Visiting Marije at The Domestic Botanist

I find owner Marije Hellwich in her shop, just about to head out the door to buy some new yarn. The designer says that she finds it hard to close up shop when she needs to head out for a few minutes. “You never know which potential client might end up being in front of your closed door”, Marije explains.

Studio and clothing store

The Domestic Botanist opened up on the Jansveld in the heart of Utrecht in april 2017. Here you can find a design studio and clothing store in one. “I think it’s a shame that a lot of people don’t know the story of the designer behind a garment. Now I’ve combined the two: I offer a platform for other designers in my store and I can work on my own garments in the design studio,” the designer explains.

Ethical and vegan

Marije doesn’t just put everything she designs on the racks. She makes the design and hands over production to an external party, as is also the case with her newest collection. The production of her designs is done locally in Utrecht. She also makes sure her collections are produced in an ethically responsible way, which means that everyone that works on her designed is treated fairly. The designers that are featured in her store are all independent. Apart from clothing, there’s also accessories and bags available, made of vegan leather. This is fake leather that is produced without damaging the environment

Nice brands for a good price

I think Marije’s store is put together nicely for the limited space available; beautiful and efficient. The gorgeous bags by brand BAGGU immediately caught my eye. These bags have a simple and minimalistic design, with some of the bags adorned with cool patterns. There’s a creative team behind these bags, who reside in New York. They started in 2007 with designs for stylish grocery shopping bags. The bags are not only cute, but also not too expensive. That’s something that makes my wallet quite happy! Got curious from reading this article? The Domestic Botanist is definitely worth a visit!

Jansveld 49 | thedomesticbotanist.com | Facebook

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