A weaving relationship across Asia and Europe: A journey of cooperation between Dutch customers and our women's wicker bags
In the global trade landscape, an Internet cable can connect the distant supply and demand ends, and a pair of skillful hands can transform regional characteristics into the world language. When Dutch customer Annika typed "handmade willow handbag manufacturer" in the Google search bar, she never thought that this encounter across 8,000 kilometers would give birth to a series of willow bags that are popular in the European market. As a manufacturer specializing in hand-woven baskets, basketgem uses the warmth of our fingertips and a professional attitude to make the oriental willow craftsmanship shine on the Dutch fashion stage.
Trust building behind Google searches
Annika is the founder of a niche accessories brand in the Netherlands. She has always wanted to launch a series of wicker bags that combine natural textures with practical functions. After browsing the websites of several suppliers, our factory's case display page attracted her attention. The page presented in detail our various wicker products, woven bags of different styles, and the entire process from wicker selection to finished product quality inspection was transparent and visible. More importantly, the support for ODM and OEM modes marked in the customized service section just fits her needs to promote new product development.
During the first email communication, Annika sent a detailed design drawing: this women's wicker bag has an oval outline, the body is woven with primary color wicker, the edges are inlaid with cowhide, the handles are woven with a unique braid texture, and there is a space for compartments inside. The dimensions marked on the drawing are accurate to millimeters, and even the detailed requirement of "the diameter of the wicker must be controlled between 2-3mm" is noted. The customer service team responded quickly, attached the description of the high-quality white wicker material used by our factory in the Yellow River Delta, and promised to make samples strictly according to the drawing parameters.
From samples to mass production: conquering discerning eyes with details
In the sample production workshop, Master Li, who has 20 years of weaving experience, took the drawing and soaked the selected willow branches in clean water for 12 hours. After it reached the best flexibility, he weaved it according to the ancient weaving process of "three ups and two downs". In order to meet the requirements of the braided handles in the drawings, he specially selected three-year-old willow twigs, which have a moderate degree of lignification, maintaining stiffness while not easily breaking. To ensure the symmetry of the elliptical arc of the bag body, the workshop specially made a wooden mold, and calibrated it against the mold every 5 rounds of weaving.
Three days later, when this sample with a light herbal scent was sent to the Netherlands, we also attached a detailed process description: from the wicker harvesting season (after the frost every year, the wood becomes tighter) to the tension control during weaving (the force per square centimeter does not exceed 5N to avoid wicker breakage), and even marked that the glue used for the cowhide edging was food-grade and environmentally friendly glue. A week later, Annika's email came with a surprise: "The sample exceeded expectations, especially the woven texture of the handle was more refined than the drawing, and we decided to increase the order!"
Ingenuity in mass production
After mass production started, we faced two major challenges: one was to complete the production of 3,000 bags in a short period of time, and the other was to ensure that the woven density error of each bag did not exceed 5%. The production department immediately adjusted the shift schedule and formed a special team of 15 experienced weavers. Each team of 5 people was responsible for a production link, from wicker sorting, base laying, bag body weaving to accessories assembly, and implemented the "piecework-based, not time-based" assessment method to ensure quality first.
In order to ensure consistency, the technical department made standard samples and hung them in the workshop, and organized workers to conduct comparison training before starting work every day; the quality inspection process is even more strict, not only to check whether the appearance is flat and whether the handle load-bearing capacity meets the standard (simulated load-bearing 5kg hanging for 24 hours without deformation), but also to randomly select 1% of the finished products for water resistance test (soak for 24 hours and then dry to observe whether they are deformed). When the last batch of goods was loaded onto the container, Annika specifically asked the freight forwarder to send the on-site photos: "Buyers in the Netherlands can't wait to see these handicrafts full of oriental charm."
Today, this wicker bag has become a hit product of the Annika brand. In the boutique window, it complements the leather and metal accessories, conveying the natural and ingenious life aesthetics. This cooperation story that started with Google search is not only a successful business transaction, but also confirms the unique charm of hand-woven - it can transcend the boundaries of language and region, making each wicker a link connecting different cultures. And we will continue to use this kind of craftsmanship to weave more cooperative relationships that transcend mountains and seas.
Your needs that we make, your voice that we listen to, to weave your beauty.