Sustainability
Our Commitment to Craftsmanship
Our commitment to craftsmanship
All of our shoes and bags are handmade in a small but mighty, family-run factory in Istanbul.
Our team of skilled local artisans and makers have been with us from the start, growing alongside us and passing their skill across generations. Our close working relationship is maintained by regular trips to the factory, and we are forever spellbound by their workmanship.
Watch our video to meet the artisans behind our products and get a closer look at the intricate processes and dedication stitched into each item.
The perfect combination of old and new
All of our kilim shoes and accessories are handmade from repurposed antique kilim rugs that are between 40-100 years old. We work alongside our crafts team in Turkey to source hand weaved kilim rugs that have become unsuitable for normal use, that have imperfections or are worn out in places. These rugs are then cleaned and mended where possible. We cut around the unsalvageable pieces, take the beautiful sections of the rug and give them a new lease of life as they are transformed into shoes and bags.
The majority of rugs are made in Anatolia by Anatolian women for use in their homes, for decorative purposes or as prayer rugs. These rugs are so special, have great tales behind them and often take months to weave. Each pattern, symbol and colour tells a different story, reflects emotion and represents a particular region… we think it would be criminal to throw them away!
The perfect combination of old and new
Slowing it Down
Slowing it Down
At World Secrets, we aim to create products that are classic, timeless yet with a playful twist and always colourful. We aren’t slaves to trends, and we don’t believe in making hundreds of one thing to maybe over produce. It's not sustainable for the environment or for us as a brand. Instead, we produce small quantities of seasonal colours and styles, that will never go into a sale (unless it’s a sample sale!).
Our aim is to produce fashion that can be loved and worn without having a detrimental effect on the environment and the community who produce our items. Our bags especially, we hope can be passed down, and continue their adventure for many years to come.
Materials in Mind
Our Ikat products are made from Ikat Silk, hand weaved in Uzbekistan. Ikat silk is a silk cotton mix and only a small amount of each pattern/colour is produced. We can rarely get the same silk twice, making all our Ikat shoes and sneakers limited edition.
Our Block Print fabrics are handprinted in India, using the ancient art of Block Print. All of our Block Print products are unique, due to the nature of handprinted fabrics and hand mixed dye.
All of our leather is locally sourced and is a by-product of the meat industry. We use the softest, highest quality full grain leather.
We are frequently asked if we will make a shoe with Vegan Leather. We are always striving to minimise our carbon footprint by sourcing local materials that have minimal impact on our environment. Vegan leather is essentially PVC, one of the hardest plastics to breakdown; it’s not durable to work with and can often rub your feet. For these reasons we will have to sit that one out sorry!
Materials in Mind
Through our one-of-a-kind products and limited-edition collections, we create something different, something you haven’t seen before, and something that not everyone else is wearing. We don’t do boring, and fast fashion has no place here… this is what our business belief is built on.
In the words of Vivienne Westwood
“Buy less, choose well, make it last”
