The story

Remember that hand-knit sweater that your grandma made for you?

The wool came from the neighbor’s farm. You still have it and you always will, because it will last a lifetime.

We are pretty impressed by your grandma’s skills, so we started Koldbath Craft Kollektiv – a cooperative that values ancient wisdom, creative Energy and backyard resources (i.e. sheep, we’re really into them).

Koldbath Craft Kollektiv has a unique approach to business and fashion. From where we are standing, business is an opportunity to create societal change by working in alignment with our values.

“What values?” you ask. We believe in both creative and economic inclusion – that everyone is a creative being at their core and has the right to generate an income by being themselves. We believe in traditional wisdom and local resources – that the solutions to today’s challenges have existed for millennia and we are able to access them through connection with the people who hold them and the Earth.

We are extreme self-reliance. We look to each other and Earth for support, protection and guidance. And what we’ve found is traditional wisdom and wool, up-cycled silk and sewing. And (despite the rumors about cold Swedes) warmth.

THE KOLLEKTIV

exists to harness and showcase the valuable global skills that receiving countries benefit from during migration.

We operate as a co-creation space where everyone and their experiences are valuable. We connect and share, and from this place we design products.

We bring together two, otherwise unlikely-to-meet, groups of women - migrants and grandmas. In doing so we build networks, friendships, language exchanges, skills, jobs and integration.

THE FOUNDERS

“4/5 newcomer women remain unemployed for their first 7 years in Sweden. We didn’t want to become a statistic.”

— Koldbath Founders

Cara Boccieri

has a background as an expert in conflict and migration. She worked for organizations like the U.N. and Red Cross as a researcher and policymaker with a focus on holistic and human-centered approaches. Cara is now a social entrepreneur and founder of the Co-creation fashion movement - connecting artisans in remote refugee situations with fashion designers around the world.

Audrey Baba

worked as a fabric and leather buyer for luxury houses in Paris such as Hermès, Chloé, and Mugler. She is a certified leathercraft artisan and started her entrepreneurial journey with Babatan, an accessory brand focusing on crafters in Africa. Audrey loves bringing ancestral know-how and timeless designs together while using local and available resources.