MR PORTER launches

Debuting on 28 June, Small World showcases 33 considered brands that are truly special by virtue of qualities such as their provenance, skilled heritage craftsmanship, their support of regional artisans or the use of recycled and low-impact materials.

An enduring thread to Small World is that the collection champions craftsmanship across a wide breadth of brands from across the world, each with its own point of view. Of the 33 brands, 16 are new to MR PORTER. Of the 338 considered products that will launch within Small World across ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, luxury watches, grooming and homeware, 184 are fully exclusive to the site. Collectively, Small World brings together communities from as far afield as Bali, Mexico, Tibet, Nigeria and Mali and those supporting local artisanal crafts in the US, UK, France, India, Portugal and Japan.

Each Small World brand will also sit within MR PORTER’s newly launched Craftsmanship Code, an evergreen section of the site designed to champion products made by brands that make a positive contribution to their communities and operate with environmental and social considerations at the forefront of their design and business decisions.

Each featured brand must demonstrate they meet this foundational principle through a series of assessments and in addition, each product is required to meet one or more of the following guiding principles:

• Heritage craft – products made by skilled artisans who practise time-honoured techniques to preserve and protect the accumulation of knowledge and skills that have been passed down through generations
• Future craft – products made using innovative materials, processes and technologies designed to make efficient use of resources, reduce pollution or support healthy ecosystems
• Made locally – products made with materials and manufacturing processes that directly benefit local communities through training, skills development and employment
• Made to last longer – products built to last, designed to be repaired, re-loved or recycled
• Made from considered materials – products made with lower-impact materials for a significantly reduced environmental footprint
• Made with high standards of animal welfare

The introduction of the Craftsmanship Code marks MR PORTER’s ongoing commitment to champion artisanal product and skilled craft within its current and future buying strategy. The Craftsmanship Code has been developed to celebrate craftsmanship, which requires an investment of time, skill and care at every stage of the production process. The result is products that the MR PORTER customer wants to invest in and care for and that have greater value and can be worn for longer.

MR PORTER will celebrate the launch with a global digital campaign from late June, along with dedicated editorial and social content across its global editorial platforms, including online magazine The Journal and its Instagram channel @mrporter.