by L'Exception, on December 9, 2022
With the holiday season approaching, L'Exception invites you to discover the ECO X CEPTION brand Paké, which makes gift wrapping an aesthetic and ethical object, the result of Japanese art and French know-how. Coralie Savinel is one of the four co-founders of the brand and introduced us to the Paké philosophy.
Coralie: Adept at zero waste at home, we clicked during Christmas 2018. We found ourselves in a few seconds surrounded by a multitude of torn papers, and we thought it might be nice to spread the word about the furoshiki method in France.
Coralie: The furoshiki is a Japanese folding art, which allows, among other things, to wrap gifts in a simple and pretty way with a fabric that we will reuse later. You can offer the furoshiki as a second gift, or take it back.
Coralie: It's Alice, one of our co-founders, who draws the patterns, and takes us into a colorful and modern universe. You will often find green, nature and organic shapes in our designs. The inspirations vary, but we always have pretty clean designs, and a furoshiki that features an animal.
Also, it's very important to us not to design seasonal patterns (for example: snowmen) because we want to be sure that the furoshiki will be reused all year round, and for all types of occasions!
Coralie: At the very base, Japanese furoshiki was made from used kimonos. It seemed logical to us then to start with 100% recycled material. We chose to make an alloy of recycled cotton, for the grip, and recycled polyester, for the flexibility and the rendering of colors.
The cotton comes from scraps (pre-consumer recycling), or recycled clothing (post-consumer recycling). Polyester comes from recycled plastic waste. Each pake therefore allows the recycling of 2 to 4 plastic bottles depending on its size. Starting next year, we will also use a polyester that comes from recycled clothing, thanks to a French innovation.
Coralie: The weaving workshop, located in the Rhône-Alpes region, operates on renewable energy. We weave widths of 150 meters wide. This width thus allows us to make 2 furoshiki of 75 cm, 3 furoshiki of 50 cm or 1 furoshiki of 50 cm 1 furoshiki of 100 cm. We then get the standard sizes we need to wrap our gifts, avoiding wasting material.
We make our furoshiki next to Lyon, but also in the middle of Lyon, at a partner who has been helping us since this year.
Coralie: For us, it's important to make locally for two reasons especially: First, the reindustrialization of France, and its geopolitical independence. Secondly, the traceability and working conditions of the people who will, in one way or another, participate in the success of Paké. We wouldn't feel comfortable having our pakes made by people we never see, in a workshop we never visit. Also, it would make our work much less rewarding.
Coralie: Concerning gift wrapping, you can use other alternatives such as newspaper, or old sheets too damaged to be used again for anyone, for example. And most importantly, feel free to pick up your furoshiki after you have given your gift. Many of our customers do!"
Adopt Paké's colorful, reusable furoshiki for the holidays. You can find all of Paké's wrapping tutorials and tips on their youtube channel or their instagram.
How did you come up with the idea for Paké?
Coralie: Adept at zero waste at home, we clicked during Christmas 2018. We found ourselves in a few seconds surrounded by a multitude of torn papers, and we thought it might be nice to spread the word about the furoshiki method in France.
Furoshiki, what exactly does it consist of?
Coralie: The furoshiki is a Japanese folding art, which allows, among other things, to wrap gifts in a simple and pretty way with a fabric that we will reuse later. You can offer the furoshiki as a second gift, or take it back.
What is your inspiration for the design of your furoshiki?
Coralie: It's Alice, one of our co-founders, who draws the patterns, and takes us into a colorful and modern universe. You will often find green, nature and organic shapes in our designs. The inspirations vary, but we always have pretty clean designs, and a furoshiki that features an animal.
Also, it's very important to us not to design seasonal patterns (for example: snowmen) because we want to be sure that the furoshiki will be reused all year round, and for all types of occasions!
Making a gift package from recycled bottles sounds pretty amazing. Can you tell us more about the recycling and manufacturing process?
Coralie: At the very base, Japanese furoshiki was made from used kimonos. It seemed logical to us then to start with 100% recycled material. We chose to make an alloy of recycled cotton, for the grip, and recycled polyester, for the flexibility and the rendering of colors.
The cotton comes from scraps (pre-consumer recycling), or recycled clothing (post-consumer recycling). Polyester comes from recycled plastic waste. Each pake therefore allows the recycling of 2 to 4 plastic bottles depending on its size. Starting next year, we will also use a polyester that comes from recycled clothing, thanks to a French innovation.
Can you describe how your weaving workshops work? Where are they located in France?
Coralie: The weaving workshop, located in the Rhône-Alpes region, operates on renewable energy. We weave widths of 150 meters wide. This width thus allows us to make 2 furoshiki of 75 cm, 3 furoshiki of 50 cm or 1 furoshiki of 50 cm 1 furoshiki of 100 cm. We then get the standard sizes we need to wrap our gifts, avoiding wasting material.
We make our furoshiki next to Lyon, but also in the middle of Lyon, at a partner who has been helping us since this year.
Why was it important for you to make your gift packages locally?
Coralie: For us, it's important to make locally for two reasons especially: First, the reindustrialization of France, and its geopolitical independence. Secondly, the traceability and working conditions of the people who will, in one way or another, participate in the success of Paké. We wouldn't feel comfortable having our pakes made by people we never see, in a workshop we never visit. Also, it would make our work much less rewarding.
With the furoshiki, you are encouraging to reduce the consumption of packaging and therefore reduce waste. Would you have any other tips to make zero waste more accessible, especially with the arrival of the holidays where waste is often the watchword?
Coralie: Concerning gift wrapping, you can use other alternatives such as newspaper, or old sheets too damaged to be used again for anyone, for example. And most importantly, feel free to pick up your furoshiki after you have given your gift. Many of our customers do!"
Adopt Paké's colorful, reusable furoshiki for the holidays. You can find all of Paké's wrapping tutorials and tips on their youtube channel or their instagram.
