What makes a good gift? Context

Smart customers understand contextualisation and if a gift isn’t on-brand it loses its value and sentiment. What often happens is that the best gifts are those so uniquely indicative of brands and their messaging, that they demand rather than find a place within a gift catalogue. One such example for a home-sharing client of ours? Simple. A blanket.

For many of us a blanket was our first gift, the very essence of safety and comfort. How many children cling to them-wear them down over the years with love? A centrepiece of any home, it quickly became apparent that one would need to be sourced and designed from scratch to make it that bit more special.

The most important task at hand was finding a supplier, someone who understood the essential importance of the blanket, and practiced the care so integral to both us and the client. We wanted a company that didn’t mass produce, that prioritised the sourcing of raw materials and would be a long-term partner. The solution presented itself close to home in Cushendale Woolen Mills, Kilkenny, Ireland.

Boasting a lineage of three hundred years dating all the way back to 1700, the family business now rests in the well-practiced hands of Philip and Mary Cushen. Every blanket is made with considerable care. From the selection of wools Cushendale offers, we chose the 100% lambswool for its pride of place in Irish wares. Colours were pantone-matched and shaded using the brand’s palette. The blankets were spun, dyed and woven in the Cushendale workshop. The finishing touches were made by hand, but we’ll let the video tell you the rest.