At Manelleh, we love the kantha tradition and its history. Kantha is a century-old way of sewing or embroidery and originated in Bangladesh and India. Originally, the women took their old clothes and sewed them together to make warm blankets for the winter. Today, the Kantha rug is used as a plaid or bedspread, for example. The beautiful colors and patterns make them small unique works of art and they are therefore used as a beautiful decoration in the home. Finally, kantha is a meaningful product because it is about giving new life to something old.

At Manelleh, we value traditional basket weaving. For centuries, crafts and products made by locals, including wickerwork, have been a strong tradition in rural Bangladesh. It can take a woman a whole day to braid a basket (eg a round basket 30B x 30D). In addition to contributing to local employment and maintaining old craft traditions, this very task also helps to maintain the economy and culture of the rural areas.

At Manelleh, we love to upcycle beautiful saris and transform them into new unique, high-quality products. A sari is a piece of fabric that has traditionally been worn by women in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. It can be a heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation and used on special occasions or a cloth worn every day. A sari can be worn in different ways depending on the country, regions and traditions. It comes in an endless variety of colors and patterns. Materials include cotton, silk and other fibers.

At Manelleh, we choose to sell jute products because jute is a good bet for a sustainable material. The fibers from the jute are extracted from the bark of the jute plant and require only very little water, primarily rainwater and possibly a little fertilizer to be grown. The fiber undergoes an extensive processing process before it becomes a finished jute product or piece of fabric. The jute plant is common in India and Bangladesh, and the fiber is also called "The Golden Fiber", due to its shiny golden color.

We choose GOTS certified organic cotton for our products. We do this to ensure that the cotton used for our products really is sustainable. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is the most recognized global standard for processing organic fibers. The standard is supported by an independent third-party certification and is a guarantee of compliance with a wide range of environmental and social criteria throughout the supply chain. Textiles that are GOTS-certified must contain a minimum of 70% certified organic fibers.