In need of a snazzy new home for your trusty personal computing device? Look no further than these ethically produced offerings from RUK Products, a new brand started by Melbourne-based textile artist Tara Whalley and Guatemala-based social entrepreneur Samuel Brizuela that celebrates traditional Mayan craftsmanship. Working directly with skilled Guatemalan artisans from marginalised communities, RUK utilises age-old techniques to create meaningful products for our modern world – with their first range featuring MacBook and iPad sleeves and cases that have been handwoven from 100% cotton thread and hand-dyed using natural vegetation. The company partners with the makers, paying them fair wages that help them provide for their families and communities. And it’s fitting that ruk means ‘with’ in the Kiché language (one of the main indigenous languages of the country’s Western highlands), as these hardy cases are perfect for taking with you wherever you go! Check out their range online or head along to their pop-up store at 106 Elgin St, Carlton before the end of this month.
Ready to RUK
JOIN OUR MAILING LIST
Brighten up your inbox with our not-too-frequent emails featuring Peppermint-related news, events, competitions and more!
explore
More articles
Slow fashion, frantic printers, the occasional magpie in lycra… At Sydney label Lonely Kids Club, making less doesn’t mean having less fun. Founder Warwick Levy explains how quirky designs, print-to-order production and less waste go hand in hand.
From Brisbane’s riverside to Manly’s oceanfront, The Great Artist Market is making space for art, makers and good old-fashioned face-to-face connection. We chat to creative duo Claire Ritchie and Dean Romeo to find out more.
The 2026 Clean + Conscious Awards have revealed their winners! We’re joining the celebrations with a closer look at some of the products that caught our eye.
Author Douglas Adams wrote that a towel is the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can own. But if you’re short on space, we recommend a tea towel, instead! These tiny canvases pack plenty of personality AND dry the dishes to boot.
What are you wearing today? A pair of adventure-worn jeans, a fave mood-boosting shirt… Whatever the item, chances are many people helped make it. This Ethical Clothing Australia Week, we celebrate the skilled human hands behind the clothes we wear.
It’s all creative hands on deck at Museum of Brisbane this spring, with ceramicist Bonnie Hislop and artists Sunday Jemmott and Renee Kire bringing the buzz to two fab Crafty Party events in September and November – on after dark for extra spice!




