With a nostalgia for the past and a modernity of the future, The Yard offers a unique shopping experience into the world of design. Specialising in recycled vintage and eclectic pieces from upcoming designers and rooted with a recycling ethic, The Yard gathers beautifully designed pieces, many creatively made from reused material and reclaimed fabrics, from all over and packages them in charming recycled products.
Run by designers, The Yard also produces limited edition pieces and custom stationary, in addition to other graphic design services. Khaleejesque got together with Ala'a Ali Redha, Co-founder of the Yard to know more about this distinctive eco-friendly online boutique.
What made you want to start the "Yard"?
My business partner, Danah Behbehani, and I decided to start The Yard because we always found it exciting to discover unique items or find ones that are designed so creatively and we wanted to share these discoveries with everyone. Also having just completed a challenging course in St. Martins and moving back from London made us look for an outlet for our passion, and so we wanted to take-on a new and hope-fully long-lasting 'project' and that's how The Yard came about.
What makes the "Yard" different than other online stores?
I think the main feature that makes The Yard unique is that most of our items are either hard to find/limited or unique. For example, the trinkets necklaces we carry are made from vintage watches so even if we carry a number of them, naturally no two are exactly alike. In addition to this, most of our items are either made from recycled materials/are recyclable or made from organic materials. We also try to collaborate with many of our suppliers adding our own touches and making the experiences more personal and the items unique to our shop. We also design entire items ourselves, like the sim-card holder, and sometimes integrate our graphic design skills with some items such as the 'Picture Me Perfect' Makeup Bags.
What made you take the eco-friendly/recycled route to products?
While studying in London, we fell in love with Kraft paper which is used almost abundantly there, and just thought how beautiful this simple paper is or can be with minimal touches (such as black ribbon), and from this simple paper and our love for vintage items, came the idea to carry an eco-friendly shop. I think design should always be forward-thinking and we think recycling is definitely a way forward. In addition to this, as graphic designers, we realise that a lot of paper is wasted in either sample or wrong prints and so we try to make up for it by recycling this paper and limiting our packaging to recycled paper.
Do you feel there is a demand in Kuwait or regionally for these kinds of products?
We've been in business for almost a year now and we've had some amazing feedback. I think one of the main reasons is exclusivity. Many of our items are limited and I think people in Kuwait and in the region in general like owning items that are limited or difficult to find. In addition to this, many new mothers now try to get their childrens' items in natural materials and so items like our baby plates which are made from 100% recycled, 100% recyclable, medical-grade, high purity, 5 polypropylene have also received great feedback.
The Yard has graciously offered to sponsor our Earth Week competition and are offering two lucky readers a prize from their esteemed collection of products:
– Men's prize: Mr.Rabbit Pocket Watch
– Women's prize: Treasured Trinkets Necklace
To get a chance to win, please answer the following question:
What is the only material that never wears out and can be recycled forever?
(a) Paper
(b) Glass
(c) Plastic
(d) Aluminium
Post your answer in the comments Section below!
Competition is open to Readers residing in the Arab Gulf countries (KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman)
For more information on the Yard, check out their website or follow them on Twitter
