///EXPO SUSTAINABLE LUXURY

Rob van den Dool & Stephan Zeijlemaker, two Amsterdam based entrepreneurs and owners of Yumeko are presenting sleeping products:

1. What is your story behind your product? We found out that the products people sleep on and under in bed are actually rather harmful for both environment and society; because of the way they are produced and the materials that are used. We also found out that in the market there are no brands that offer organic sleeping products that are high quality, beautiful and affordable. That is why we started Yumeko. A new brand in ecolicious bedding.

We made a quest around the world for the best organic and fairtrade materials and put together a beautiful collection of sleeping products: duvets, pillows and bedlinnen of the highest quality.

2. What are your values of luxury? Our values of luxury are high quality, beauty, tranquillity, indulgence, softness, exclusivity, honesty

3. Where do you find inspiration? We find inspiration beautiful things around us that make us happy because of the way they look and feel. We love brands that are honest and optimistic; brands that make us feel better; brands and products that create surprises in small places; products that are both innovative and useful; products that create a unique user experience; products that are made with love and care.

4. How and why do you engage in apects of sustainability in your design (what kind of materials/how do you produce)? Sustainability is at the core of our Yumeko products and company. We believe that companies have a crucial role to play in making things better in the world. Only by offering customers a high quality eco alternative, that is both affordable as well as attractive, can we convince consumers that ‘going green’ is both easy and worthwhile. That is our dream: to change the world while sleeping.

Most of the Yumeko products are made of certified natural organic fabrics and materials that do not have a negative impact on the environment or animals.

We only accept the highest certification standards( GOTS - Global Organic Textile Standard - and Fairtrade) that guarantee both ecological and fairtrade aspects of the whole production chain: both the production process of materials, as well as the manufacturing process of products.

We know where all our products come from and how they are made. For instance our pillows are manufactured in a studio for disabled and handicapped people; the cotton for our exclusive bedlinnen comes from a certified farmers collective in India; the wool comes from organic sheep in France and the kapok comes from trees in Indonesia.

Of course Yumeko also maintains the highest standards in the way we package our products and the way we run our office.

5. What does sustainability/luxury mean for you as a designer? Both sustainability and luxury are at the heart of our Yumeko brand and products. For some people this seems like a contradiction, combining eco materials and luxury; but the quality of organic materials has risen strongly in the last years.

This has enabled us to produce a collection of Yumeko products of the very highest quality; fabrics and fillings with a luxury feel which invite us to indulgence; and which make our bedroom look absolutely fantastic.

The fact that all Yumeko materials are ecological does not make us sleep better; but it certainly makes us feel better.

6. What does sustainability/luxury mean for you as a consumer? For us as a consumer sustainability/luxury means that the basic function of the product has to be met, as well as the ‘feel good factor’ before you consider the eco alternative. Where for instance packaging for food is concerned, luxury does not play a role, but functionality does.

For sleeping products this means that pillows, bedlinnen and duvets should first be high quality and good price; nice and comfortable; that you should sleep well; and that materials and fabrics have a great luxury feel to it. But if an eco product were available on those terms, we should certainly consider buying the alternative.

This is exactly where Yumeko fits in.

7. What does sustainability/luxury mean for you in general? In general we are convinced that the luxury sector should lead the way towards a more sustainable future.

There has to be a range of viable alternatives before consumption can actually shift a whole sector towards producing in a more sustainable way; before we reach a tipping point. The green (r)evolution can only happen first if companies start making ecoluxury products - so consumer can buy them. The sustainable green variant has to be at least as good, appealing and affordable as its conventional counterpart.

The process is therefore supply-driven by producers and not demand-driven by consumers. The luxury sector is more able to create consciousness among consumers than low-interest products. We at Yumeko therefore believe that companies and business-executives should take their responsibility and take the lead in making their business more sustainable.

8. What is your future vision on design and sustainability? The Yumeko vision on design and sustainability is that if we are able to engage all people – the world can witness a green (r)evolution, making it a better place for the future of our children.

To engage people and convince them to turn the wheel, sustainable products and services need to be as good as other products, but be more appealing as well. Design has a large role in forming consumer preferences; therefore designers should use this vision as a starting point in everything they do.

At Yumeko we have tried to make every product feel as a present; a gift which makes you happy. This is all in the design - of our pure white fabrics, our packaging, our brand, the look and feel of our photography.

Things we like to do: Read, travel, sail, kids, sleep..