About oskar&ellen
We believe every parent is picky about what his or her child plays with.
We all want products that are useful, inspiring, safe and sustainable. oskar&ellen, supplied by Fahrmans Idé AB, work with the aim to provide an innovative and fun range of soft fabric toys to encourage a child’s imagination as well as learning through pretend play. We are known for our high quality products, individually made with unrivaled attention to detail. This craftmanship and high quality of the product make it last for a long time.
Delighful gifts, all oskar&ellen products come with their own reusable mesh bag with fabric edging and handles.
FROM IDEA TO FINISHED PRODUCT
All products are handmade (hand sewn and by sewing machines) in Manila, the Philippines. The production cycle of making an oskar&ellen product involves over 100 steps from product design, and the production of sewing each item. Once the product is finished it has passed through several quality controls and been washed four times.
It is a long journey from the drawing table in Sweden to the hands-on work in Manila until the product reaches the customer and ultimately the final destination in a child’s hands.
"I got the idea to develop fabric toys since we often did long haul flights from Manila to Stockholm with the kids. I couldn’t find any toys that were educational, soft, quiet (to avoid co- passengers from getting annoyed) nor easy to carry with us." says Petra. Today, Petra and her family have moved back to Sweden and the "kids" are now young adults.
The Philippine people are cheerful and warm and greet everyone with a smile. We believe their positive attitude is reflected in our products. They are made with heart, pride, plenty of skill and human dignity, says Petra Jinglov.
CSR
We love to visit the studios. I lived in the Philippines for four years and also gave birth to our son there, so the country and its people has a very special place in my heart. The Philippine people are warm, friendly and often smiling. I am certain this reflects in our product”, says Petra Jinglov, founder of oskar&ellen.
The working environment and conditions of the artisans is friendly and with easy access to drinking water, fans and toilets. Mobiles are allowed to be used during work.
longterm relationship
All oskar&ellen toys are handmade (hand sewn using sewing machines) by three manufacturers/sewing studios in Manila, Philippines. These sewing studios were chosen 23 years ago by the founder of oskar&ellen, Petra Jinglov. Today they still work with the same studios and this longterm relationship provides security and stability for both oskar&ellen and the workers in Manila.
Each studio has approximately 30 employees and all employees are paid a fair wage imposed by Philippine Law.
We guarantee fair wage and good working conditions at every step of the manufacturing process.
Absolut assurance that no unfair, forced or child labour is being employed.
PRODUCTS
Our products adhere to all European standards for toy safety including EN71-8:2011 and therefore carry the CE mark. A big selection of the range has also been tested and approved according to ASTM for North America as well as Japan and Israel.
For the product testing we use Intertek, which is a globally recognised industry leader in this field.
We feel that it is important to stress that although our products are made in fabric it doesn’t mean that they are suitable for babies. In fact our products are much loved by children of many ages. Some of our interactive books and play bags including the Nursery Rhymes Song Bag are recommended from 18 months and the majority of the pretend play and activity play bags are suitable from the age of 3 years. The age around 3-5 is the age where the child is ready for role-play and imaginative play and this is also the age when we believe the child will enjoy our toys the most!
Fabric
The products are made from cotton, poly cotton, and polyester, sometimes felt. The fabric is imported from Hong Kong and Korea. We source the fabric from the local textile market, so we buy what is available or overruns from other companies. Disclaimer - as all products are handmade, there might be some small differences from one batch to the next (depending on what is available at the textile market) and therefore might be different from the product image. This is also what makes each item unique.
Care instructions
We recommend hand wash 40° C for all items except the baby quilts, which are machine washable. Please iron your product with low heat or steam and your product will look great.
Transport and Packaging
All products are transported to Europe by ship (takes approx. 6 weeks) and within Europe by road freight. Each unit is packed in a netted fabric storage bag and then in an outer carton box.