In this project Love Welcomes partnered with The Edge to create a guitar strap using material salvaged from discarded life vests in Greek refugee camps.

Love Welcomes is a creative social enterprise that helps refugee women begin to stitch their lives back together. Their team of refugee women upcycle materials into beautiful, handmade home products that they sell all over the world.

Arran —

Working alongside Alex Threadgill, we designed a guitar strap that could be easily handcrafted using the reclaimed material. Strips of the bright orange fabric were woven to spell out “Love Welcomes” — the brand’s core message — while The Edge’s name appeared in Morse code on the reverse, along with an embroidered serial number unique to each piece.

It was an incredible experience working with the talented women in the Love Welcomes studio, teaching them how to produce the straps. To date, they’ve crafted and sold more than 1,200 units — each one made with care and meaning.