Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Neat to know ~ Feature of the week
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Bas Timmer’s SHELTERSUIT
A designer’s innovative spirit and big heart give comfort to the homeless
Bas Timmer (left) with a man in the UK wearing the Sheltersuit
Photo credit: Tony Dočekal
2021-02-07
Homelessness is a complicated problem with no quick fixes. It is found all over the world.
A young designer in the Netherlands named Bas Timmer was personally affected by homelessness when the father of a dear friend died of hypothermia while living on the streets. (Hypothermia occurs in cold conditions when the body loses more heat than it can produce.)
Timmer knew he and other caring people could not solve the problem of homelessness immediately. But he decided that as solutions were being worked on, he would help out by offering people shelter and a bit of comfort as they battled the elements while living and sleeping “rough.” Since he was a fashion designer, he figured out how to harness his specific skills and talents in the crusade to aid the homeless.
Timmer had already been specializing in the design of outdoor apparel. He thought about the specific needs of people living outdoors in the cold Dutch winters. Building on his existing expertise, he created the “Sheltersuit.”
About Bas Timmer and his Sheltersuit concept
- Bas Timmer is 30 years old, born in the Netherlands. He created Sheltersuit when he was in his mid-twenties.
- Timmer’s parents, who had both been in the textile business themselves, encouraged him from the outset. He says that his mother told him to “follow his heart,” despite the trepidation he felt starting something that no one had ever done before.
- When he first thought about how to design for the homeless, he considered hoodies. But he quickly realized these were not going far enough in providing shelter to people living on the streets. He went on to create a design for a jacket, combined with a detachable sleeping bag. There were certain requirements that the design had to meet. It had to be warm. It had to be water- and wind-resistant. It had to make sleeping on the street as comfortable as possible. And it had to be lightweight and practical for a life on the move. The design that emerged addressed all these needs, as was affirmed by the homeless people to whom Timmer offered his first Sheltersuits.
- In addition to the jacket and sleeping bag elements, Timmer designed a backpack in which to carry the suit when it wasn’t being used.
- Other important features of the Sheltersuit include a roomy hood, generous pockets with sturdy closures, and a built-in scarf to protect the face. All of it is made to provide optimal warmth and dryness, as well as a feeling of protection. Timmer later adjusted the bottom of the sleeping bag, giving more room to the feet, in case the person using it had to get up and move quickly.
- From the beginning, Timmer has been giving the suits away for free.
Who makes the Sheltersuit? Who gets the Sheltersuit?
- Some of the Sheltersuits are made by volunteers. But Timmer tries to give paid work to as many needy individuals as possible. Homeless people, refugees, and others who are marginalized do much of the work of sewing and assembling the suits. They are paid for their work, but also might receive other support like job mentoring and counseling.
- Fourteen people are employed at the factory in the town of Enschede, in the Netherlands. Some are refugees and others are formerly homeless people. Their wages are paid by donations made to the Sheltersuit Foundation. Recently, another factory opened in South Africa. It employs seamstresses who were impoverished and homeless. And Timmer wants to keep expanding. He is partnering with UNICEF and other organizations to manufacture and distribute suits through small operations around the world. His aim is to support local economies and offer work and job training to people who have no livelihood.
- Some of the materials used to make Sheltersuits are donated. But the suits also contain parts that have been “upcycled,” (the process of taking materials that have been thrown away and putting them to use in a high quality product). For example, old sleeping bags that have been cleaned, are used as lining material. The textile industry is one of the most wasteful in the world. Using discarded material not only keeps costs down, but is also good for the planet.
- Sheltersuit has upcycled some 21,000 kg (46,297 lbs) of materials.
- So far, 12,500 Sheltersuits have been given out to people living on the streets. In addition to the Netherlands and South Africa, they have been distributed to homeless people in the United States, Germany, and Italy. 1,500 Sheltersuits were given out in refugee camps in Greece and 650 more to refugees in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
- During the current pandemic, homeless shelters have been bursting at the seams, as many more people are facing homelessness. But an additional problem has been that people within the shelters have had to stay socially distanced. This has meant that the shelters have not been able to accommodate as many people as before. Timmer has worked with some of these shelters to offer Sheltersuits to people who were forced to stay outside because of a lack of space within the shelters.
“Every human being deserves warmth, protection, dignity.” – Bas Timmer
- A new iteration of the Sheltersuit is the Shelterbag. Just like the Sheltersuit, it’s waterproof and portable. But it has some new features, like a pocket in which to stow smaller items, as well as a sleeping bag with an integrated pillow and a tent pole. The Shelterbag is supposed to be usable in all seasons and all climates.
- Timmer says that his big aim is to put an end to homelessness in the world. He realizes that this cannot happen right away, but people who have nowhere to go but the streets, can be given aid and comfort until more fundamental solutions are found. Timmer wants Sheltersuit to offer “a short-term solution to a long-term problem,” saying that “everyone has a right to this small shelter if they need it.”
Sources: Baker, Aryn, Time, “This Dutch Designer Is Keeping Homeless People Safe on the Streets By Turning Snowsuits Into Sleeping Bags,” https://time.com/collection-post/5896371/bas-timmer-next-generation-leaders/, October 8, 2020; Designboom, “bas timmer’s sheltersuit offers a portable, durable shelter for the homeless,” https://www.designboom.com/design/bas-timmer-sheltersuit-portable-shelter-homeless-02-20-2020/; Pinto-Rodrigues, Anne, The Christian Science Monitor, “Coat as Shelter: Designer Bas Timmer creates for people who have no home,” https://www.csmonitor.com/Coat-as-shelter-Designer-Bas-Timmer-creates-for-people-who-have-no-home. December 8, 2020; The Holland Times, “Dutch designer Bas Timmer becomes a Time Magazine Next Generation Leader,” https://www.hollandtimes.nl/dutch-designer-bas-timmer-becomes-a-2020-time-magazine-next-generation-leader/, December 2020; Sheltersuit Foundation, https://sheltersuit.com/.