Seek & Swoon
Location | Portland, OR
Category | Textiles
Founder | Jala Smith-Huys
American Made
Seek & Swoon | Story
Jala Smith-Huys launched Seek & Swoon in 2015 after a career in journalism, public relations, graphic design, and a creative director. Her honesty about being afraid to take the leap and start her own brand is refreshing. She spent two months traveling around Europe with her husband and two sons and returned with a vision to preserve her travel memories with the coziest knit throws.
Seek & Swoon | How it’s Made
Believe it or not it all starts with recycled plastic bottles, that are shredded into flakes and melted. At the same time there is also an abundance of apparel factory scraps that are sorted by color and shredded into fiber. Those two processes are blended to create recycled yarn which is what Seek & Swoon uses to create gorgeous knit throws. According to a study by Gail Baugh at San Francisco State University, recycled cotton uses less water, chemicals, dyes and energy than organic cotton.
They have partnered with a second generation, family-owned knitting mill in the USA that’s just as committed to comfort, quality and design as they are. When you buy from Seek & Swoon not only are you helping a small business thrive you are also keeping manufacturing jobs in the US, which are becoming less and less common.
Seek & Swoon | Why they Matter
I am personally drawn to how much Jala cares about her community. She is always finding ways to lift up and partner with other local businesses. She is willing to lend a hand to someone starting a business and shares little snippets of her life on Instagram which just make me love her even more. She organized and ran a fundraising for the Oregon wildfire relief efforts, and donates $10 from the sale of every Hope Throw to organizations that support breast and ovarian cancer research and cures.
Seek & Swoon | How to Use & Style
I was initially drawn to Seek & Swoon for the bold and simple geometric patterns. Clean lines and colors are a staple of modern design and these knit throws will instantly level up any room in your home. I like to find colors that compliment my bedroom, living room and guest room so I can freshen things up just by switching and moving things around. Perfect on the back of the couch, foot of the bed or draped over your favorite basket by the fireplace.
Seek & Swoon | Gift Ideas
Baby Shower
Custom wedding throw, especially if you know the color palette of the wedding
Comfort for a sick friend or family member
Housewarming
Custom corporate gifts (who really needs another water bottle?)
Of course a great holiday or birthday gift
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