OUR STORY
In 2015, we founded Wooden Element in Wicker Park, Chicago, IL.
Our hope was to create a brand with a balanced focus on environmental conservation, old fashioned customer service, social responsibility, creativity, ingenuity, sustainable materials, community relationships, and unique fashion.
We began our journey as a tiny artisan booth at Randolph Street Market in Chicago’s West Loop, and have evolved into an artisan collective based in Peoria, IL (Central, IL).
Our journey has allowed us to collaborate with fair trade artisans in Portugal, Thailand, Israel, Panama, Vietnam, Italy, India, Indiana, California, and Peoria.
Wooden Element is a Green America certified business that crafts accessories, jewelry, and gifts from ethically sourced sustainable materials.
We use Eco-friendly resins, FSC sourced natural wood, repurposed wood, and biodegradable packing materials. This includes Mulberry Paper, Recycled Paper, Floral Petals (Orchids, Roses, Lily’s), Cork (Cruelty-Free, PETA Approved), Natural Wood, Wood Burl, Vegan Leather, Bamboo Fiber, Natural Fibers, Coffee Grinds, Wood and Resin, and Tagua Nut (Vegan Ivory).
Our social impact partners include Easter Seals, Best Buddies International, The Dream Center Peoria, and the Egbe Mission (SIM, West Africa). We also support Aletheia School Peoria.
We have two conservation focuses: SURF & TURF. For Surf, we partner with PADI to help fund reef conservation and restoration. Our other niche is marine creature preservation (Turtles, Sharks and Rays). For turf we have partnered with One Tree Planted, to sponsor Forest restoration projects in California (The Redwoods) and Brazil (The Amazon).
Thank you for supporting Us. Your purchase helps support our community, our family business, and our cherished projects.
Kind Regards
Natalie & David
________________________________________________________________
TEAM
Natalie Akerele: Creative Director & Operations.
David Akerele: Promotional Gifting Program, Wholesale Management, & Business Development.
Selina Penarski: European Operations.
Paris Solomon: European Marketing.
Amy Davis: Product Photography.
Stefan IIic: Digital Content Production & Editing.
Raag Parameswaran: Digital Content Development.
Laynie Zika: Sales Associate & Admin.
Juanita Shaw: Senior Sales Associate & Retail Management
Justine Szetela: Sales Associate & Retail Management.
Melissa Harper: Senior Sales Associate & Retail Management Team.
Rick Martinez: Sales Associate.
Kristen Hawthorne: Sales Associate.
Sam Van Dyken: Sales Manager- CA, AZ, CO, NV.
Brian Eickhoff: Sales Manager- IN, CO.
Yona Oliver: Sales Associate & Admin
Amy Nolette: Sales Associate.
Jason Hinds: Sales Associate.
Mr. Tam: Web & Customer Support.
Courtney Rasche: Digital Marketing.
Brand Ambassadors
Jamie Charapata: https://www.instagram.com/jamielee_charapata
Sarah Sawyer: https://www.instagram.com/sarahsawyerstudio
Colin Tam: https://www.instagram.com/colin_tam
Sydney Schnee: https://www.instagram.com/_sydneyschnee
Rachel Ann Jensen: https://instagram.com/rachelannjensen
Matt Phipps: https://www.instagram.com/yearnwithphipps
Kenneth Park: https://www.instagram.com/kp_hndrxx
Contact Information
Email: woodenelement2015@gmail.com
Number: +1 312-834-3060
________________________________________________________________
"GO AGAINST THE GRAIN.”
Wooden Element strives to bring a creative and bold flare to the modern day fashion paradigm. Our products and accessories target individuals that value craftsmanship, ingenuity, and attention to detail. We provide a twist on classical fashion accessories that will ensure our clients stand out from the crowd. We go against the grain, and we do it in style! Thank you for your patronage.
The Modern Woman
We aim to provide quality items that marry fashion with art. This fusion focuses on geometric constructs that utilize rare and vintage raw materials. We provide our clients with eye-catching finished products and accessories that are visually stunning. Our artisans take pride in their work and obsess over every detail from inception to completion. Our line of modern women’s accessories includes:
Wooden Clutches/Cross Body Bags
Wooden Handbags
Wooden Card Holder
Wooden Sunglasses
Wooden Glasses
Wooden Watches
Wood and Resin Earrings
Wooden Rings
Wooden Scarf Pin's
Cork Bags
Cork Bracelets
Cork Rings
Cork Necklaces
The Modern Man
We aim to provide men unique products that will ensure their professional and personal attire is enhanced in a complementary but non-overpowering manner. We provide a contemporary array of men’s products that by definition go against the grain:
Wooden Watches
Wooden Rings
Wooden Sunglasses
Wooden Glasses
Wooden Bow Ties
Wooden Lapel Flowers
Wooden Wallets
Wood/Resin Smart Wallets