Do you think this could raise awareness among younger consumers?
Absolutely yes! We have seen an increase in interest and awareness in recent years, both from our customers and from resellers. Today we are all much more informed and attentive and we really care that what we buy truly respects the environment. For this reason, for our part, it is very important to communicate to our customers all the sustainable practices that characterize WOOD’D.
Specifically, what do you think the fashion industry can do to change things in terms of sustainability?
There are really an infinity of operations that can be done, and in recent months we have seen several of them every day. The most interesting, in my opinion, do not only concern the use of sustainable materials but also the re-entry into the market of used products and the incredible boost that vintage is having. We talk very often about materials and production processes but too little often about the life cycle that a product could and should have.
What is in the future of “Wood’s”?
Lots of news! We will continue on the path followed in recent months, diversifying even more and introducing new product categories. The goal is to bring the WOOD’D experience, made of illustration, sustainability and natural materials, to new products and gift ideas. So, keep your eyes open!
