Twist Plateau Pink | Handwoven Sisal, Yarn & Sweetgrass Basket
This basket feels like the physical manifestation of a paradox: both decorative and useful, ancient and modern, personal and universal.
What It Is:
The Twist Plateau Pink is a 12-inch handwoven basket made in Rwanda from sisal, yarn, and sweetgrass. Hand-dyed in purple and two shades of pink, its spiral design is part geometry, part psychedelia—a shape that looks intentional and accidental at the same time. Every piece is crafted by women artisans using weaving traditions passed down through generations, which means no two are exactly alike. Hang it on a wall, drop it on a coffee table, or fill it with fruit—the point isn’t what it holds, but that it exists.
Why You’ll Actually Use It:
Because baskets are one of the rare household objects that work on three simultaneous levels: they’re storage, they’re décor, and they’re low-key philosophy. This one can hold oranges, car keys, or your vague sense of wanting a “curated home.” It will look as natural in a Brooklyn apartment as it will in a suburban kitchen, because it’s not pretending to be anything other than what it is—a handwoven spiral that doubles as both design statement and existential metaphor.
Key Details:
Dimensions: 12" W x 3" H
Material: Locally sourced sisal, yarn + sweetgrass
Color: Hand-dyed purple + two shades of pink
Features: Built-in loop for hanging, one-of-a-kind variations
Care: Spot clean; keep out of direct sunlight to preserve color
Impact:
The Twist Plateau Pink isn’t just décor—it’s economic empowerment disguised as a fruit bowl. The artisan sector is the second-largest employer in the developing world, but most women artisans lack access to global markets. Since 2007, profits from baskets like this have helped fund education and entrepreneurship programs for over 1,100 artisans and 250 youth in Rwanda and Ghana.
This is more than a handmade basket. It’s a conversation about culture, survival, and why we keep objects that outlast their utility.
About the brand: Powered by People
Powered by People is basically what happens when “shopping small” gets a global operating system. Instead of mass-produced sameness, they connect you with makers who are spinning out hand-dyed textiles, hand-thrown ceramics, and jewelry that feels like it was pulled from an alternate reality where craftsmanship never went out of style. The through-line isn’t just aesthetics—it’s the insistence that every object has both utility and a backstory, often rooted in sustainable practices, reclaimed materials, and cultural traditions that would otherwise get bulldozed by the modern marketplace. In short: they’re trying to prove that conscious consumption doesn’t have to look like homework.