IKEA launches the caring collection, VÅRDANDE

The new VÅRDANDE collection is inspired by the fundamentals of wellbeing and nourishing oneself. The collection was created in partnership with five social businesses across Asia that are creating a better everyday life through long-term job opportunities and livelihood for vulnerable groups.

The word VÅRDANDE  means caring in Swedish. True to its meaning, the collection includes thoughtfully designed textiles such as bath towels and a kimono, as well as a carrying basket, a soft storage solution, bowls, and plant pots. A large part of the collection is handmade or made in a sustainable industrial set up by the social businesses which IKEA is collaborating with.

Most materials are sourced locally, including natural materials like banana fibers, clay, and jute. Cotton products are made from cotton from more sustainable sources. This means that the cotton we use, compared to conventional farming, is grown with less water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides while increasing profit margins for the farmers. The material is sourced in Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, and India where our partnering social businesses are located. 

VÅRDANDE is a result of the ambition to create job and economic opportunities for those who need them the most. By collaborating with local social businesses, which employ people who have difficulty finding a job in the labor market, everyday life can be improved for many people. And as a result of the collaboration, people are offered handcrafted products created with sustainable materials in IKEA stores around the world.

“With VÅRDANDE, we want to offer the many people a chance to relax and find inner strength. It contains a range of products to help create small changes with significant impacts – both for themselves and those who made them. The collection is created in partnership with the social business Classical (Bangladesh), Ramesh Flowers, Doi Tung (Thailand) and Spun (India), and SAITEX (Vietnam) – five businesses committed to building long-term opportunities for marginalized groups and vulnerable areas”, says Lena Sörmon, Business Leader IKEA Social Entrepreneurship.

• VÅRDANDE translates into being nurturant – caring for someone or something. 

• VÅRDANDE is designed by the IKEA designers Akanksha Deo and Sarah Fager.

• VÅRDANDE will be available at IKEA US stores and online at IKEA-USA.com

*From September 1, 2015, all cotton in IKEA products comes from more sustainable sources (CMSS).  CMSS includes the following schemes: Better Cotton (as defined by BCI, including their equivalence in various geographies), cotton from farmers working towards the BCI standard (TBC) and e3. Read more Our view on cotton

About IKEA

At IKEA, the vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people by offering well-designed, functional and affordable, high-quality home furnishing, produced with care for people and the environment. Ingka Group (Ingka Holding B.V. and its controlled entities) is one of 12 different groups of companies that own and operate IKEA retail under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. Ingka Group has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Ingka Group is a strategic partner in the IKEA franchise system, operating 389 IKEA stores in 32 countries – including 52 retail locations in the U.S.  

For more information on IKEA U.S., see IKEA-USA.com, @IKEAUSANews, @IKEAUSA or IKEAUSA on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest.