Sheltersuit Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 by Bas Timmer to develop products that can alleviate the symptoms of homeless people. The Sheltersuit and the Shelterbag were created. Alethea Magazine received an interview from the Sheltersuit team about the idea of the foundation, the business model and also about the new fashion line. Sustainability and circularity of fashion are indispensable. Sheltersuit is a well-rounded circularity, as the jackets/sleeping bags are tailored from sent used sleeping bags and other fabric leftovers. Each Sheltersuit looks different, but is thought out to the last detail. It is important that the Sheltersuit protects its wearer from hypothermia and is water repellent, as this will lead to hypothermia in no time.

Bas Timmer was a fashion student in the Netherlands. When a friend's father passed away, he decided not to start another fashion line, but to offer his skills to the community. A lot has happened since its inception and the Sheltersuit has been used around the world, including during the 2017 refugee crisis in Lesbos. Bas Timmer's idea would not be possible without supporters from the business community. The business model is based on donations from companies or private individuals, with whose support the homeless then receive their Sheltersuits.

A donation from the Designer Gabriela Hearst from Chloé resulted in 250 Sheltersuits being given to the homeless in New York. Recently, Sheltersuit also launched their own Fashion collection. This is primarily a campaign to raise awareness about homelessness, but also shows the outstanding design talent of Bas Timmer.

April 1, 2022

Interview Directory 

ART

Name: Sheltersuit Team

Founder: Bas Timmer

Sheltersuit: In order to offer them for free, Bas Timmer and Alexander de Groot established the Sheltersuit Foundation.

To understand your business model – are the Sheltersuits given away to the homeless or bought by the municipalities?

The Sheltersuits are usually ‘sponsored’. Firms or wealthy individuals make large donations to the foundation at once for a certain amount of Sheltersuits. We match these donations with organisations – like Caritas – who make sure the Sheltersuits end up with people who need them the most. What also happens is that an organization like Caritas has secured the funding of Sheltersuits from their own network/municipality and they place an order with us. So, we are like a ‘regular’ business, but the money that comes in to produce the Sheltersuits is all donation

Do you also plan to be active in Germany?

We are activity in Germany, mostly through Caritas and Heilsarmee. However, we do not have a production space or office in Germany. 

Who developed the suitable form of the Sheltersuit – was it with concerned people?

Bas Timmer is the one who designed the Sheltersuits from scratch. The first version was a thick sweater sewn onto a sleeping bag. Through feedback loops with actual users of the suits - the homeless - the Sheltersuit as we know it today came to be. An example of feedback was that the bottom of the suit needs to have Velcro on it instead of being closed off, in case a person sleeping in the suit needed to get up quickly in case of emergency.

 
If Sheltersuit is made of recycled materials, is every Sheltersuit different?

The model is always the same, but the colors are different, depending on the donated materials.

©Sheltersuit

Netherlands 2020 ©Sheltersuit

©Sheltersuit

Which brands do you cooperate with?

We have cooperated with many brands already. A good example is the cooperation we have with Auping (Dutch bedding company). Together with Auping, we designed the mats that go inside the Shelterbags (lightweight ‘summer’ version of the Sheltersuit). We continue this relationship for future product development. 

Another example is our collaboration with fashion brand Chloé. Last year, Gabriella Hearst presented her first ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week, and Bas was asked to design a collection of bags and Sheltersuits made from materials from previous Chloé collections. Every time a bag was sold, two Sheltersuits were donated. Sheltersuit received a lot of (fashion) media attention from this collaboration, which resulted in increased awareness of Sheltersuit’s mission and donations. 

You have also launched your own fashion brand – what are your goals with this line?

The collaboration with Chloé inspired Bas to go back to his fashion designer roots (he was once a fashion graduate). The goal of the fashion label is to increase the visibility of the Foundation through communication via the website, social media, and the clothing. This way, we create a greater awareness for the problem of homelessness with a new target audience.

What are your vision and goals with Sheltersuit?

Our vision is that every person who is forced to sleep on the streets is warm, dry, and comfortable. We believe in being there for people who cannot afford the products to protect themselves from the elements.

©Sheltersuit

©Sheltersuit