Up Close and Personal with Roterfaden

I had the honor to visit Roterfaden headquarter in the city of Saarbrücken last week to meet Beate, the owner of Roterfaden and see a glimpse of behind the scene. We have been representing Roterfaden for 5 years (where did the time go by??) at Baum-kuchen and have always really appreciated working with the Roterfaden team because they are so thorough and thoughtful in their working relationship.

After spending a day with Beate and talking everything from family life, business operation, to what's next for Roterfaden, I came home feeling energized and confident with our BK studio motto, "first and foremost, we are personally in love with what we share at Baum-kuchen not only the artifacts but also people who are behind those artifacts ". I always thought this was very important for us but now... more than ever, I feel incredibly strong about it.

What makes Roterfaden so authentic, beautiful, and innovative? From our conversation, I learned Beate is a designer and a conscientious business owner. I saw so many evidence that she tinkers, creates, and prototypes her ideas rigorously. And I understood that the smart clip system and holistic branding of Roterfaden have been her true labor of love. I also really appreciate that she works with a network of artisans to make Roterfaden come alive. There are so many creatives behind every component of the Roterfaden and Beate personally works with each one of them to ensure the quality of each Roterfaden cover is the best it can be while the process continues to support other small businesses of makers and creatives.

Her passion for sourcing materials locally is also a differentiator for Roterfaden. She is keen on ensuring that Roterfaden is produced most sustainably. This philosophy touches from where she gets her materials to using each material most consciously without sacrificing her design. She is constantly hunting for a new idea of using recycled materials such as nylon fabric that is harvested from unused high-quality tents. (Have you seen the ST_17 Roterfaden cover which uses the upcycled tent materials??)

During our day together, we started discussing the ideas for our future collaborations. Yes. Beate and I made a huge creative mess in their back room!! And I think that's what it takes to pursue a raw idea together. Being there with open mindedness, talking about what we each believe in, playing with materials in our hands, sketching, and laughing together. I can't wait to share some of the ideas to come true in the near future. For now... I hope you enjoy a little snipets of my Roterfaden visit on our YouTube channel!