Beenybud: Made for you with love in Jamaica, West Indies

First established in 1972 in Gordon Town, Jamaica, Beenybud, a small, family-owned company, partners with artisans and community groups around the island to produce beautifully handmade gifts for the home and the heart. Their straw collection is handmade by mostly rural women who specialize in locally-sourced, sustainable natural fibers & traditional weaving methods but who have also embraced a modern design approach that makes our items unique.

Their collection includes:

·         Handbags & hats

·         Placemats, table accessories & storage items

·         Fiber art

·         Doormats, area rugs & floor cushions

Preserving Heritage:

Beenybud is committed to Jamaica and their artisans.

·         Jamaica has a rich heritage of natural fiber weaving dating back hundreds of years. Passed on from generation to generation, these weaving skills were at one time highly-prized and the only source of income for many families. Unfortunately, globalization trends in the 1990s meant that cheap, imported craft items often replaced the locally-made products and the industry went into decline.

·         With a renewed interest in natural, handmade artisanal products, Beenybud set out in 2018 to work with straw and thatch artisans to design and produce products that honor this heritage, but also to use more contemporary designs to suit the tastes of local and international consumers.

·         Beenybud is also involved in the planning of a future project to research and archive historical information on weaving in Jamaica for cultural preservation

Using Sustainable Materials:

Beenybud’s artisans use locally-sourced natural fibers and often grow and process the raw materials themselves or buy them from neighboring small farmers. Some of the fibers that they  use are:

·         Jippi Jappa straw (similar to the fiber used in “Panama Hats”)

·         Thatch

·         Coconut fronds

·         Banana bark

·         Wicker

·         Khus Khus grass (vetiver)

Beenybud also locally-sources other natural elements for their handbags and home items such as:

·         Cedar or Blue Mahoe wood-carved handles and tray/trivet inserts

·         Palm and donkey eye beads for bag handles

·         Upcycled cow horn and conch shells for bag embellishments

Developing Talent:

Beenybud is proud to collaborate with about 50 of the most talented artisans on the island. Most of these artisans are women from rural communities who are all self-taught or have learnt from their mothers and fathers skills that seem to not only cross generations but continents too.

In 2018, Beenybud benefitted from a training program headed by Ecuadorean designer Ana Baquero and funded by Sandals Foundation to introduce new skills and design methodology to weavers and other artisans. This was the spark that relaunched Beenybud and led to their first collection.

Beenybud values their relationships with their artisans to be their greatest asset and they invest in these relationships through close contact, fair terms and ongoing design and training projects.

In Jamaica we say “give thanks” when we feel the grace of others who appreciate our hard work and talents. It’s also a way to recognize the blessings of a higher power, the divine all around us and of course a little good luck. Beenybud always “gives thanks” to their customer for their interest in their company and  products which are made for you with love in Jamaica, West Indies.

Check our the Beenybud collection at The Collective 876 (Shop 8) at Main Street Rose Hall, Montego Bay.  They are the perfect gift for yourself or loved one!

Main Street Rose Hall supports Jamaican made products. #BuyJamaicaEmployJamaicans!

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