Fairtrade from start to finish - the journey from hamam towel to bathrobe

Cooperation with small family businesses

For the production of our hamam towels and bathrobes, ZusenZomer works closely with small-scale family businesses in Turkey and Tunisia. These workshops and weaving mills are often located in (mountain) villages in the countryside. We find it important to work together in a fair and sustainable way: by paying a good price and building long-term relationships with our makers.
This way we create employment for both men and women and contribute to a stable income for several families.

Craft and handwork in every detail

Although much of the weaving process has now been modernized, an important part of our production remains artisanal handwork. Finishing the hamam towels with fringes and putting together the bathrobes from the woven cloths is still largely done by hand. This also ensures the unique designs of our kimonos and bathrobes.

Turkije Fairtrade

In 7 steps from hamam towel to bathrobe

Our fair-trade production follows a careful step-by-step process: from weaving the hammam towels with precision to assembling the bathrobes and packaging the final product. Every part of this process requires attention, experience and true craftsmanship.

Step 1: weaving a hammam towel

The weaving mills have been modernised over the years, but creating hammam towels that meet traditional quality standards still involves a lot of handwork and craftsmanship. We work with 100% high-quality OEKO-TEX® cotton. The fabric is airy, strong and highly absorbent – exactly what defines an authentic hammam towel.

Fairtrade Turkije Hamamdoek

Steps 2 & 3

Handcrafted finishing

Each hammam towel receives its characteristic fringes at the ends. In the past, these were quickly twisted and knotted by hand by women who earned a good income with this work. Today, this is done partly by machine, although we still often choose a fringed finish without the small knots, depending on the model and design.

Washing, drying and ironing

Before a hammam towel is ready for further processing, it is pre-washed, air-dried and carefully ironed. After that, each towel is checked individually for weaving irregularities or loose threads, neatly folded and temporarily packaged. This keeps them beautiful and ready for the next phase.

Naaien weven confectie

Steps 4 and 5

The bathrobe sewing pattern

In our atelier in Turkey, we design our own ZusenZomer patterns together with the family who handles our garment production. These patterns are developed to ensure the fit is perfect — from S to Plus and Plus-Plus — and that the lines fall beautifully. We take into account the size of the hammam towel and its weaving pattern, so the design comes out exactly as intended and as little material as possible is wasted. A unique combination of Dutch Design and traditional Turkish craftsmanship.

Fairtrade Upcycle

Steps 6 & 7

Packaging with care

Each bathrobe is packaged beautifully and practically: in biodegradable foil, with attention to reuse and a minimal footprint. Ready to continue its journey with care — to your home, your bathroom, your wellness moment.

From leftovers we create even more beautiful pieces

We don’t throw anything away. From leftover hammam towel fabric, we create toiletry bags, mini cloths and beach bags. This way, upcycled products with a long lifespan are born. Beautiful for you and better for the world.