Makers Unite are a textile-based creative agency for social inclusion. At their Amsterdam studio they design and produce sustainable products with a story, and pioneer creative talent development programmes. What began as a project to raise awareness, has grown into a globally recognised talent pool of creatives from refugee backgrounds .

It began in 2016, Makers Unite up-cycled 5,000 discarded life-vests into Re-Vest Life Ribbons, to spark conversation about the migrant crisis. The life-vests are collected from the shores of Greece having been used by refugees to cross the Mediterranean. The in-house tailor team of newcomers with refugee backgrounds, now transform these in to travel accessories; granting the fabric a new identity as an ongoing symbol of hope.